Independent schools explained

Help for parents from The Good Schools Guide

Difference between public & private school

All are funded mainly by school fees paid by parents and not by the state. Children of any age can be privately educated. All independent schools are private schools, and these terms are often used interchangeably but technically, independent schools are all overseen by a board of governors or trustees, whilst other private schools may be run by their owner with no governing body. While these schools all charge fees, like every registered school in the country, they do have to conform to official standards of education, health and safety, are regularly inspected.

What is a public school?

In the UK, ‘public school’ is a misleading and archaic term. It is not a school freely open to the public - in the UK this is called a 'state school'. ‘Public school’ originally referred to a small group of boys’ schools. There are now several hundred schools which may be described as ‘public schools’, including many girls’ and coeducational schools, nearly all with a proportion of day pupils, and many with boarding fees upwards of £40K.

Difference between a prep & primary school

Prep schools and pre-prep (from age 3 or 4) schools are all fee-paying, whilst state primary schools are state funded. Pre-prep schools feed into prep schools at 7 or 8. Preparatory schools prepare pupils for entry into private secondary schools usually via Common Entrance (CE) exams (or Prep School Baccalaureate) taken at age 13. Are private schools selective?

Some more than others. For a handful of junior schools (mostly in or close to London) the only way to be sure of gaining a place is to put your child’s name down early. At the majority, though, things are a bit more relaxed, with many more rural prep and senior schools happy to take on pupils who can pay the fees.

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