Top 20+ fee paying schools often called

Private schools and independent schools: These terms tend to be interchangeable and are used for any school not funded by the state but charges tuition fees.

Public schools: Historically the most exclusive – and expensive – of boys’ private (mainly boarding) schools. The term is used with greater flexibility these days.

Prep schools and pre-preps: short for preparatory and pre-preparatory schools. Private primary schools for children aged 3 to 7 or 8 (pre-preps) or 7 to 11 or 13 (preps). They prepare pupils for entry to mainly independent secondary schools of all types. Sometimes called junior schools. Read our article on preps and pre-preps.

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Boarding schools: Schools which provide a home from home. Pupils usually board on a termly, weekly or flexible basis. There are very few schools which are exclusively for boarders and these days, most boarding schools also have day pupils. There are state boarding schools.

Private schools, independent schools and public schools: what’s the difference?

All are funded mainly by school fees paid by parents and not by the state. As with the state sector, you can find schools which are primary, secondary and all-through, meaning 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 have charging fees in common, it is their independence from government-mandated education that allows them to offer a wide range of school experiences and develop specialist offerings. Like every registered school in the country, they do have to conform to official standards of education, health and safety, are regularly inspected (by the Independent Schools Inspectorate either as well as or instead of by Ofsted) and – at secondary level – prepare pupils for the same public assessments and examinations as state schools. Unlike with state schools, the system is broadly the same across the whole of the United Kingdom although some fee-paying schools in Scotland offer the Scottish qualification of Highers as an alternative to A levels.

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’ – but rather the term is principally appplied to a group of long-established boarding secondary schools which charge school fees. ‘Public school’ originally referred to a small group of boys’ schools which, in 1868, were given independence from the Crown, church or government in favour of management by a board of governors (taken from the public). The original seven were Charterhouse, Eton College, Winchester College, Harrow School, Rugby School, Shrewsbury School, and Westminster. There are now several hundred schools which may be described as ‘public schools’, including many girls’ and co-educational schools, nearly all with a proportion of day pupils, and many with boarding fees upwards of £40K.

What is the difference between a prep school and a primary school?

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Prep schools and pre-prep schools are all fee-paying, whilst state primary schools are funded by the state. Pre-prep schools usually start at 3 or 4 (although some pre-preps also have a nursery taking younger children) and feed into prep schools at 7 or 8. Preparatory schools do just what they say on the tin – prepare pupils for entry into private secondary schools usually via the Common Entrance (CE) exams (or Prep School Baccalaureate) taken at age 13. Because nothing in the English school system is totally straightforward, almost all girls’ preparatory schools (sometimes called ‘junior schools’) finish at the end of year 6 (nearly all girls’ senior schools start at year 7) as do – increasingly – some co-educational preps that feed independent day or grammar schools starting in year 7. And far from keeping the pressure off until it’s time for CE in year 8, many senior schools now demand an 11+ style pre-test in years 6 or 7, offering places up to two years ahead of entry which are then secured by CE. Most pupils at a state primary school move on to a local state secondary school, though some take exams aged 11 for fee paying secondary schools.

Are private schools selective?

Some more than others. For a handful of junior schools (mainly in or close to London) the only way to be sure of gaining a place is to put your child’s name down early, although thankfully most schools no longer insist on parents getting their children’s name down at birth. 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.

Selection for early years places tends to involve a gentle assessment to see whether your child is school ready; speech, play and social interaction are the orders of the day. Many private schools are happy to accept children with mild special needs, but numbers with the welcome mat out dwindle rapidly as degrees of additional support required increase. If your child has special needs, our extensive SEN section can help point you in the right direction. And bear in mind that during your tour of the school or chat with the head you are quite likely being assessed to judge whether you are likely to ‘fit in’ with the parent body. At age 7 or 8 your child will be assessed in maths and English, possibly along with some sort of reasoning test to measure potential. Many schools will invite the child to a taster day to see how they interact with their potential classmates. As with most things, London preps dance to their own beat and openly select the brightest and best, with tutor firms unable to swipe the credit cards fast enough.

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When it comes to secondary school it’s crucial to get your ducks in a row sooner rather than later as in some cases the 13+ application deadline is up to three years prior to entry and latecomers are rarely accommodated, though for most 11+ entries you can register during the early autumn term of year 6. Selection should be a two-way process: choosing the right private school for your child is crucial to their future success so don’t be seduced by a top name – it may not be right for your child. More and more schools with year 9 entry are using a pre-test (either of their own design or the ISEB Common Pre-test) in year 6 or 7 to select this far in advance. The 11+ tends to be a more straightforward process, typically with exams in maths, English, science and verbal/non-verbal reasoning in the January of the year of entry. Not all private secondary schools are academically selective although they may still want to assess your child in an interview to make sure they’re a good match for the school.

Do all schools offer boarding?

No. About a third of UK private schools offer some kind of boarding. There’s a real spectrum of what’s available with some exclusively full boarding, others offering provide bed and breakfast for no more than a couple of nights a week, and every shade in between. No school offers boarding to children under the age of 7 and it is increasingly unusual for children to board before 11, although some prep schools make it very appealing. Boarding is most popular at 6th form; those last two years of school, where it allows pupils to focus on their studies as well as having their social life built in to the long school day.

Why is the British system so confusing?

If you find it confusing, you are not the first and you certainly won’t be the last. Investing in private education is a huge commitment of both finance and trust and should depend on both first-rate information and your own parental instincts. Fortunately, The Good Schools Guide is on hand to help give you the inside track with its straight-talking school reviews that lift the lid on the true face of schools and tell you everything you won’t read in the prospectus.

Photo credit: Westonbirt School

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