Independent school (United Kingdom)

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Warwick School, one of the oldest Independent Schools in Britain.

In the United Kingdom, independent schools (also private schools) are fee-paying
private schools, governed by an elected board of governors and independent of many
of the regulations and conditions that apply to state-funded schools. For example,
pupils do not have to follow the National Curriculum.[1] Many of the older,
expensive and more exclusive schools catering for the 1318 age-range in England
and Wales are known as public schools as defined by the Public Schools Act 1868,
the term public being derived from the fact that they were open to pupils
regardless of where they lived or their religion (while in many other countries a
public school is run by the state or municipality). Prep (preparatory) schools
educate younger children up to the age of 13 to prepare them for entry to the
public schools and other independent schools. Some former grammar schools converted
to an independent fee-paying model following the 1965 Circular 1065 which marked
the end of their state funding; others converted into comprehensive schools.

There are around 2,500 independent schools in the UK, which educate around 615,000
children, some 7 per cent of all British children and 18 per cent of pupils over
the age of 16.[2] In addition to charging tuition fees, many also benefit from
gifts, charitable endowments and charitable status. Many of these schools are
members of the Independent Schools Council.

Contents [hide]
1 History
1.1 Origins
1.2 Victorian expansion
1.3 Modern era
2 The present day
2.1 England and Wales
2.2 Scotland
2.3 Selection
2.4 Conditions
2.5 Impact on the British economy
3 Criticisms
3.1 Charitable status
3.2 Advantage of more time for exams
4 School type and eventual degree class
5 See also
6 Notes
7 External links
History[edit]
See also History of education in England
Origins[edit]
See also List of the oldest schools in the United Kingdom
Some independent schools are particularly old, such as The King's School,
Canterbury (founded 597), The King's School, Rochester (founded 604), St Peter's
School, York (founded c. 627), Sherborne School (founded c. 710, refounded 1550 by
Edward VI), Warwick School (c. 914), The King's School, Ely (c. 970) and St Albans
School (948). These schools were founded as part of the church and were under their
complete dominion. However, it was during the late 14th & early 15th centuries that
the first schools, independent of the church, were founded. Winchester & Oswestry
were the first of their kind and paved the way for the establishment of the modern
Public school. These were often established for male scholars from poor or
disadvantaged backgrounds; however, English law has always regarded education as a
charitable end in itself, irrespective of poverty. For instance, the Queen's
Scholarships founded at Westminster in 1560, are for the sons of decay'd gentlemen.
The transformation of free charitable foundations into institutions which sometimes
charge fees came about readily the foundation would only afford minimal facilities,
so that further fees might be charged to lodge, clothe and otherwise maintain the
scholars, to the private profit of the trustees or headmaster. Also, facilities
already provided by the charitable foundation for a few scholars could profitably
be extended to further paying pupils. (Some schools still keep their foundation
scholars in a separate house from other pupils.)

After a time, such fees would eclipse the original charitable income, and the
original endowment would naturally become a minor part of the capital benefactions
enjoyed by the school. In 2009 senior boarding schools were charging fees of
between 16,000 and nearly 30,000 per annum.[3] However, a majority of the
independent schools today are still registered as a charity, and bursary is
available to students on a means test basis. Christ's Hospital in Horsham is one of
the examples, large proposition of its students are funded by its charitable
foundation or by various benefactors.

Victorian expansion[edit]
The educational reforms of the 19th century were particularly important under first
Thomas Arnold at Rugby, and then Butler and later Kennedy at Shrewsbury, the former
emphasising team spirit and muscular Christianity and the latter the importance of
scholarship and competitive examinations. Edward Thring of Uppingham School
introduced major reforms, focusing on the importance of the individual and
competition, as well as the need for a total curriculum with academia, music, sport
and drama being central to education. Most public schools developed significantly
during the 18th and 19th centuries, and came to play an important role in the
development of the Victorian social elite. Under a number of forward-looking
headmasters leading public schools created a curriculum based heavily on classics
and physical activity for boys and young men of the upper and upper middle classes.

They were schools for the gentlemanly elite of Victorian politics, armed forces and
colonial government. Often successful businessmen would send their sons to a public
school as a mark of participation in the elite. Much of the discipline was in the
hands of senior pupils (usually known as prefects), which was not just a means to
reduce staffing costs, but was also seen as vital preparation for those pupils'
later roles in public or military service. More recently heads of public schools
have been emphasising that senior pupils now play a much reduced role in
disciplining.

To an extent, the public school system influenced the school systems of the British
Empire, and recognisably public schools can be found in many Commonwealth
countries.

Modern era[edit]
Until 1975 there had been a group of 179 academically selective schools drawing on
both private and state funding, the direct grant grammar schools. The Direct Grant
Grammar Schools (Cessation of Grant) Regulations 1975 required these schools to
choose between full state funding as comprehensive schools and full independence.
As a result, 119 of these schools became independent.[4]

Pupil numbers at independent schools fell slightly during the mid-1970s recession.
At the same time participation at all secondary schools grew dramatically, so that
the share of the independent sector fell from a little under 8 per cent in 1964 to
reach a low of 5.7 per cent in 1978. Both these trends were reversed during the
1980s, and the share of the independent schools reached 7.5 per cent by 1991. The
changes since 1990 have been less dramatic, participation falling to 6.9 per cent
by 1996 before increasing very slightly after 2000 to reach 7.2 per cent in 2012.
[5] In 2015, the figure has fallen back to 6.9 per cent with the absolute number of
pupils attending independent schools falling everywhere in England apart from in
the South East.[6]

The present day[edit]

England and Wales[edit]
In 2011 there were more than 2,600 independent schools in the UK educating some
628,000 children, comprising over 6.5 per cent of UK children, and more than 18 per
cent of pupils over the age of 16.[7][8] In England the schools account for a
slightly higher percentage than in the UK as a whole. According to a 2010 study by
Ryan & Sibetia,[9] the proportion of pupils attending independent schools in
England is currently 7.2 per cent (considering full-time pupils only).

Most of the larger independent schools are either full or partial boarding schools,
although many are now predominantly day schools; by contrast there are only a few
dozen state boarding schools. Boarding-school traditions give a distinctive
character to British independent education, even in the case of day-pupils.

A high proportion of independent schools, particularly the larger and older

institutions, have charitable status. The Independent Schools Council say that UK
independent schools receive approximately 100m tax relief due to charitable status
whilst returning 300m of fee assistance in public benefit and relieving the
maintained sector (state schools) of 2bn of costs.[10]

Inspections in England
The Independent Schools Council (ISC), through seven affiliated organisations,
represents 1,289 schools that together educate over 80 per cent of the pupils in
the UK independent sector. Those schools in England which are members of the
affiliated organisations of the ISC are inspected by the Independent Schools
Inspectorate under a framework agreed between ISC, the Government's Department for
Education (DfE) and the Office for Standards in Education (Ofsted). Independent
Schools not affiliated to the ISC in England may be inspected by either School
Inspection Service or Bridge Schools' Trust. Independent schools accredited to the
ISC in Scotland and Wales and Northern Ireland or others in England out with the
inspectorial bodies listed above are inspected through the national inspectorates
in each country.[11]

Scotland[edit]

Fettes College is one of Scotland's most famous independent schools, particularly

since the 1997 Labour Government led by former pupil, Tony Blair.
See also List of independent schools in Scotla