What is private school like?

Why are British private schools often called public schools? Surely it makes sense for “public” schools to be publicly funded? No other countries seems to call private schools “public”.

The reason is that private/public schools existed centuries before the state school system. The original private schools were privately funded (by the Church, Christian trusts or individual philanthropists) to provide an education for children from poorer backgrounds. These schools were created for the public benefit, and were therefore called “public” schools.

State schools didn’t appear as a concept until a few centuries later, by which time the term “public” school was already taken!

State-maintained schools are funded by the government. Each school receives funding on a per pupil basis. A National Funding Formula is applied, in an attempt to distribute resources by need. For secondary schools in England the current average spend per pupil is around £6k.

Private schools don’t receive money from the government. They are primarily funded by parents paying fees, or contributions from previous students (“old boys/girls.”)

The interesting thing is that most private schools are run as charitable trusts. This gets a lot of bad press because it means private schools don’t pay or charge VAT. But being run as a charitable trust does not mean that money is siphoned off into the pockets of some greedy capitalist – instead all profit is reinvested in the school.

This means that schools can pay teachers better salaries, invest in the best facilities and, in 2023, they spent over £1bn on providing scholarships and bursaries. This goes back to that founding concept of these schools being for the benefit of the public.

The average day fees at a private senior school are now around £18k per year. So, on paper, each independent school student gets three times the funding of a state school student.

State-maintained schools answer to the government and whatever politically-charged decisions it is making at the time.

For independent schools, the clue is in the name. Independent schools are free to make their own decisions and forge their own directions. A school’s board of trustees will look to maintain the school’s founding principles, and will also respond to student and parental demands (that’s market forces at work.)

So state schools are under the direction of the government. Independent schools are, to an extent, led by the requirements of their pupils and parents.

The good news is that private schools spend a large proportion of their income on attracting the world’s best teachers.

For British teachers, it is a no-brainer: Private schools pay better and teachers do not have to waste their time on government-issued bureaucracy. They can just get on with teaching.

Of course it varies from person to person, school to school, and day to day. But in the main, independent school teachers are a happy, warm and enthusiastic bunch. You certainly get fewer Mr Gilberts.

It’s easy to look at the news and think that private schools are exclusively for ignorant posh white boys.

Fortunately, it is also easy to dispel that notion. In it’s 2023 census, The ISC (independent Schools Council) reports that:

• About 29% of students receive some kind of scholarship/bursary fee assistance.
• Around 280k students are male, 273k female.
• 38.5% of students in independent schools are UK minority ethnic. That compares with 35% in the English state system.
• There are also about 62k non-British pupils in our independent schools. This is around 12% of the total, but the proportion is obviously higher in boarding schools. This means you meet and befriend people from all around the world without having to go anywhere!
• In 2023, 29.8% of new joiners came from state schools.
• Almost 20% of independent school students have support for dyslexia or some other SEN.

So whilst a few traditional “Lord Snooty” types will always exist, the majority of students are down to earth, normal people like you. Do not fall into the trap of pre-judging private school students with negative stereotypes or inverted snobbery.

What you will notice most about other students in a private school is that they usually come from families which value education. This philosophy is naturally shared by the students who look to the future with optimism, and share goals of academic and personal improvement. Students who ruin it for others can be expelled with minimal fuss.

As mentioned above, private schools create a really positive atmosphere where the community shares and celebrates success.

Another difference you will notice is class size. Most schools have around 20 students in GCSE classes, and this reduces to around 10 in 6^th form.

State schools are limited to teach to the National Curriculum, and cannot teach above or ahead of the curriculum. Independent schools are free to teach whatever they want and, in most cases, they go above and beyond the curriculum. The Centre of Evaluation and Monitoring (CEM) at Durham University reported that attending independent school equated to an extra 2 years of schooling by the age of 16. That is quite the boost!

State school teachers also have to teach to the medium level. This means that the more capable students are not stretched enough, and the less-academic pupils are not supported enough. Conversely, independent schools have the resources to provide a more bespoke and flexible education for their students. It is like the difference between an off the peg suit, or something tailor made.

As we’ve seen, private schools have more money to spend on each student, and are free to spend it how they want.

Needless to say, a large proportion of this money is spent on facilities. When choosing a school, it’s always worth considering what facilities are of most interest to you (sports, science, performing art, design and tech etc.)

For example, the Art studios at Eastbourne College or Queen’s Taunton are different level. Uppingham and Sevenoaks have incredible science facilities. Sport at Bryanston is ridiculous, and the Design & Tech building at Lancing is almost as awesome as its chapel.

This is an area where private schools hold a huge advantage over state schools.

The government measures school’s success by looking at results in Maths, English and Sciences. The recent real-term funding cuts in the state sector have only exacerbated the lack of extra learning opportunities.

Independent schools are extremely lucky in this regard. Most will offer tens if not over a hundred different clubs and societies to get involved in. These can range from music clubs, to languages, to robotics, to bee-keeping, debating or volunteering.

There is always something to throw yourself into, meaning that a lot of your “out of school” hobbies and clubs can be internalised within the school.

Unsurprisingly, independent schools get better exam results than state schools. This is no doubt down to a combination a significantly higher budget, better resources, and ability to educate free from political mandates.

But it’s also important to remember that pure exam results do not indicate which schools provide the best education. A top ranked school like Wellington College is incredibly selective and only enrols the most capable students. On the other hand, schools like Milton Abbey are famous for helping less-academic students find their talents, improve their academics, and fulfil their potential.

In 2022, ISC schools saw 92% of students go on to Higher Education in the UK or overseas, with over 50% of UK uni applicants progressing onto a Sunday Times Top 25 university.

A private or “independent” education costs a lot of money. Not all private schools are equal, and it is quite possible to waste this money on a badly run school, or one that does not match your needs.

However, if you know what kind of school you want, going to a private school can give you the most amazing experience. School can be fun, exciting, and give you a huge boost for future success.

You can find more tips in Top School Guide’s application, boarding, fees or curriculum guides. These take you through all the considerations you need to make to find the best private school for you.

Alternatively, Top School Guide can help you through the entire process of choosing target schools and making the most successful applications. Let us know how we can help you research, choose and apply to the best schools.

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