Independent, or private, schools are fee paying schools which don’t receive any funding from the government. There are approximately 2400 independent schools currently operating in the country.
Fees typically range from £5,000 to £40,000 per year.
Luckily, an increasing number of large and small independent schools offer means-tested bursarial support to families of candidates applying for entry, which in some cases cover the full tuition fees, plus extras. Aside from that, many schools award scholarships to the top-performing applicants in their entrance exams, which may range from 10% to 50% of the full fees.
But are there any real benefits of enrolling your child in an independent school?
Here are a few of the main ones:
- Most independent schools provide excellent pastoral care. Once a child is admitted and starts attending lessons, the staff begin to actively engage in providing the best possible environment for their academic and personal growth, centred on an individualised approach towards their learning needs.
- Most independent schools make a wide range of extracurricular activities accessible to students in order to boost their broader skills and abilities, as well as to help them discover new interests and talents.
- Many extracurricular programmes include cross-border trips to exotic destinations, through which independent schools aim to maximise pupils’ cultural awareness and broaden their horizons.
- Most independent schools invest a lot of effort into maintaining their ethos, which often is as old as the school itself. This typically revolves around values such as compassion, integrity and tolerance whilst encouraging independent thought and promoting a sense of personal responsibility amongst students.
- Most independent schools maintain strong ties with their notable alumni, which could include Nobel Laureates, doctors, inventors and widely successful authors and athletes, thus inspiring current students and providing them with a powerful network they can tap into.
- Most independent schools offer cutting-edge facilities and methods of teaching, leading to solid exam results and offers at the country’s top universities.
Abbot’s Hill School
Abercorn School
Abingdon Prep
Abingdon School
Ackworth School
AKS Lytham
Aldenham School
Alderley Edge School for Girls
Aldro School
Aldwickbury School
Alleyn’s School
Alton School
Ardingly College
Arnold Lodge School
Ashford School
Ashville College
Babington House School
Bablake School
Badminton School
Bancroft’s School
Barnard Castle School
Bedales (Dunhurst) School
Bede’s (Prep) School
Bedford Girls’ School
Bedford Modern School
Bedford School
Beechwood Sacred Heart School
Belmont (Mill Hill) School
Benenden School
Berkhamsted School
Bethany School
Birkdale School
Birkenhead School
Bishop’s Stortford College
Blackheath High School
Bloxham School
Blundell’s School
Bolton School
Bootham School
Bournemouth Collegiate School
Box Hill School
Bradfield College 13+
Bradford Grammar School
Braeside School
Brentwood School
Bridgewater School
Brighton College
Brighton College 13+
Brighton Girls
Bristol Grammar School
Bromley High School
Bromsgrove School
Bryanston School 13+
Burgess Hill Girls
Bury Grammar School
Canford School 13+
Caterham School
Channing School
Charterhouse School 13+
Cheadle Hulme School
Cheltenham College
Cheltenham Ladies’ College
Cheltenham Ladies’ College 13+
Chesham Prep School
Chigwell School
Christ’s Hospital
Christ College, Brecon
Churcher’s College
City of London Freemen’s School
City of London School
City of London School for Girls
Claremont Fan Court School
Clayesmore School
Clifton College
Clifton High School
Cobham Hall
Cokethorpe School
Colfe’s School
Colston’s School
Cranford House School
Cranleigh School
Croydon High School
Culford School
D’Overbroeck’s College
Dame Allan’s School
Dauntsey’s School
Dean Close
Denstone College
Derby Grammar School
Derby High School
Ditcham Park School
Dixie Grammar School
Downe House School
Dulwich College
Dunottar School
Durham High School for Girls
Durham School
Eastbourne College 13+
Eaton (Holme) Grange School
Eaton Square Mayfair
Edgbaston High School for Girls
Elizabeth College, Guernsey
Ellesmere College
Eltham College
Emanuel
Embley
Epsom College
Eton College 13+
Ewell Castle School
Exeter School
Farlington School
Farnborough Hill
Felsted School
Forest School
Framlingham College
Francis Holland School (NW1)
Francis Holland School (SW1)
Frensham Heights School
Gad’s Hill School
Giggleswick School
Godolphin and Latymer School
Godolphin School
Gresham’s School
Guildford High School
Haberdashers’ Monmouth Schools
Haberdashers’ Aske’s Boys’ School
Haberdashers’ Aske’s School for Girls
Haileybury School
Halliford School
Hampton Court House School
Hampton School
Hampton School 10+
Harrogate Ladies’ College
Harrow School 13+
Headington School
Heathfield School, Ascot
Heathfield School, Ascot 13+
Hereford Cathedral School
Highclare School
Highgate School
Hill House School, Doncaster
Hipperholme Grammar School
Howell’s School, Llandaff
Huddersfield Grammar School
Hull Collegiate School
Hulme Hall Grammar School
Hurstpierpoint Prep School
Hymers College
Ibstock Place School
Immanuel College, Bushey
Ipswich High School
Ipswich School
James Allen’s Girls’ School
Jersey College for Girls
Junior King’s School
Kensington Park School
Kent College, Canterbury
Kent College, Pembury
Kew House School
Kimbolton School
King’s College School, Wimbledon 13+
King’s Ely Junior School
King’s Hall School
King Edward’s School, Birmingham
King Edward’s School, Witley
King Edward VI High School for Girls
King Edward VI School, Southampton
King Edward’s School, Bath
Kingham Hill School
King Henry VIII School, Coventry
Kingston Grammar School
Kingswood School
King’s College Lower School
King’s High
King’s Rochester School
King’s Worcester
Kirkham Grammar School
Kirkstone House School
Lady Eleanor Holles School
Lancing College 13+
Latymer Upper School
Leehurst Swan School
Leicester Grammar School
Leicester High School for Girls
Leighton Park School
Lewes Old Grammar School
Leweston School
Lingfield College
Long Close School
Lord Wandsworth College
Loughborough Grammar School
Loughborough High School
Luckley House School
Magdalen College School
Maida Vale School
Malvern College 13+
Malvern St James Girls’ School
Manchester Grammar School
Manchester High School for Girls
Manor House School, Bookham
Mayfield School
Mayville High School, Southsea
Meoncross School
Merchant Taylors’ School, Crosby
Merchant Taylors’ School, Northwood
Merchant Taylors’ School, Northwood 13+
Millfield School
Milton Abbey School 13+
Monkton Combe School
More House School
Moreton Hall
Mount House School
Mount Kelly College
Mount St Mary’s College
Myddelton College
Newcastle High School for Girls
Newcastle School for Boys
Newcastle-under-Lyme School
New Hall School
Normanhurst School
Northampton High
North Bridge House Senior, Canonbury
North Bridge House Senior, Hampstead
North London Collegiate School
Northwood College
Norwich High School for Girls
Norwich School
Notre Dame School
Nottingham Girls’ High School
Nottingham High School
Notting Hill and Ealing High School
Oakham School
Ockbrook School
Oldham Hulme Grammar School
Old Palace Croydon School
Oundle School
Our Lady of Sion School
Our Lady’s Abingdon School
Oxford High School
Palmers Green High School
Pangbourne College
Park School for Girls
Pipers Corner School
Plymouth College
Pocklington School
Portland Place School
Portsmouth High School
Princess Helena College
Princethorpe College
Prior’s Field
Prior Park College
Priory School
Putney High School
Queen’s College
Queen Anne’s School, Caversham
Queen Anne’s School, Caversham 13+
Queen Elizabeth’s Hospital
Queen Elizabeth Grammar School (QEGS)
Queen Ethelburga’s Collegiate
Queen Margaret’s School, York
Queenswood School
Queen’s College London
Queen’s Gate School
Quinton House School
Radley College
Ratcliffe College
Reading Blue Coat School
Redmaids’ High School
Reed’s School
Reigate Grammar School
Rendcomb College
Repton School 13+
Roedean
Royal Grammar School, Guildford
Royal Grammar School, Newcastle
Royal Grammar School, Worcester
Royal High School Bath
Royal Hospital School
Royal Russell School
Ryde School with Upper Chine
School of St Helen & St Katharine
Seaford College
Seaford College 13+
Sedbergh School
Sevenoaks School
Sherborne School
Shiplake College
Silcoates School
Sir William Perkin’s School
Solihull School
South Hampstead High School
St. Albans High School for Girls
St. Albans School
St. Bede’s College
St. Catherine’s School
St. Columba’s College, St Albans
St. Dunstan’s College
St. Edmund’s College
St. Edmund’s School, Canterbury
St. Gabriel’s School
St. Georges Weybridge
St. Helen’s School
St. James Senior Girls’ School
St. John’s School, Leatherhead
St. Margaret’s School, Hampstead
St. Mary’s College, Crosby
St. Mary’s Calne
St. Mary’s School Ascot
St. Michael’s School
St. Paul’s Girls’ School
St. Paul’s Juniors (formerly Colet Court)
St. Swithun’s School
St. Swithun’s School 13+
Stamford High School
Stamford School
Stockport Grammar School
Stonyhurst St. Mary’s Hall
Stowe School 13+
Surbiton High School
Sutton High
Sutton Valence School
Sydenham High School
The Abbey School
The Cathedral School, Llandaff
The Grammar School at Leeds
The Grange School
The Harrodian School
The John Lyon School
The King’s School, Chester
The King’s School, Gloucester
The King’s School, Macclesfield
The Leys School
The Oratory School
The Perse School
The Portsmouth Grammar School
The Queen’s School, Chester
The Royal Masonic School for Girls
The Stephen Perse Foundation
Tonbridge School 13+
Trent College
Trinity School
Truro School
University College School
Uppingham School 13+
Wakefield Girls’ High School
Walthamstow Hall
Warminster School
Warwick School
Wellingborough School
Wellington College 13+
Wellington School
Wells Cathedral School
West Buckland School
Westfield School, Newcastle upon Tyne
Westminster Under School
Wetherby Senior School
Whitgift School
Wimbledon High School
Winchester College 13+
Wisbech Grammar School
Withington Girls’ School
Woldingham School
Woldingham School 13+
Woldingham School 13+ (deferred entry)
Wolverhampton Grammar School
Woodbridge School
Woodhouse Grove School
Worth School
Worth School 13+
Wrekin College
Wycombe Abbey
Yarm School
If you wish to learn more about the finest independent schools in the country, click on the links below to uncover details about their history, curriculum, admissions process and entrance exams:The information provided about independent schools was believed to be correct at the time of publishing. However, please be aware of future changes. We advise you to contact the school directly if you are unsure of anything. School contact details are provided within the posts.
Image source: e4education.co.uk
Bookmark this page? Pop your email into the box below to receive a link to this article so you can easily refer back to it later.