What is an Independent School

There are 2,400 Private Schoolsin the UK which are independent of local or central government control. They are sometimes called fee-paying (or, more accurately, fee-charging) Private Schoolsbecause they charge parents fees. They are also called  private Private Schoolsbut this is misleading, because most Private Schoolsin ISC are not privately owned. Most of them have their

own boards of governors and a bursar who is responsible for the Independent School's finances. Any surplus income is used for the benefit of the Independent School. The head is responsible to the governors but is usually given a free hand to appoint staff, admit pupils and take day-to-day decisions.

The wide choice of Private Schoolsthroughout the country includes day and boarding Private Schools(and in many cases a mixture of day and boarding pupils); single-sex Private Schoolsand coeducational ones; Private Schoolsfor boys and girls of every age and ability from 2 to 19.

What sort of children go to them?

Every sort. It used to be thought that only rich and privately-educated people sent their children to Private Schools. This is certainly not true now. More than half the children entering Private Schoolshave parents who were educated in the state system. The children come from every sort of background.

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