Schools Guide

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Why choose an independent school?

The main reasons stated by parents for choosing independent schools include:

• small classes with individual attention

• high standards of education and examination results

• good discipline

• encouragement of a responsible attitude to school work

• development of social responsibility

• extra-curricular activities – sport, music, drama, etc.

Advantages

• They offer diversity – boarding and day, co-educational and single sex, choice of location, differing ethos and philosophy.

• Independent schools are accountable to parents. If parents do not think their children are being educated properly they will take them away and send them elsewhere. Because of this, independent schools have to have very high standards and most are equipped with the most up-to-date facilities available.

• More formal teaching, with greater emphasis on homework.

• Most have smaller classes than state schools and staff have the time to give pupils individual attention.

• Better facilities.

• Independent schools pride themselves on being able to develop the full potential of each student, whatever their ability or aptitude.

• Broader range of extra-curricular activities.

• More opportunities for languages and sport, music and drama.

Recent surveys of parental attitudes revealed

• They rated the moral aspects of schooling and inculcation of values as higher priorities than concentration on exam results and league table success

• Among the qualities of a school that parents felt were essential or very important were that it: encourages pupils to respect each other; pays close attention to individual pupils’ well-being; insists on good manners; adapts teaching methods to the needs of each child; and encourages independent thinking.

• They particularly valued the emphasis on small classes and individual care. Classes in many independent schools are smaller than in other types of school, particularly for the younger age groups between five and 13. This is when children are especially keen to learn, the foundations of a good education can be laid, and mistakes and learning difficulties are recognised and put right.

There are two main issues about which parents should feel confident

Academic

First, academic where:

• 83% of 15 year olds at independent schools (including independent special schools) gain five or more GCSEs at grades *A – C (compared with 49% of maintained school pupils)

• independent school candidates achieve, on average, 350 UCAS points at A-level (roughly equivalent to A-level grades ABC plus an additional B grade at ASlevel), compared with a state school average of 263 points

• nine out of ten independent school Alevel leavers go on to higher education degree courses; independent schools educate 7% of the total school population, but 20% of school sixth formers; in addition, 19% of new university students coming from schools or sixth-form colleges have been educated in them.

Extra-curricular activities

Second, extra -curricular activities, where independent schools aim to develop the whole personality by:

• encouraging the imaginative, practical and physical as well as the academic

• fostering and developing music, art and drama

• encouraging team games, as well as individual sports and indoor games and hobbies.

Also remember, in order to survive, independent schools have to satisfy parents that they represent good value for money. Parents should value what they pay for and be keen to encourage their children to do well.

A summary

The case for the independents

• They enjoy freedom and prevent a state monopoly.

• They offer genuine choice – so ensuring the rights of parents.

• They encourage academic excellence as illustrated by statistics in Science, maths, languages; and have a reputation for innovations.

• They encourage facilities for gifted children – music, choir.

• They offer boarding-extra time – there is state boarding.

• Many are religious foundations – Methodist, Catholic, Quaker, Jewish.

• Their average sizes are much smaller.

• They still offer single-sex education.

Maintained schools have largely removed the choice of single-sex schools.

• Finance: they save the maintained sector the cost of educating over 0.5 million pupils in ISC schools; earnings from overseas students helps.