# Public vs independent (private school)



## Alma Juarez (Sep 11, 2011)

Being a swiss - spanish binational I wanted to ask if anyone could give me some advice as if there is a substantial difference between the private vs. public schools in the UK. In Spain, private school are by far more recognized than public schools. On the contrary in Switzerland everybody is using public schools as they are by far the best.
What is it like in the UK.


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## Joppa (Sep 7, 2009)

Alma Juarez said:


> Being a swiss - spanish binational I wanted to ask if anyone could give me some advice as if there is a substantial difference between the private vs. public schools in the UK. In Spain, private school are by far more recognized than public schools. On the contrary in Switzerland everybody is using public schools as they are by far the best.
> What is it like in the UK.


First about nomenclature. 
In UK (but outside Scotland), a *public *school (often spelt with capital P) is one of several famous, old-established private, fee-paying schools, often boarding, such as Eton, Harrow, Rugby, Winchester and Westminster. The reason they are called 'public' school is that when they were founded, they were open to anyone who could pass the entrance exams and afford the fees, in contrast to some that were restricted to children of certain trade bodies (guilds or city livery companies) or religious affiliation etc. So to avoid confusion, those schools that are publicly-funded and where no tuition fees are levied are called *state *schools or *maintained *schools.
In contrast private schools are called *independent *schools or *fee-paying *schools.

Most children (around 93%) are educated in the state/maintained sector. There are several different types. 

There are general *local authority *schools which are open to anyone regardless of academic ability (non-selective) and not affliated to any faith (non-denominational). About 70% of state schools fall into this category, and entry requirements often include living within the 'catchment' area (i.e. within immediate neighbourhood). 

Then there are *faith *schools, usually Roman Catholic or Church of England (plus a few Jewish, Hindu and Muslim schools) which are state-funded but in partnership with a sponsoring body, often a church, and they have specific, religious ethos with teaching and practice of a particular faith. Some have open-door policy to admission, others prefer members of the same faith. They are often very popular, high-achieving schools, and are in heavy demand. 

There are also some selective, state schools. They are often called *grammar *schools, and in the past every area had a grammar school which only took the academically able by having an open entrace exam called Eleven Plus. Today only some (state) grammar schools remain, and they are highly sought after with competitive entry. To get a place, you need to live in a particular catchment area and your children must pass Eleven Plus.

There are new breed of schools called *academies *which are outside local authority control and are directly funded by the central government, and where a school has a large degree of autonomy, often in partnership with companies or charities. And there are *free *schools which are just coming on stream which are set up by a group of parents and others with public money, where again they have a high degree of independence.

From parental point of view, a good state school may be all that your children need, but the good ones are oversubscribed and coming from abroad it's often difficult to gain a place at such a school, esp for casual entry, i.e. mid-way through academic year. But you may be lucky, and if you are Roman Catholic (as your profile suggests), a place at a Catholic school may be possible. To help gain a place, get a letter of support/recommendation in English from your parish priest plus your children's baptism certificate.

As for *independent *schools, apart from a few people who definitely want their children to be educated privately (possibly because they themselves went to independent schools and have a particular association with one, as many give preference to children of former pupils), the main reason why they opt for private schools is they cannot get their children into good state schools. This is often the case in major cities (e.g. London), and in particular for secondary schools (for ages 11 to 18), where academic standards vary hugely and may have a direct effect on university entry and career choice. For example, if your children are very academic and aspire to be a doctor, you don't want them to go to a school with low standards, poor teaching and big behaviour problems (sadly they do exist) and fee-paying schools are all that's available in your chosen locality. Other reasons why parents opt for independent sector include they want full-time boarding (because they work abroad or are with the military or diplomatic service etc) or very specialised schools (e.g. for musically gifted or with a particular mental, physical or emotional needs) where state provision is limited or unavailable.

Generally, private, fee-paying schools have good academic standards (but not all), with good teaching, small classes and superb resources. Pupils often come from a particular background - some say privileged because their parents can afford to pay good money for good education, but many schools are trying to diversify their intake by offering generous scholarships and bursaries for the academically gifted but from limited financial means. At best private schools, pupils receive good, overall education, with emphasis on educating the whole person and not just academically, with opportunities for many extra-curricular activities like sports, games, hobbies, cadetship and charitable/voluntary. A typical product of independent education is confident, self-assured, with social skills so able to compete and succeed at the highlest level. Trditionally the vast majority of the higher echelons of British society such as judges, politicians, diplomats and leaders of industry have been independently (and often public-school) educated, with a degree from Oxford or Cambridge, but this is gradually changing. Of post-war prime ministers, two had no university degrees (Callaghan and Major), a few were state-educated (e.g. Thatcher and Brown), but current prime and deputy prime minster are both public school-educated (Cameron at Eton, Clegg at Westminster) with a degree from Oxford (Cameron) or Cambridge (Clegg). 

So the choice of state or private education is entirely yours. Both have their pros and cons, but I'd say, and majority of British people agree, that good state eucation is all that a child needs, but this depends very much on availability. If you can get your children to go to good state schools, great, but depending on your circumstances, independent education may be the only option without jeoparding your children's present happiness and future choice. Also a private school may be able to give better support if they aren't yet proficient in English, but this varies. Some state schools do a superb job. So I suggest come with an open mind, investiage what educational provision is available in your chosen location (many parents choose to live in an area with good schools first and then look for jobs locally or plan on how to commute). Some expat workers get help from their employers towards school fees. But there is no tax relief for school fees in UK. Fees are generally high or very high, ranging from a few thousand pounds a year at a small private primary school (often called prep or pre-pep) to over £20,000 at top public schools. Average is around £4000-£6000 a year for primary and £7000 to £10000 for secondary, and double for boarding. Plus there is cost for uniform, sports kit, books, trips, lunches etc. At state schools, there are no tuition fees, and all you need to pay is for uniform (where it exists), lunches (or take sandwiches) and some optional trips. 

When you relocate, get in touch with local authority education department about available school places, and investigate schools by looking up inspection reports at Ofsted | Home page. For independent schools, there is a consultant that gives advice for suitable schools for a price at Experts in independent education or contact Independent Private Schools, Independent Private Education - ISC with link to inspection reports.


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## Seb* (Mar 22, 2009)

Fantastic and comprehensive information there Joppa!


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## Bevdeforges (Nov 16, 2007)

You might also find the Euridyce report on the UK educational system helpful: http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/education/eurydice/documents/eurybase/structures/041_UN_EN.pdf
Cheers,
Bev


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## InspectorClusoe (Dec 18, 2010)

depends if you want your kids to turn out freaky or not - i suggest you sendt your kids to a comprehensive in newham london


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## Alma Juarez (Sep 11, 2011)

*Thanks*

Thanks Joppa for your comprehensive and detailed summary. Do you have any specific recommendations for Peterborough ? 
Best regards,
Lorenzo


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## Joppa (Sep 7, 2009)

Alma Juarez said:


> Thanks Joppa for your comprehensive and detailed summary. Do you have any specific recommendations for Peterborough ?
> Best regards,
> Lorenzo


No, but depending on how old your children are, you can be more relaxed about primary school provision. If you cannot find a good secondary school in Peterborough, you may have to explore the independent sector. The only private secondary school is The Peterborough School - Independent School with Nursery for Boys and Girls age 6 weeks to 18 years - Home.


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