Independent schools (sometimes known as private schools) are becoming a more popular choice for families from every walk of life.


The most common reason for choosing an independent school is exam results. It is likely that the local independent schools will publish significantly better GCSE results that their state school equivalents. It should be noted that this may not necessarily imply better teaching; it is more likely that the students attending the school do not represent as wide an academic range as those students attending state schools.


Some important points to note when considering independent schools are:

Opportunities. Independent schools may offer more opportunities for extra curricular activities and sports.

Private sector. Independent schools exist in the ‘private sector’ and their key objective is to be a profitable business. This isn’t necessarily an issue, as achieving good exam results is good for business!

Regulation. Independent schools are not required by law to teach strictly to the National Curriculum as in state schools. Also the Ofsted inspections are not as rigorous. However, the exams taken are the same as in state schools.

Formality. The teaching techniques at independent schools are likely to be more formal than their state equivalents.

Teachers. Teachers require no formal qualifications,

Travel time. The school is likely to be further away from home.