The most important challenges for independent schools

Barnaby Lenon, chair of the Independent Schools Council, provides an overview of the independent sector and why a focus on a broad education remains essential.

There are about 609,000 pupils in independent schools in the UK, 6% of the total. Most of these would be eligible for a free state school place so these pupils save the British taxpayer a huge amount.

Many are on means-tested fee reductions: fee assistance runs at more than £1.2bn a year.

About 65,000 are boarders.

The average independent school is quite small – about 392 pupils. The majority of the schools are junior schools, preparing pupils well for the senior school they are going onto.

Many independent schools contribute to the local community through partnerships with state schools. This can include sharing classrooms, sharing IT, sports and catering facilities, seconding teaching staff, and sponsoring state academies.

Many independent schools have set up campuses abroad in order to raise money for bursaries. There are about 100 such campuses, many in China, and they educate over 65,000 pupils.

Independent schools face a number of challenges in 2023. Most immediate is the rising cost of energy and most other products which will drive school fee inflation.

This comes on top of the huge cost of the teachers’ pension scheme which is causing many schools to move to a less expensive, private pension system. More small schools are merging with other schools in the face of these budget difficulties.

Looking further ahead, independent schools are aware of the implications of a Labour Party victory in a 2024 election. They seem committed to two different policies – removal of charitable status and charging VAT on school fees. These two changes would cause some schools to fail, would hasten mergers, and would require most schools to cut costs so the full weight of VAT does not fall on parents and fees. Schools are planning ahead now in order to minimise the impact of these changes, changes which are not inevitable but perfectly possible.

The good news for independent schools has been great GCSE and A-level results and the proportion gaining entry to top universities in the UK and USA. In 2022 exam grades nationally were set at a midpoint between the grades in 2019 and 2021. But many independent schools did not see this level of deflation. Entry to Oxford, Cambridge and other good universities has remained high despite all the media hype.

For me, the important thing is for governors and bursars to get a firm grip on financial projections and for head teachers to focus on a broad education and academic success. There has been a greater focus on pastoral care and pupil well-being in school inspections recently. These things are important but it is essential not to lose focus on the main purpose of school.

This article first appeared in the 2023 edition of Which School? You can view the digital version of the guidebook here: