While the future for independent schools may be a perennial subject for debate, more and more parents are showing their support for the value they o er to children.
Every single UK region has experienced an increase in independent-school pupil numbers year on year, according to the umbrella body which oversees the sector, the Independent Schools Council (ISC), with the highest 2.2 per cent increase being in the south east.
Hand in hand with this has been a surge in pupils joining ISC schools from state schools. In what’s described by ISC Chairman Barnaby Lenon as a “signi cant development”, state-school pupils now make up the largest group of new entrants into the sector; 30 per cent more than from each of the other sources of new entrants (pupils from other independent schools, nursery and overseas).
At Canford School near Wimborne in Dorset, a senior school for 13-18 year olds where boarding fees start at £15,173 and day fees at £11,497 termly, Headmaster Ben Vessey passionately believes that independent schools imbue children with a mindset that inspires the right attitude towards education and lifelong learning.
With current and future pupils likely to become “career
With independent schools reporting a surge in enrolment, Elizabeth Ivens considers the reasons why families are investing in this educational sector
At Belhaven Hill School, a small independent boarding and day school located on the beautiful East Lothian coastline 40 minutes east of Edinburgh, we believe in nurturing and protecting childhood. e school is currently celebrating its 100th year and enjoys its highest ever pupil roll of 144 boys and girls aged ve to 13 years.
We recognise that every child is an individual and that each family’s circumstances are di erent, but key concepts remain central, and boarding is one of those. We believe that children are best prepared for the world ahead not only by what they learn, but also by how they learn.
Boarding life exposes children to collaboration and compromise and advocates a trial-and-error approach to progress: trust, time and space are required for children to be happy to explore all of the opportunities that exist.
Trust is built thanks to the positive relationship between all parents, children and sta at Belhaven, regardless of day or boarding status. is is a small school – teaching sta know each and every child, and any issues are discussed at a daily brie ng.
Approximately 60 per cent of the prep school board, with the numbers increasing as the children get older: by form three (year six), 46 per cent of the year will be boarding; in form two, it may be between 68 per cent and in form one, between 80-100 per cent. When your child feels that the time is right, the houseparent running the girls’ or boys’ house becomes an additional, trusted member of the family. Belhaven’s pupils surround themselves with friends from dawn to dusk for the fortnight away from home.
e boarding o ering is a very simple one: we have no exi or weekly options, because we deem them to be unsettling and not of bene t to the children, who thrive on stability and a consistent routine. We believe wholeheartedly in the bene ts of our fortnightly boarding
THE BOARDING OFFERING IS A VERY SIMPLE ONE: we have no flexi or weekly options, because we deem them to be TOO UNSETTLING AND NOT OF BENEFIT TO THE CHILDREN
The rise in young people su ering from poor mental health is well documented, and is even referred to by some as a post-covid pandemic. e days when pastoral care in schools was about making sure that students turned up on time in the correct attire and adhered to school rules are thankfully long gone. ere’s now a widespread acknowledgement that pupil welfare trumps everything, and as mental health issues have grown to unprecedented levels, schools are doing more and more to support the young people in their care.
Independent schools have some very signi cant advantages in terms of their ability to provide this. Smaller class sizes and better teacher: pupil ratios allow sta to really get to know their pupils, while the emphasis on school-parent partnership and time spent developing those relationships means that it’s much harder for any pupil to ‘slip through the net’.
e London independent schools’ market is intensely competitive, and some schools in the capital can still be perceived as predominantly concerned with academic
performance rather than pastoral wellbeing. at will never be us at Queen’s. Our fundamental principle is that if a teenage girl isn’t happy, if she doesn’t feel valued, supported and known, then she will not be able to tap into her full academic potential. e better your pastoral care, in other words, the better your academic results – the ultimate winwin. In 2020, we took a signi cant step in formalising our commitment to mental health, pastoral care, and overall wellbeing with the launch of our rive programme.
e term ‘thrive’ beautifully encapsulates our comprehensive approach to nurturing our students’ mental wellbeing. It’s not just a buzzword; it’s embedded in the college’s overarching vision – to be “a community where every individual thrives”. To achieve this, we’ve built a robust framework that not only includes clearly de ned pastoral care but also dedicated professionals like our college nurse and two school counsellors. Beyond that, our rive programme boasts a range of initiatives that empower our students. ese include...
Anti-bullying Ambassadors (ABAs): a signi cant number of pupils in every year group are now trained
THE TERM ‘THRIVE’ PERFECTLY encapsulates our comprehensive approach to nurturing OUR STUDENTS’ MENTAL WELLBEING. IT’S NOT JUST A BUZZWORD; IT’S EMBEDDED IN OUR VISION
Independent schools come in all shapes and sizes – boarding, day, single sex and co-educational. Some are deep in the countryside, others are in city centres. There are tiny pre-preps and large all-through schools. But they all play an important part in their community.
They provide parents with choice – and bursaries extend this choice to all income levels. Bursaries (which are meanstested, fee-assistance awards) can be transformative for individual families, but schools also make a difference to the wider community through partnerships and traditional outreach service.
Then there’s the contribution they make to the economy. Recent research, prepared by Oxford Economics and commissioned by the Independent Schools Council (ISC)*, calculated that independent schools contribute £16.5bn a year to the UK economy, supporting more than 328,000 jobs, and generating £5.1bn in tax revenue. This contribution is made up of three factors – just over half
Through bursaries and partnerships, independent schools make a difference to thousands of lives. But what about the economy? From local employment to millions of pounds in savings to the taxpayer, contributions vary, finds Thalia Thompson
RECENT RESEARCH PREPARED BY Oxford Economics and the ISC calculated that independent schools contribute £16.5BN A YEAR TO THE UK ECONOMY, SUPPORTING MORE THAN 328,000 JOBS
ATTENDING OPEN DAYS IS A FABULOUS WAY to see schools in action without feeling too committed. YOU’LL GET A TOUR OF ALL THE CLASSROOMS AND FACILITIES
