One direction

There has probably never been a time when finances have been so instrumental in deciding whether to commit to private school. The new government’s plan to introduce VAT on fees combined with the cost-of-living crisis and substantial fee rises in recent years (8 per cent on average this academic year), is bound to influence parental choice more than usual. Moreover, a decision as to whether they can stretch to the additional cost of boarding and whether their school of choice is likely to remain financially viable – for the family’s income and also as a business.

Those with older children may be more likely to commit to a few years of private education, say from the age of 13 or 16, than those considering whether their four-year-old should start independent schooling but possibly face switching if finances become constrained.

Parents still have a choice, of single sex or co-educational, day or boarding, rural or city, lavish or modest, but changing fashions and fiscal matters may well help them decide.

Sage advice on the matter comes from Sebastian Hepher, Principal of Eaton Square Prep School: “Parents should not be swayed by facilities, parental views on the dinner party circuit or the school that is ‘flavour of the month’, as hard as that can sometimes be. If the reality of the school’s published values and aims, teacher/pupil and pupil/ pupil relationships do not match these, then their children will not thrive, no matter what the rhetoric or visual impression.

“What is most important is finding the school that best suits the individual pupil, DLD College London and ensuring that it is the one which will develop them to their full potential.”

Single sex education is going nowhere at the most expensive end of the market and many, especially girls’ schools, remain wedded to their status. However, several prestigious boys’ schools have started to welcome girls or announced that they will, including Westminster, Winchester and Abingdon.

Most schools making this decision say it has been driven by ideology and the belief that it is better for girls and boys to be educated together, but the changing fashion leaves less choice for families who prefer single sex education.

It has also, undoubtedly, been made by some with an eye on financial health, by doubling the spread of their potential intake and allowing them to remain academically selective. This can have an impact on neighbouring schools by providing a new source of competition.

Parents should look carefully at what a newly co-educational school has done to welcome their daughters, one girls’ school head says.

Cathy Elliott, who became Head of Streatham & Clapham High School in September 2023, said: “We nurture young women who embody our core values of kindness, respect, compassion and integrity and aim to develop individuals who will make their mark in society over the next 25 years and beyond.”

“The quality of friendships and a strong sense of community are paramount. Friendships often last a lifetime. Boys’ schools [that become co-educational] often overlook essential aspects such as physical infrastructure – as well as lavatories, changing rooms and common room spaces, you need girls’ sport provision, appropriate menu choices and décor that feels welcoming to girls, plus social and pedagogical concerns such as teaching and learning styles, collaboration and competition and approaches to feedback. Do staff understand the adolescent journey of females?

“Boys’ schools stand to gain more from becoming co-ed than the girls that attend them. For girls to thrive in previously all-boys’ schools, these institutions must undertake deliberate efforts to create a supportive and inclusive environment.”

It has a prep school so families can, theoretically, enrol their daughters from the ages of three to 18.

Another advocate of single-sex education is Louise McCafferty, Head of Broomwood Prep – Girls, a stone’s throw from the boys’ school, Broomwood Prep – Boys. She said: “We recognise that boys and girls have different educational and pastoral needs as they approach adolescence. That’s why we deliver our lessons in a single-sex environment on different sites. However, we come together for a vast range of co-ed activities such as house competitions, extension work, debates, residentials, sporting and creative activities.”

The locations of both Broomwood, in Wandsworth, and Streatham & Clapham High School, allow their pupils to take advantage of London while not being in a city centre.

Another local single-sex school is Eaton House The Manor, which celebrated its 30 year anniversary in June. The 1.5-acre site opposite Clapham Common is home to a single sex prep school for boys aged four-13 a single sex prep school for girls aged four- 11 and a co-ed nursery.

The Good Schools Guide rates it as an academic school with impressive outcomes without a hothouse atmosphere. Claire Fildes, head of the girls’ school, flagged up “another fantastic academic year for 11+ results in 2024. At Eaton House, our ethos encourages confidence and positivity in the girls and empowers them to believe they can be anything they want to be.”

CHOOSING A PREP SCHOOL

Feeling overwhelmed is perfectly normal but ask yourself a few simple questions and the whole process will be far more manageable.

• What are your first impressions? Does the school feel welcoming? Do the children look happy and confident? Do the pupils reflect the kind of individual you hope your child will one day become?
• Do the aims and values of the school match your own? How confident are you in the pastoral and welfare support? It is our belief that happy children make good learners.
• What are the facilities like? Is there provision for wraparound care if needed? Is there the option of school transport?
• Where do the children go after leaving the prep? Is there a senior school with which close links are maintained?

Follow your heart and trust your instincts: you’ll know when you have a good fit.

Source: Streatham & Clapham Prep School GDST

Added Sarah Segrave, Principal: “We believe that a school should be a magical place, where children flourish intellectually and emotionally, and where their opportunities and horizons are expanded at every turn.” A new provision of wraparound care called The Vesper Club launched this year, aimed at helping busy parents: “Our fully managed programme will have a ‘home from home feeling’, with ‘Vespertines’ overseen by staff,” says Segrave.

One school that could not be more central is DLD College London, set between Waterloo station and Westminster Bridge. It says it offers 5* “urban boarding” within its tower, with lessons and accommodation contained within the same building.

We believe that a school should be a magical place, where children flourish intellectually and emotionally

It has 55 classrooms, a 70-seat theatre, science labs, photography studios, a gym, swimming pool and 250 en suite bedrooms. Its striking glass and metal home resembles a cross between BBC’s Broadcasting House and City Hall. Its website says: “Unlike some other boarding schools, we encourage boarders to be able to explore London safely, with support structures in place to keep everyone safe, and to get the most out of living in the most exciting city on earth.”

Principal James Kidd says: “Empowering DLD students in the classroom through coaching fosters growth, resilience, and confidence. Guiding them to discover their potential makes learning far more engaging and impactful.”

OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM MATTERS

The breadth of co-curricular provision offered by many independent schools is a strong draw. Beyond the immediate skills gained, participation delivers other indirect benefits. Time management through having to coordinate a busy timetable; social skills from collaboration and communication, enhancing growth of emotional intelligence and adaptability; confidence from activities like public speaking, performing, or leading a team; and the process of overcoming fears or nerves helps to create resilience. The most vital benefit
potentially is health and wellbeing. Taking part in any form of physical activity or something that brings joy, like playing music, can only be welcomed.

Consider what the school includes within the fees, and what extra costs you might incur for things like outdoor pursuits versus drama or singing. Also, how much exposure there is to something different that your child may never have had the opportunity to try before.

Source: Whitgift School

At the other extreme location-wise is Ibstock Place School, surrounded by green and on the edge of Richmond Park, which has more than 2,000 acres of wide-open

space and woodland. It promotes its beautiful grounds and “botanical feel”. Headmaster, Chris Wolsey said: “Our location is undeniably an advantage, in providing pupils with access to the park for a multitude of activities including rugby, cross country running and ‘wellbeing walks’.

“Facilities such as our swimming pool, playing fields and cookery facilities are regularly used by partner state schools.

Ibstock’s newly created Forest School has had successful visits from partner state primary schools.” Being an all-through school is “absolutely central to our identity”, Mr Wolsey says. “We truly are one school from four to 18 – and it’s immensely helpful that both our pre-prep and prep schools are on the same site as the senior school. It means that we have uncommonly strong bonds with our families and we get to know many of them over a long period of time.

“Our young people are able to have a seamless transition from phase to phase, with all of the benefits which this brings in terms of their wellbeing. Our prep school brings buoyancy and energy while our sixth form brings purpose and vigour. It’s brilliant to sometimes see our oldest pupils work alongside our youngest.”

Similarly, the school’s identity is strongly bound with being a day school and co-educational – “it’s in our DNA and we’re fiercely committed to it,” he adds.

“It has shaped a school culture which is vibrant and inclusive, and a programme which is impressively broad and vigorous – our boys learn from our girls and our girls from our boys. We move forward as one.

Many schools are keen to showcase their facilities but nearly all agree that teaching is the most important aspect

“Being a day school matters too. We see our pupils’ wider families a lot, and that helps us to build the strong sense of community.” The school focuses on oracy, which it says goes far beyond public speaking, to build confidence for pupils by developing their influencing skills. Children have ethics and rhetoric lessons from Year 7 and take a public speaking qualification at the end of that year, with a debating qualification in Year 8.

The school also has several innovation spaces to incubate creativity, with facilities including green screen cinematography, podcasting and robotics equipment. Many schools are keen to showcase their facilities but nearly all agree that teaching is the most important aspect. This is especially the case for King’s InterHigh, which has no school building – all lessons are online.

CHOOSING A SCHOOL

• Decide on the basics – day or boarding, single sex or co-ed – but be open to the unexpected about a school
• Check the logistics. Journey times matter, especially if your child is committed to the co-curricular. Will they cope with the longer days? Where will your child’s friends live?
• Try to talk to parents who have children at the schools on your list; try to avoid rumour or hearsay

Questions to ask:

• Are the children happy at school?
• How does a school deal with bullying?
• How do they encourage children to get involved?
• Is there a wide variety of activities on offer?

Source: Dulwich College

It certainly is a cheaper option, charging only £5,000 a year. The school teaches five live lessons a day remotely and all are recorded for catch-up.

The school has more than 6,000 pupils from the age of seven to 19. It was founded in 2005 but grew rapidly after Covid. Some families dip in and out, staying for primary before choosing more conventional secondary, or vice versa.

This month Hybrid@LPS opens its doors to pupils up to sixth form for just one day a week while on the other four days children are taught online. Part of the 25-strong Dukes Education, fees are around £4,000-£5,000 a term. While these online schools are innovative, there are some things that cannot be provided online, making it perhaps less appealing to parents who want their children to have a long, in-person day filled with arts, music, sports and social interaction.

Thames Christian School in Clapham, a bricks and mortar school, focuses on strong pastoral support. It also prioritises “personalised teaching, a flexible curriculum and all-round development,” its head Stephen Holsgrove says, adding: “Navigating educational choices can be overwhelming.”

From last September, it opened a sixth form. The school claims not to be either/or. It offers GCSEs but pupils are also exposed to subjects such as woodwork, textiles, fashion, cookery and design technology.

ENRICHMENT OUTSIDE CLASS

All-encompassing enrichment must become a staple for schools to challenge, stimulate and support children as they look to the future. After the 11+ exams, Year 6 pupils are exposed to a variety of academic enrichment, extra-curricular activities and key skills to benefit them as they progress to secondary school and beyond.

Highlights include completing a First Aid course; planning, shopping for and cooking a two-course meal; independently navigating to Covent Garden with limited teacher assistance; writing and recording a song at Brixton Recording Studios; dissecting a lamb’s heart with a surgeon; learning British Sign Language; exploring the use of everyday Latin phrases and Latin within medicine and the law; kayaking on the Thames; and creating their own art exhibition with artwork inspired by El Anatsui’s installation at The Tate Modern and the ‘When Forms Come Alive’ exhibition at the Hayward Gallery.

A prep school should prepare children for the future and our Life Skills for Reception-Year 5 inspires them from an early age, ensuring school is an exciting, dynamic and enriching environment every day.

Source: The White House Preparatory School

At the opposite end of the spectrum from online-only is boarding, where children are usually immersed in school-life seven days a week. Full boarding is in steady decline while flexi-boarding continues to grow, however some full boarding schools remain, which expect pupils to remain on-site throughout term, apart from exeat weekends. Boarding is far more expensive, on average, although much more is included in the fees and pupils are usually kept busy with high-quality extra-curricular activities. Adam d’Souza, founder of Commons Education, weighs up the pros and cons. “If you add up after-school childcare, food and commuting to a London day school, it comes out at a similar cost to weekly boarding at a lot of schools.

“Financially, you may be better off with weekly boarding – and it frees up big chunks of time for studies, sports or other extra- curricular activities. I often remind busy working parents that you might not see your child much during the week once they start senior school, so boarding can help to carve out quality family time at weekends.”

Parents in south-west London and the home counties may find boarding schools free up choices as well, rather than restricting them to the area. That being said, it is not for everyone and some people who boarded themselves as children are among those shunning it as parents. However, advocates are keen to point out that facilities have moved on from the days of austere and chilly dorms.

Ardingly College near Haywards Heath, West Sussex, sits across various sectors – it has equal numbers of girls and boys and equal numbers of day and boarding pupils. It vows to ensure no child is overlooked and that its mantra is “nobody excels at everything, but everyone can excel at something”.

WHY CHOOSE A BOYS’ SCHOOL?

A focused learning environment
Without the presence of girls, boys may experience fewer distractions, enabling them to concentrate better on their studies. This can lead to improved academic performance and the development of strong study habits

Tailored teaching methods
Catering specifically to the needs and learning styles of male students, the school may use teaching techniques that promote active learning, hands-on activities and competition, which can engage boys more effectively

A wide range of extra-curricular activities and sports programmes
This fosters a sense of camaraderie and healthy competition, encouraging boys to develop their talents and leadership skills

A nurturing environment
Boys can freely express themselves, explore their interests and develop their individuality without fear of judgment or stereotypes While the decision depends on personal preferences and educational goals, the unique advantages offered by a boys’ school can contribute to a well-rounded education and personal growth.

Source: Ernest Bevin Academy

Is boarding at the school worth the extra cost (maximum fees are £30,300 for day, £38,150 for flexi-boarding for three nights and £46,500 for full boarding)? Headteacher Ben Figgis, believes so. He said: “There’s no doubt that boarding can offer significant academic, social and wellbeing benefits. It helps forge independence, maturity, self-confidence and the ability for students to take responsibility – and agency – for themselves during those crucial teenage years.

“It sounds obvious but our boarders at Ardingly also benefit from not having to do a daily journey to and from school; instead of wasting that time on a bus, train or in a car every day, they get to spend their time after the school day making use of our glorious 240-acre campus and our facilities.

“For many families with two busy working parents, the weekly or flexi-boarding options work really well as you don’t have to worry about weekday logistics or school runs, but instead can set aside the weekends for quality family time.

“At Ardingly, I think the number of day students who end up switching to some kind of boarding speaks for itself, with around 50 per cent of the student body choosing to board by the time they’re in the sixth form.

The reason boarding is so popular is because, frankly, it’s often much more fun for a teenager to live with their friends in a boarding house

“The reason boarding is so popular is because, frankly, it’s often much more fun for a teenager to live with their friends in a boarding house than it is going home every evening to their parents.”

As for VAT on fees, it appears this may now be introduced in January 2025 so parents may need to consider their options. Ibstock’s Chris Wolsey said of the situation: “The board and senior leadership team have planned scrupulously for a number of contingencies. However, there is still a great deal of uncertainty about the precise nature and scope of the government’s VAT proposal, making it difficult to tell what the exact impact on fees will be. That said, we have assured our families that were the full VAT rate implemented, this would not be passed on to them in the short term.”

WHY CHOOSE A GIRLS-ONLY EDUCATION?

Numerous studies show that girls excel academically, socially, and emotionally in a single-sex environment. We challenge traditional gender stereotypes, allowing girls to develop a strong sense of self and confidence to make their own choices. Our pupils are encouraged to take risks in their learning, embrace mistakes, speak out, and put
themselves forward.

A girls-only school nurtures key character traits, ensuring that pupils are equipped with the skills needed for leadership and success. By understanding how girls learn and develop, and promoting all career paths and subject choices openly and equitably, we empower our pupils to excel without limits. The diversity of academic and enrichment opportunities enables every girl to forge her own future, be her best, and achieve her ambitions.

Source: Sydenham High School GDST