Private Schools Directory & Guide 2011

Listing more than 2200 private schools in the United Kingdom

Welcome to the Private Schools Directory & Guide 2011. This site offers information about private education in the United Kingdom and how to choose the best school for your child.

What is a private school?

There are 2,500+ private schools in the UK which are independent of local or central government control. They are sometimes called fee paying (or, more accurately, fee charging). These schools are so called because they charge parents school tuition fees.

A large number of these private schools are in the London area.

Private preparatory schools

Preparatory (prep) schools accept pupils from the age of 7 to 11 or sometimes 13 and may be called Private Primary Schools. Many also have pre-prep (2-7 year olds) and nursery schools attached.

Private senior schools

Senior schools accept pupils from the age of 11 or 13. Most senior schools use the Common Entrance examination as a means of assessing whether or not a child has the right level of ability for the senior school, although some have their own entry exams.

What sort of children go to private school?

It used to be thought that only rich and privately-educated people sent their children to private schools. This is certainly not true now, as more than half the children entering private education have parents who were educated in the state system and come from every sort of background.

Selecting the right private school

Selecting the right school for your child's education is a very subjective process. It cannot be overemphasised that the key to success is finding the right school for the particular child's needs and abilities.

Some parents are irresistibly drawn to the schools which show well in the league tables, and it cannot be denied that tables are a powerful, emotive influence - even subconsciously.

The ethos of the private sector is to do the best by each child. With smaller classes and traditional values, children are not left to flounder. This is simply a natural consequence of the fee paying system.

A good approach to finding a the most suitable private education for your family is by using School Search.