Independent schools

Question 1

Describe Indepedent schools

Answer 1

[aka private schools]

Fee paying schools - can range from £5000 - £30000 a year
Are not controlled by the government
Tend to be boarding schools
There are 1280 independent schools in Britain
7-8% of all children in Britain go to independent schools.
Preparatory schools are independent primary schools.
Public schools are seen as the best of the schools in the independent sector. e.g, boys’ boarding schools succh as Eton, Harrow and Rugby.

Question 2

Independent sector education

Answer 2

Attendance of independent schools leads to Oxbridge and top jobs in the civil service, law, etc.
This tends to be associated with the old boys’ network.

Question 3

Independent schools and the government

Answer 3

Independent schools own their financial existence to a legal anomaly, which allows them to register as charities.
This gives them tax relief on their income and a reduction on rates.
Therefore, the taxpayer subsidizes the private sector to the tune of over 500 million pounds a year.