In 2025, the average fee for one year at a private school in the UK was 18,456 British pounds, compared with 18,063 in the previous year.

United Kingdom UK: School Enrollment: Secondary: Private: % of Total Secondary data was reported at 70.828 % in 2015. This records an increase from the previous number of 69.494 % for 2014. United Kingdom UK: School Enrollment: Secondary: Private: % of Total Secondary data is updated yearly, averaging 27.445 % from Dec 1999 (Median) to 2015, with 17 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 70.828 % in 2015 and a record low of 24.869 % in 2007. United Kingdom UK: School Enrollment: Secondary: Private: % of Total Secondary data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s United Kingdom – Table UK.World Bank.WDI: Education Statistics. Private enrollment refers to pupils or students enrolled in institutions that are not operated by a public authority but controlled and managed, whether for profit or not, by a private body such as a nongovernmental organization, religious body, special interest group, foundation or business enterprise.; ; UNESCO Institute for Statistics; Weighted average; Each economy is classified based on the classification of World Bank Group's fiscal year 2018 (July 1, 2017-June 30, 2018).

In 2025, there were approximately 1,423 private or independent schools in the United Kingdom, compared with 1.411 in 2020.

As of 2025, there were approximately 545,640 pupils attending private or independent schools in the United Kingdom, compared with 565,550 in the previous year.

The Private Schools in the UK report contains historic and forward looking analysis written by our in-house team of industry analysts. This includes industry revenue and profit figures, available in table and chart format, with accompanying insights explaining the underlying industry trends.

In 2019, the Conservative party had the highest share of MPs who attended fee-paying schools in the United Kingdom, at ** percent, followed by the Liberal Democrats with ** percent. Scottish National Party MPs were the least likely to have attended fee-paying schools, at * percent.

Schools are heavily reliant on funding, so government spending decisions shape the performance of primary schools. Tuition fees and donations that turn the lights on in independent schools are key to primary education revenue. The necessity of primary education protects it from large funding cuts since the UK economy relies on an educated and skilled population. Performance is sensitive to the number of children of primary school age, so a decade of slumping birth rates is catching up to the industry. In 2020-21, forced closures of primary schools owing to the COVID-19 outbreak hit revenue. Government support has propped up primary schools, providing funding of £5 billion between June 2020 and February 2022, according to the DfE. Although government funding has risen, revenue has inched downwards at a compound annual rate of 1.9% to £38 billion, largely because of the revenue fall during COVID-19 thanks to tuition fee repayments and freezes and school closures. Government assistance is set to support revenue growth of 0.7% in 2024-25. The minimum funding per pupil levels in 2024-25 is set at £4,610 per pupil for primary schools in 2024-25. The government has committed funding in support of primary education, making £2 billion more available for schools over 2023-24 and 2024-25. Its success will be determined by how higher costs are contained. Primary school children numbers will continue to decrease, reducing demand, encouraging consolidation of smaller schools and the closure of schools. The issue of falling pupil numbers is particularly prevalent in London. Issues with teacher numbers will put pressure on wage costs and constrain profit growth. Government funding assistance for teacher pay is helping schools cover the 5.5% pay rise in 2024-25. The introduction of VAT in January 2025 to private school fees may contribute to a dip in attendance at indepenent primary schools. Revenue is forecast to grow at a compound annual rate of 1.3% over the five years through 2029-30 to reach £40.5 billion.

Following significant government support, 81.9% of secondary schools are now academies according to the government, with maintained schools increasingly converting. Both types remain under strict government guidelines, but academies can decide term dates, curriculums, subject choices and budget decisions. Despite several years of economic turmoil, government funding has remained strong because of the importance of maintaining and improving UK education standards. Secondary education revenue is expected to have grown at a compound annual rate of 1.4% to £66.1 billion over the five years through 2024-25, growing by 2.1% in 2024-25. The COVID-19 outbreak severely disrupted the day-to-day running of schools throughout 2020-21, with temporary closures forcing pupils to stay at home and learn online. The Educational Recovery Fund has supported educational catch-up, totalling around £5 billion in February 2022, preventing a significant drop in revenue during the COVID-19 outbreak. In cash terms, total funding for all state-funded schools totalled £60.7 billion in 2024-25 due to a £3.9 billion funding increase in 2024-25. Private school pupil numbers have marginally dipped, with the ISC recording a 0.1% decline in independent secondary school pupil numbers over the year through January 2024, with the cost-of-living crisis having squeezed some parents' purse strings. For the start of the 2024-25 academic year, private school enrolments were down, especially for new starters in their first year of secondary school, with the potenital for fee hikes if VAT is added in January 2025 looming. This could pose a threat to profit and place more pressure on state schools to open up available places. Secondary education revenue is projected to grow at a compound annual rate of 2% to £72.9 billion over the five years through 2029-30. The number of international students attending independent schools has not fallen with immigration policies, as many independent schools hold Student Visa Sponsors. With school costs still continuing to grow by 4% in 2024-25, according to the Institute for Fiscal Studies, school funding per pupil will remain stretched.

A list of all independent schools and special post-16 institutions for children with special educational needs or disabilities (SEND) approved under section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014 in England and Wales.

You can filter the list by local authority or by type of setting.

Our guide for independent special schools and special post-16 institutions explains how to apply for approval under section 41.

Voluntary removal

Contact hns.sos@education.gov.uk to request removal from the approved list, stating your reason. We will remove your institution in the next update and notify local authorities. The published list includes all removed institutions.

Once removed, you cannot re-apply for one full academic year.

Other special schools

Details of all special schools in England are available on the https://www.get-information-schools.service.gov.uk/Search" class="govuk-link">Department for Education’s Get Information about Schools system. This includes:

• maintained schools
• academies
• independent schools
• non-maintained schools

The SEND guide for parents and carers explains how parents can ask for one of these schools or special post-16 institutions to be named in their child’s education, health and care plan.

The relationship between sport, education and social class in Britain is extremely complex and variable across different sports and genders. This statistic presents the share of different educational structures attended by British professional athletes across a range of sporting disciplines. Men's cricket had the highest levels of privately educated professional athletes of the sports included within this statistic, with 43 percent of the English men's cricket team having received a private education. Female cricketers had the lowest rate of comprehensive attendance, with 35 percent having attended private schools. The educational backgrounds of British female rugby union internationals differ to those of the men. Where 37 percent of men's British rugby union internationals having attended private schools, with only 47 percent having attended a state comprehensive. The women's British rugby union internationals educational background was more in line with football but still double the national average, with 82 percent having attended comprehensive schools and 13 percent having received private education.
Football Men’s football has long been a game where professional players leave the education system at an early age, with the pathways to elite level participation largely through the club and league structures. Consequently male football professionals have the lowest rates of privately educated participants within this statistic. The differences between male and female football professionals provides an insight into the differing opportunities for financial reward. Although the school backgrounds were comparable between male and female football professionals, reflecting similar social groups playing the game at grassroots level. However, high university attendance amongst female football professionals is likely due to the lower levels of financial compensation in women’s sport. The England team at the 2019 Women’s Football World Cup is the first fully professional team the country has ever had, and the Scottish team still features many part-time players. Private Education Many of the sports within this statistic, particularly those with a history of amateur participation, include school or university competition as a step on the ladder to success. Sports which require expensive equipment or special facilities lead to a more socially exclusive participant base. Many private schools have sufficient funding to invest heavily in high quality indoor and outdoor facilities for cricket, rugby, hockey, rowing, cycling, sailing and equestrianism. Within these sports the pathway to elite level participation is heavily associated with school or university level participation Olympics The educational backgrounds of British Olympic medalists shown within this statistic is illustrates a complex relationship between the relationship between sport, education and social class in Britain. Within the international sporting tournaments, such as the Olympic Games, Team GB has historically excelled at ‘sitting down sports’, including rowing, cycling, sailing and equestrianism. These all involve specialized and frequently expensive equipment and facilities, and are sports historically associated with higher social classes. Funding has historically been targeted towards such sports, on the basis that they offer the best chance of medals. Whilst this has been a largely successful tactic with regards to international sporting accolades, it is at the expense of funding more widely played and accessible sports, potentially creating additional barriers to participation.

Semi-structured interviews with 91 young women aged between 14-18 years (with 56 interviewed twice) - total of 147 interviews. Interviews were undertaken in 4 different independent / private schools in one area of England - School A, B, C and D.A three-year, longitudinal study was conducted in four private schools in England. The aim of the research was to examine how social location, measured in terms of social class and being educated in the private sector, shapes possibilities for agentic practice among young women. Ninety-one young women aged 14-18 years were interviewed, with 56 being re-interviewed 12-24 months later. The study facilitated the collection of narratives by young women about their experiences of education, peer and family.relationships, and their aspirations for the future. Young women from Years 10-13 were invited to participate in an in-depth interview with the Principal Investigator - using a quiet space within the school grounds. A loosely-structured interview schedule was used for both interviews. The first interview (with 91 young women) asked young women to describe themselves and their families, explored reasons for choosing the particular school they were at, describing some experiences/moments/events where they felt good about themselves/proud of themselves and other events/experiences when they have felt less good in the past 6-12 months. Participants were also asked to discuss their future aspirations (short-, medium, and longer-term). During the second interview (with 56 of the 91 young women) - they were asked to reflect on the 12-24 months since they had last been interviewed and to comment on positive and negatives changes, elements of their lives they felt confident about and less confident about, their future aspirations and their reflections on their schooling experiences. All interviews were audio-recorded with permission and then transcribed and anonymised by the same professional transcriber.

United Kingdom UK: Secondary Education: Pupils: % Female data was reported at 49.596 % in 2015. This records a decrease from the previous number of 49.805 % for 2014. United Kingdom UK: Secondary Education: Pupils: % Female data is updated yearly, averaging 49.195 % from Dec 1971 (Median) to 2015, with 45 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 49.921 % in 2013 and a record low of 48.422 % in 1971. United Kingdom UK: Secondary Education: Pupils: % Female data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s UK – Table UK.World Bank: Education Statistics. Female pupils as a percentage of total pupils at secondary level includes enrollments in public and private schools.; ; UNESCO Institute for Statistics; Weighted average; Each economy is classified based on the classification of World Bank Group's fiscal year 2018 (July 1, 2017-June 30, 2018).

United Kingdom UK: School Enrollment: Primary: Private: % of Total Primary data was reported at 17.817 % in 2015. This records an increase from the previous number of 13.990 % for 2014. United Kingdom UK: School Enrollment: Primary: Private: % of Total Primary data is updated yearly, averaging 4.842 % from Dec 1981 (Median) to 2015, with 30 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 17.817 % in 2015 and a record low of 3.968 % in 1981. United Kingdom UK: School Enrollment: Primary: Private: % of Total Primary data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s United Kingdom – Table UK.World Bank.WDI: Education Statistics. Private enrollment refers to pupils or students enrolled in institutions that are not operated by a public authority but controlled and managed, whether for profit or not, by a private body such as a nongovernmental organization, religious body, special interest group, foundation or business enterprise.; ; UNESCO Institute for Statistics; Weighted average; Each economy is classified based on the classification of World Bank Group's fiscal year 2018 (July 1, 2017-June 30, 2018).

Table shows numbers of all Schools and Pupils by Type of School.

School types included in this publication are State-Funded Primary, Secondary and Special schools, Independent schools, Pupil Referral Units, and Alternative Provision.

See DfE website

Full daily dataset of all schools and pupil numbers are available from the DFE EduBase site

Cartogram created from this data:

Independent Schools in Hackney. Information downloaded from Edubase, geocoded using coordinates from Hackney Code Point (OS).

Ofsted statistics on the inspections and outcomes of non-association independent schools in England.

This dataset tracks annual asian student percentage from 2013 to 2023 for Elsa England Elementary School vs. Texas and Round Rock Independent School District

Data shows number of pupils in publicly funded primary and secondary schools by Glasgow Data Zones between the year 2003 and 2012. This information is taken from the September Scottish Pupil Census for the relevant year, of publicly funded schools and hence does not include: Pupils attending grant aided Special Schools; Pupils attending private Independent Schools; Pupils educated outwith the school education system (for example at home) or Adults attending publicly funded secondary schools. The figures are based on the postcodes from where the pupils came from and were submitted for about 99% of pupils in publicly funded primary and secondary schools. More information on the methodology used is included in the metadata among the resouces. (c) Crown copyright, 2014. Data supplied by Scottish Neighbourhood Statistics Website Licence: None

United Kingdom UK: Gender Parity Index (GPI): Tertiary School Enrollment: Gross data was reported at 1.337 Ratio in 2015. This records an increase from the previous number of 1.323 Ratio for 2014. United Kingdom UK: Gender Parity Index (GPI): Tertiary School Enrollment: Gross data is updated yearly, averaging 1.012 Ratio from Dec 1971 (Median) to 2015, with 45 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 1.406 Ratio in 2006 and a record low of 0.509 Ratio in 1971. United Kingdom UK: Gender Parity Index (GPI): Tertiary School Enrollment: Gross data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s United Kingdom – Table UK.World Bank.WDI: Education Statistics. Gender parity index for gross enrollment ratio in tertiary education is the ratio of women to men enrolled at tertiary level in public and private schools.; ; UNESCO Institute for Statistics; Weighted average; Each economy is classified based on the classification of World Bank Group's fiscal year 2018 (July 1, 2017-June 30, 2018).