The Independent Schools Council is a politically independent, not-for-profit organisation representing 1,270 independent schools educating more than 500,000 children. It exists to promote choice, diversity and excellence in education, developing talent at all levels of ability and from all backgrounds.

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Curriculum

Independent schools should have a broad and well-balanced curriculum. Most independent schools have regard to the national curriculum, even though it does not apply by law to them, but you would expect them to provide more.

How wide are subject choices for GCSE and AS/A2 levels? Are there any vocational courses? Does the school currently offer, or plan to introduce the International Baccalaureate? Are the arts and languages well provided for? Are classics (Latin and Greek) taught? How are the sciences taught? Do pupils have the options of single sciences or dual award GCSE science (the latter enables them to continue with chemistry, physics and biology but they occupy less time and count as two GCSEs rather than three)? How wide is the choice of modern languages?

Ask how children move up the school from class to class. Are there arrangements for withdrawing slow learners or for accelerating quick ones? Are children streamed according to ability? This may not suit children who are always in the bottom class and find it so demoralising that they give up trying. Are children of all abilities mixed for some subjects and put into separate sets for subjects like maths, the sciences and modern languages? How will this system suit your child?