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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What is an Independent School?

An independent school has the freedom to set its own curriculum and freedom in the choice of its pupils. Independent schools are not dependent on Government or Local Authority finance.

All ISC member schools meet this definition, which is internationally recognised. In the United States, Washington DC defines independent schools in very similar terms:

"Schools that are independent in governance and finance. Independent schools are free to define their own mission and establish their own expectations for teacher credentials and student performance."

Wikipedia defines independent schools as:

"not dependent upon national or local government for financing its operation and instead operated by tuition charges, gifts, and perhaps the investment yield of an endowment."

The main advantage of independent schools is their ability to concentrate on meeting the needs and aspirations of their pupils, rather than spending too much time on Government-imposed targets. ISC schools have an excellent record of adding value at all levels of ability.

Independent schools are also sometimes referred to as private schools, public schools or fee-paying (or, more accurately, fee-charging) schools.

The Government has begun to apply the term "independent" to state-funded Academies. Academies are not dependent on Local Authority funding and are not subject to Local Authority control. However, they are not independent of state funding and have limited freedom to choose which pupils they teach. Most countries would not recognise Academies as being independent schools, and they are not included in the figures given below.

Sweden has a different model, under which any group of 50 parents can demand state funding for an independently-run school. Something broadly similar operates in Australia, where state funding is provided to independent schools on a formula which pays more to disadvantaged areas.

How many independent schools are there? And pupils?
There are more than 2,500 independent schools in the UK, educating about 620,000 children. The actual number fluctuates more or less daily as new schools are registered. A "school" may be very small indeed: schools have to be registered if they educate five or more pupils, or even fewer in some cases. ISC schools range in numbers from 30 to over 2,000 pupils.

In England, independent schools educate more than seven per cent of the entire school age population. Proportions are lower in Scotland and Wales. There are regional variations, too: in the south east, about 10 per cent of children are in independent schools and the proportion rises to 14 per cent in Inner London and to 25 per cent in Edinburgh.

Does ISC represent all independent schools?
Between them, ISC member schools educate more than half a million children - over 80% of the pupils in the UK independent sector. What distinguishes them from other independent schools is that they are all accredited and inspected by the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI) under a framework agreed between ISC and the Department for Education and Skills (DfES) and the Office for Standards in Education (Ofsted). They also have to be accepted into membership of one of the five ISC Heads' Associations. See Accreditation & Inspection for more information.

What sort of children attend independent schools?
Children from every sort of background. It is certainly not true that only rich and privately-educated people send their children to independent schools. The socio-economic background of families is varied and the pupils come from mixed and wide catchment areas. Many of the parents are first-time buyers - they have not attended an independent school themselves.

Do independent schools follow the national curriculum?
Independent schools do not have to follow the national curriculum. They are aware of it, but for most it will represent only a basic minimum standard. They are not required either to employ the Key Stage assessment tests though some prep (junior) schools do use Key Stage 1 and 2 tests as a benchmarking exercise.

Are independent schools completely separate from mainstream education?
No. Children regularly move between independent and state-maintained sectors. For example, about a third of the children entering independent senior (secondary) schools come from state primary schools. Pupils are, in most cases, prepared for the same final examinations (GCSE, A-level and International Baccalaureate) as at state schools, though some independent schools are using the International GCSE (IGCSE) qualification, which is not currently available in state schools. There are many examples of schools in both sectors working together on projects of mutual benefit.