Julie Robinson, ISC chief executive

"ISC schools are very diverse, with an extraordinary mix of pupils. There are single sex, co-ed, boarding and day, as well as small schools best known by their local communities."
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Sector Info

Independent schools provide excellence, capacity, and innovation in our education system.

Parents will choose independent schools for some or all of their child’s education, sometimes to meet particular needs – for example, independent schools that specialise in supporting children who have special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

There is not a single type of independent school. The ISC represents over 1,500 schools with real diversity of provision. ISC schools vary significantly in size from having fewer than 50 pupils to nearly 2,500, although half of all schools have fewer than 250 pupils. Over half of schools are non-selective and 69% are not for-profit. Over 23% of pupils at ISC schools have SEND.

Independent schools provide:

Educational excellence
Particularly in STEM subjects that are crucial to future productivity; and languages post-Brexit.

Innovation
Recent reforms of GCSEs and A-levels were based on qualifications taken at independent schools including IGCSEs and the Pre-U, and many of the structures and traditions of the independent sector have been adopted by state schools to improve pupils’ education.

Economic value
In 2021, schools affiliated to the Independent Schools Council (ISC) contributed £14.1bn to the UK economy, supported around 282,000 jobs and supported £4.3bn in tax revenues for the UK exchequer. The total economic footprint of all independent schools across the UK is estimated to have been £16.5bn, associated with 328,000 jobs and £5.1bn in tax revenues.

Taxpayer savings
Independent schools save the taxpayer £4.4bn per year through parents (who pay taxes to support state education) not taking up state school places. The ISC schools' share of that total is £3.8bn.

Overseas value
The sector contributes £1.05bn annually to education exports, is respected across the world and is attractive to overseas companies re-locating families to the UK. The Government’s International education strategy wants to increase number of overseas students – ISC schools attract over 57,000 non-UK pupils and are a pipeline to higher education for international pupils.

Partnerships
Before COVID, 85% of ISC member schools had partnerships with their state counterparts. Almost 10,000 partnership projects were recorded in the calendar year 2025, which is over three quarters of schools having at least one partnerships. This includes supporting pupils with university applications, careers advice and providing teaching in shortage subjects such as modern foreign languages.

Bursaries
The ISC Census 2026 shows schools currently provide £549m in means-tested fee assistance. Over 48% of all fee assistance from schools is means tested.

Specialist provision
The sector provides specialist provision in music and dance, single-sex schools, boarding and SEND support.

Resources

The value of independent schools
ISC Census
School partnerships case study booklet
The Impact of Independent Schools on the UK Economy (Oxford Economics report)
Joint Understanding with the Department for Education on promoting school partnerships
Baines Cutler VAT on school fees report

Inclusion and Diversity

The ISC and our member Associations strive to cultivate an inclusive culture across our schools — one which celebrates people and nurtures a diverse, supportive community. Our commitment is rooted in a shared dedication to fostering a welcoming, equitable environment where everyone feels a true sense of belonging and differences are respected.

School Inspection

Nearly all ISC independent schools in England are inspected by the Independent Schools Inspectorate.

School Partnerships

ISC is gathering information about successful state and independent school partnerships and providing details of what works best.

ISC Digital Advisory Group

The ISC Digital Advisory Group provides independent advice to Senior Management teams on a range of ICT related issues, through the publication of briefing papers, an annual conference and webinars.