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The Abbey School, Reading

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119-508: The Abbey School is a private selective day school for girls, in Reading , Berkshire , England . The Abbey School provides education for girls aged 3 to 18 years. The school is based in the centre of Reading, on Kendrick Road. The current Head is Will le Fleming. In 2006, the school had just over 1,000 students throughout the school, from Junior to Sixth Form. The school became an International Baccalaureate World School in 2008. In 2020,

238-663: A Japanese school and a German school. Chinese schools were being founded by the ethnic Chinese in Malaysia as early as the 19th century. They provide secondary education in the Chinese language as the continuation of the primary education in Chinese national-type primary schools. The main medium of instruction in these schools is Mandarin Chinese using simplified Chinese characters . Being private schools, Chinese independent high schools do not receive consistent funding from

357-517: A board of governors, and are owned by a mixture of corporations, trusts and private individuals. They are independent of many of the regulations and conditions that apply to state-funded schools . For example, the schools do not have to follow the National Curriculum for England , although many such schools do. Historically, the term private school referred to a school in private ownership, in contrast to an endowed school subject to

476-709: A certain minimum education; Irish state subsidised fee-charging schools must still work towards the Junior Certificate and the Leaving Certificate , for example. The single fee-charging secondary school in Ireland which receives no state funding, the Nord Anglia International School Dublin , does not have to undergo the state supervision which all the other fee-charging schools undergo. Students there also sit

595-405: A charitable end in itself, irrespective of poverty. The transformation of free charitable foundations into institutions which sometimes charge fees came about readily: the foundation would only afford minimal facilities, so that further fees might be charged to lodge, clothe and otherwise maintain the scholars, to the private profit of the trustees or headmaster. Also, facilities already provided by

714-413: A fee-charging school wishes to employ extra teachers they are paid for with school fees, which tend to be relatively low in Ireland compared to the rest of the world. Because state funding plays a fundamental role in the finances of all but one fee-charging school, they must undergo similar state inspection to non-fee-charging schools. This is due to the requirement that the state ensure that children receive

833-554: A first or an upper second-class degree than a student from the same social class background, of the same gender, who had achieved the same A-level score at a state school. The averaged effect was described as very variable across the social class and A-level attainment of the candidates; it was "small and not strongly significant for students with high A-level scores" (i.e. for students at the more selective universities) and "statistically significant mostly for students from lower occupationally-ranked social-class backgrounds". Additionally,

952-580: A marginal difference and the pattern – particularly in relation to school background – is in any case inconsistent." A study commissioned by the Sutton Trust and published in 2010 focused mainly on the possible use of US-style SAT tests as a way of detecting a candidate's academic potential. Its findings confirmed those of the Smith & Naylor study in that it found that privately educated pupils who, despite their educational advantages, have only secured

1071-403: A more accurate distinction is between fee-charging schools and non-fee-charging schools. This is because approximately 85% of all schools are private schools ( Irish : scoil phríobháideach ) by virtue of not being owned by the state. The Roman Catholic Church is the largest owner of schools in Ireland, with other religious institutions owning the remaining private schools. Nevertheless, despite

1190-423: A particular religion, or schools may require pupils to attend religious services. Only a small minority of parents can afford school fees averaging (as of 2021) over £36,000 per annum for boarding pupils and £15,000 for day pupils, with additional costs for uniform, equipment and extra-curricular activities. Scholarships and means-tested bursaries to assist the education of the less well-off are usually awarded by

1309-450: A permanent trust fund that would address the needs of the private education sector in the country. In Portugal, private schools were traditionally set up by foreign expatriates and diplomats in order to cater for their educational needs. Portuguese-speaking private schools are widespread across Portugal's main cities. International private schools are mainly concentrated in and around Lisbon , Porto , Braga , Coimbra and Covilhã , across

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1428-462: A poor A-level score, and who therefore attend less selective universities, do less well than state educated degree candidates with the same low A-level attainment. In addition, as discussed in the 2010 Buckingham report "HMC Schools: a quantitative analysis", because students from state schools tended to be admitted on lower A-level entry grades, relative to entry grades it could be claimed that these students had improved more. A countervailing finding of

1547-572: A private fee-charging model following the 1965 Circular 10/65 and the subsequent cessation in 1975 of government funding support for direct grant grammar schools . There are around 2,600 independent schools in the UK, which educate around 615,000 children, some 7 per cent of all British school-age children and 18 per cent of pupils over the age of 16. In addition to charging tuition fees, they may also benefit from gifts, charitable endowments and charitable status . Some of these schools (1,300) are members of

1666-645: A private school admissions are at the discretion of the governing body of the school. In 2006, pupils at fee-paying schools made up 43 per cent of those selected for places at Oxford University and 38 per cent of those granted places at Cambridge University (although such pupils represent only 18 per cent of the 16 years old plus school population). In 2024, the Labour government removed the exemption from value-added tax (VAT) from private school fees. From January 2025, private schools will have to charge 20% VAT. A major area of debate in recent years has centred around

1785-399: A private school and 184,580 having attended a state school, 64.9 per cent of the former attained a first or upper second class degree, compared to 52.7 per cent of the latter. No statistical comparisons of the two groups (State vs Private) were reported, with or without controls for student characteristics such as entry qualifications, so no inferences can be drawn on the relative performance of

1904-519: A private school at secondary stage, via entrance examinations. Private schools, like state grammar schools, are free to select their pupils, subject to general legislation against discrimination . The principal forms of selection are financial, in that the pupil's family must be able to pay the school fees, and academic, the latter determined via interview and examination. Credit may also be given for musical, sporting or other talent. Entrance to some schools may be orientated to pupils whose parents practise

2023-558: A process which combines academic and other criteria. Private schools are generally academically selective, using the competitive Common Entrance Examination at ages 11+ or 13+. Schools often offer scholarships to attract abler pupils (which improves their average results); the standard sometimes approaches the General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) intended for age 16. Poorly-performing pupils may be required to leave, and following GCSE results can be replaced in

2142-907: A public school refers to membership of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference , and this includes many independent grammar schools . The term 'public school' historically meant that the school was open to the public (as opposed to private tutors or the school being in private ownership). Many private schools actively compete with prestigious state schools (including state grammar schools and single sex schools ) in academic achievements. There are many old, world-renowned institutions in England that served as inspiration for most schools of their type abroad. These schools include Winchester College , Eton College , St Paul's School , Harrow School , Westminster School , and Rugby School . The Independent Schools Inspectorate regularly publishes reports on

2261-540: A publicly funded state school ). Prep (preparatory) schools (also known as "private schools") educate younger children up to the age of 13 to prepare them for entry to the public schools and other secondary schools. In 2023, the Independent Schools Council reports that private schools contribute £16.5 billion to gross value added (GVA) in Britain. Some former grammar schools converted to

2380-511: A report by Geeta Gandhi Kingdon entitled: The Emptying of Public Schools and Growth of Private Schools in India , it is said that for sensible education-policy making, it is vital to take account of the various changing trends in the size of the private and public schooling sectors in India. Ignoring these trends involves the risk of poor policies/legislation, with adverse effects on children's education. A lot of criticism towards Iranian government

2499-408: A result, 119 of these schools became independent. Pupil numbers at independent schools fell slightly during the mid-1970s recession . At the same time participation at all secondary schools grew dramatically, so that the share of the independent sector fell from a little under 8 per cent in 1964 to reach a low of 5.7 per cent in 1978. Both these trends were reversed during the 1980s, and the share of

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2618-447: A revenue of US$ 450 million in 2008, but is projected to be a US$ 40 billion market. Although there are private schools in India, they are highly regulated in terms of what they can teach, in what form they can operate (must be a non-profit to run any accredited educational institution) and all the other aspects of the operation. Hence, the differentiation between government schools and private schools can be misleading. However, in

2737-461: A science high school. The Fund for Assistance to Private Education (FAPE) is a perpetual trust fund for private education created by Executive Order № 156 s. 1968 and amended by Executive Order № 150 s. 1994. FAPE was created on November 5, 1968 by Executive Order No. 156, in implementation of the project agreement between the Philippine and United States governments to establish

2856-512: A state school, e.g. they must teach the state curriculum, they must employ registered teachers, and they can not charge tuition fees (they can charge "attendance dues" for the upkeep on the still-private school land and buildings). The largest decline in private school numbers occurred between 1979 and 1984, when the nation's then-private Catholic school system integrated. As a result, private schools in New Zealand are now largely restricted to

2975-558: A trust or of charitable status. Many of the older independent schools catering for the 13–18 age range in England and Wales are known as public schools , seven of which were the subject of the Public Schools Act 1868 . The term "public school" meant they were then open to pupils regardless of where they lived or their religion (while in the United States and most other English-speaking countries "public school" refers to

3094-659: Is The King’s School , founded in 1831. Catholic schools form the second-largest sector after government schools, with around 21% of secondary enrolments. Catholic schools, typically have a strong religious focus and usually most of the staff and students are Catholic. In 1999, 5.6% of Canadian students were enrolled in private schools, some of which are religious or faith-based schools, including Christian, Jewish, and Islamic schools. Some private schools in Canada are considered world-class, especially some boarding schools. Private schools have sometimes been controversial, with some in

3213-676: Is 25%. Such 'exam access' arrangements are given for a range of disabilities and educational special needs such as dyslexia , dyspraxia and ADHD . In 2002, Jeremy Smith and Robin Naylor of the University of Warwick conducted a study into the determinants of degree performance at UK universities. Their study confirmed that the internationally recognised phenomenon whereby "children from more advantaged class backgrounds have higher levels of educational attainment than children from less-advantaged class backgrounds" persists at university level in

3332-417: Is a school not administered or funded by the government , unlike a public school . Private schools (also known as 'independent schools') are schools that are not dependent upon national or local government to finance their financial endowment . Unless privately owned they typically have a board of governors and have a system of governance that ensures their independent operation. Private schools retain

3451-413: Is an essential part of boarding education, and many such schools have their own distinctive ethos, including social aspirations, manners and accents, associated with their own school traditions. Many former pupils aspire to send their own children to their old schools over successive generations. Most offer sporting, musical, dramatic and art facilities, sometimes with extra charges. Educational achievement

3570-413: Is any for which the facilities and funding are not provided by the federal, state or local government, as opposed to a public school, which is operated by the government - or in the case of charter schools , independently with government funding and regulation. A majority of private schools in the United States are operated by religious institutions and organizations. In practice, the term "private school"

3689-412: Is because of large gap of University entrance Exam success between public and private school students, number private school growth has seen a 15% growth dominating Iranian education sector. there is a rise of "luxury" schools. Studying for one year term in private schools may cost 50 million as of July 2023. In Ireland, the internationally recognised definition of "private school" is misleading and

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3808-477: Is commonly used to denote a non-sectarian school, whereas "church school", "Christian school", and (for Catholic institutions) "parochial school" are used to denote sectarian ones. Independent schools in the United States educate a tiny fraction of the school-age population (slightly over 1% of the entire school-age population). The essential distinction between independent schools and other private schools

3927-818: Is generally free, schools that offer instruction in languages other than the official languages of Finland (for example in English) may charge modest fees. There are also unlicensed private schools that do not follow any national curriculum and do not receive public funding. Certificates obtained from such institutions are not recognized as valid proof of education. In 2018, private schools accounted for 3% of basic education institutions and 9% of upper secondary education institutions. All Universities of Applied Sciences are either privately owned or municipality-owned companies or foundations. Some private Universities in Finland operate without legal mandate and are not overseen by

4046-512: Is generally very good. Independent school pupils are four times more likely to attain an A* at GCSE than their non-selective state sector counterparts, and twice as likely to attain an A grade at A-level . A much higher proportion go to university. Some schools specialise in particular strengths, academic or other, although this is not as common as it is in the state sector . Independent schools can set their own discipline regime, with much greater freedom to exclude children, primarily exercised in

4165-732: Is now a day school, after ceasing to accept boarding pupils in 1946, and was a direct grant (C. of E.) grammar school in the 1950s . As of 2006, roughly 45% of entrants in the Upper Third (year 7) came from the Junior School. Also, students from other schools in Berkshire attended. As an independent school, Ofsted do not perform inspections of the school. However, Ofsted have inspected the Early Years Centre. The independent schools Inspectorate performed an inspection on

4284-479: Is on a sliding scale and still has a "capacity to pay" element; however, on average, funding granted to the private school sector is 40 percent of that required to operate government schools, the remainder being made up by tuition fees and donations from parents. The majority of the funding comes from the Commonwealth Government, while the state and territory governments provide about one-third of

4403-564: Is self-governance and financial independence. In contrast, public schools are funded and governed by local and state governments, and most parochial schools are owned, governed, and financed by religious institutions such as a diocese or parish. Independent schools may be affiliated with a particular religion or denomination; however, unlike parochial schools, independent schools are self-owned and governed by independent boards of trustees. While independent schools are not subject to significant government oversight or regulation, they are accredited by

4522-617: Is their decision whether to engage tutors". Some of the oldest schools in South Africa are private church schools that were established by missionaries in the early nineteenth century. The private sector has grown ever since. After the abolition of apartheid, the laws governing private education in South Africa changed significantly. The South African Schools Act of 1996 recognizes two categories of schools: "public" (state-controlled) and "independent" (which includes traditional private schools and schools which are privately governed). In

4641-530: The Shin Min Daily News estimated that there were around 540 tuition centres offering private tuition in Singapore. Due to their high demand, tuition centres are able to charge high fees for their services; they have an annual turnover of SGD$ 110.6 million in 2005. The official government stance on private tuition is that "it understands parents want the best for their children and that it

4760-488: The Assisted Places Scheme in England and Wales in 1980, whereby the state paid the school fees for those pupils capable of gaining a place but unable to afford the fees. This was essentially a response to the decision of the previous Labour government in the mid-1970s to remove government funding of direct grant grammar schools , most of which then became private schools; some Assisted Places pupils went to

4879-593: The High School of Dundee . In Scotland, it was common for children destined for private schools to receive their primary education at a local school. This arose because of Scotland's long tradition of state-funded education, which was spearheaded by the Church of Scotland from the seventeenth century, long before such education was common in England. Private prep schools only became more widespread in Scotland from

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4998-787: The Independent Schools Council . In 2021, the average annual cost for private schooling was £15,191 for day schools and £36,000 for boarding schools . The Independent Schools Yearbook has been published annually since 1986. This was a name change of a publication that started in 1889 as The Public Schools Yearbook . Some independent schools are particularly old, such as The King's School, Canterbury (founded 597), The King's School, Rochester (founded 604), St Peter's School, York (founded c. 627), Sherborne School (founded 705), Wells Cathedral School (founded 909), Warwick School (c. 914), King's Ely (c. 970) and St Albans School (948). These schools were founded by

5117-601: The International Baccalaureate rather than the Irish Leaving Certificate which every other Irish secondary school student sits. In exchange, however, Nord Anglia students pay some €25,000 per annum in fees, compared to c. €4,000 – €8,000 per annum fees by students in all other fee-charging Irish schools. Many fee-charging schools in Ireland also double as boarding schools. The fees for these may then rise up to €25,000 per year. All

5236-671: The Scottish Council of Independent Schools (SCIS). All schools are still inspected by the state inspectorate, Education Scotland , and the Care Inspectorate . Independent schools in Scotland that are charities are subject to a specific test from the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator , designed to demonstrate the public benefit the schools provide. In the United States, a private school

5355-539: The Sutton Trust study was that for students of a given level of A-level attainment it is almost twice as difficult to get a first at the most selective universities than at those on the other end of the scale. Private sector schools regularly dominate the top of the A-level league tables, and their students are more likely to apply to the most selective universities; as a result private sector students are particularly well represented at these institutions, and therefore only

5474-471: The United Kingdom . The authors noted "a very well-determined and monotonically positive effect defined over Social Classes I to V" whereby, for both men and women, other things being equal, academic performance at university is better the more advantaged is the student's home background". but they also observed that a student educated at a private school was on average 6 per cent less likely to receive

5593-677: The sixth form by a new infusion of high-performing sixth-form-only pupils, which may distort apparent results. On the other hand, pupils performing poorly cannot legally be excluded from a state school solely for poor performance. Private schools, as compared with maintained schools, generally have more individual teaching; much lower pupil-teacher ratios at around 9:1; longer teaching hours (sometimes including Saturday morning teaching) and homework (known as prep); though they have shorter terms. They also have more time for organised extra-curricular activities. As boarding schools are fully responsible for their pupils throughout term-time, pastoral care

5712-605: The (first) Gonski Report , the funding formula was changed to compute individual school funding compared to a School Resourcing Standard (SRS). The SRS uses exam results from the National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy tests, calculates the SRS from a cohort of well-performing schools, and applies this formula to other schools on the assumption that they should be able to achieve similar results from similar funding. The funding provided to private schools

5831-486: The 18th and 19th centuries, and came to play an important role in the development of the Victorian social elite. Under a number of forward-looking headmasters leading public schools created a curriculum based heavily on classics and physical activity for boys and young men of the upper and upper middle classes. They were schools for the gentlemanly elite of Victorian politics, armed forces and colonial government. Much of

5950-726: The Catholic schismatic group , the Society of St Pius X in Wanganui operates three private schools (including the secondary school, St Dominic's College ). A recent group of private schools run as a business has been formed by Academic Colleges Group ; with schools throughout Auckland, including ACG Senior College in Auckland's CBD, ACG Parnell College in Parnell , and international school ACG New Zealand International College . In

6069-532: The Commonwealth amount. The Turnbull government commissioned Gonski in 2017 to chair the independent Review to Achieve Educational Excellence in Australian Schools, commonly called Gonski 2.0. The government published the report on 30 April 2018. Following negotiation, bilateral agreements between the Commonwealth of Australia with each state and territory commenced on 1 January 2019, with

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6188-824: The High Court to bring a judicial review of the Charity Commission's public benefit guidance as it affected the private education sector. This was heard by the Upper Tribunal at the same time as a reference by the Attorney General asking the Tribunal to consider how the public benefit requirement should operate in relation to fee-charging charitable schools. The Upper Tribunal's decision, published on 14 October 2011, concluded that in all cases there must be more than de minimis or token benefit for

6307-455: The IB cohort averaged 39.6 points, compared to the global average of 30. Founded in 1887, the school moved to its present site in 1905 under the leadership of headmistress Helen Musson. Notable alumnae include the novelist and social activist Brigid Brophy , the novelist Elizabeth Taylor the educationalist Baroness Brigstocke , and the historian Lucy Worsley . Around 100 years before the school

6426-545: The Malaysian government, although they did receive some funding from some state governments as well as in the 2019 and 2020 budgets under the Pakatan Harapan government. However, in accordance with their aim of providing affordable education to all in the Chinese language, their school fees are substantially lower than those of most other private schools. The schools are kept alive almost exclusively by donations from

6545-625: The Ministry of Education and Culture. Graduates from these universities must undergo the same verification process as those holding foreign degrees. The right to create private schools in Germany is in Article 7, Paragraph 4 of the Grundgesetz and cannot be suspended even in a state of emergency . It is also not possible to abolish these rights. This unusual protection of private schools

6664-612: The Philippines, the private sector has been a major provider of educational services. Private schools are generally free to determine their curriculum in accordance with existing laws and regulations. Science high schools are special schools for the more intellectually promising students to foster the problem-solving approach of critical thinking. As separate high schools, they have specific characteristics not found in regular high schools. However, any private or public high school can aspire to meet these minimum standards and be considered

6783-665: The Portuguese region of Algarve , and in the autonomous region of Madeira . The Ministério da Educação acts as the supervisory and regulatory body for all schools, including international schools. In Singapore, after Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE), students can choose to enter a private high school. Private tuition is a lucrative industry in Singapore, since many parents send their children for private tuition after school. A straw poll by The Straits Times newspaper in 2008 found that out of 100 students interviewed, only 3 students did not have any form of tuition. In 2010,

6902-731: The Secret Shame". In 2022, he co-wrote (with Caitlin Smith) and presented a BBC Radio 4 series, In Dark Corners , about abuse and cover-up at some of Britain's elite schools, including Eton College , Fettes College , Gordonstoun and its junior school. An investigation into official exam data by the BBC's Radio 4 Today programme, in 2017, showed that 20% of private school pupils were given extra time for their GCSE and A level exams, as compared with fewer than 12% of pupils in public sector schools. The most commonly given amount of extra exam time

7021-424: The UK educating some 628,000 children, comprising over 6.5 per cent of UK children, and more than 18 per cent of pupils over the age of 16. In England the schools account for a slightly higher percentage than in the UK as a whole. According to a 2010 study by Ryan & Sibetia, "the proportion of pupils attending independent schools in England is currently 7.2 per cent (considering full-time pupils only)". Most of

7140-927: The United Kingdom and several other Commonwealth countries including Australia, Canada and New Zealand the use of the term is generally restricted to primary and secondary educational levels, and it is almost never used of universities or other tertiary institutions. Private education in North America covers the whole gamut of educational activity, ranging from pre-school to tertiary level institutions. Annual tuition fees at K–12 schools range from nothing at so called 'tuition-free' schools to more than $ 45,000 at several New England University-preparatory schools . The secondary level includes university-preparatory schools, boarding schools , and day schools . Tuition at private secondary schools varies from school to school and depends on many factors, including

7259-565: The adoption of the Right to Education (RTE) Act 2009, private schools were required to be 'government-recognised'. A private school would be eligible for government recognition when it met certain conditions. At the primary and secondary level, India has a large private school system complementing the government run schools, with 29% of students receiving private education in the 6 to 14 age group. Certain post-secondary technical schools are also private. The private education market in India had

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7378-454: The better degrees than state students of the same gender and class background having the same A-level score. In 2011, a subsequent study led by Richard Partington at Cambridge University showed that A-level performance is "overwhelmingly" the best predictor for exam performance in the earlier years ("Part I") of the undergraduate degree at Cambridge. Partington's summary specified that "questions of school background and gender" ... "make only

7497-458: The charitable foundation for a few students could profitably be extended to further paying pupils. Some schools still keep their foundation students in a separate house from other pupils, or distinguish them in other ways. After a time, such fees eclipsed the original charitable income, and the original endowment would become a minor part of the school's finances. By 2022 senior boarding schools were charging fees of over £40,000 per annum. Most of

7616-552: The church and were under its complete dominion. During the late 14th and early 15th centuries the first schools independent of the church were founded. Winchester (1382) and Oswestry (1407) were the first of their kind (although they had a strong Christian religious ethos) and such early "free grammar schools" founded by wealthy benefactors paved the way for the establishment of the modern " public school ". These were typically established for male students from poor or disadvantaged backgrounds. English law has always regarded education as

7735-526: The continuing charitable status of private schools, which means they are not charged business rates by local councils, amongst other benefits. This is estimated to save the schools about £200 per pupil and to cost the Exchequer about £100 million in tax breaks, assuming that an increase in fees would not result in any transfer of pupils from private to maintained sector. Since the Charities Act

7854-462: The degree results of all students who graduated in 2013/14, suggested that 82 per cent of state school pupils got firsts or upper seconds compared with 73 per cent of those from private schools. Later, HEFCE admitted that it had made a transposition error, and that in fact, 73 per cent of state school graduates gained a first or upper second class degree compared with 82 per cent of private school graduates. This admission attracted far less publicity than

7973-419: The discipline was in the hands of senior pupils (usually known as prefects ); this was not just a way to reduce staffing costs, but was also seen as vital preparation for the senior pupils' later roles in public or military service. More recently heads of public schools have been emphasising that senior pupils now play a much reduced role in maintaining discipline. To an extent, the public school system influenced

8092-644: The early 1960s, as well as a hangover from centuries ago when only Latin and Greek were taught at many public schools. It was Martin Wiener 's opposition to this tendency which inspired his 1981 book English Culture and the Decline of the Industrial Spirit: 1850–1980 , which became an influence on the Thatcher government's opposition to old-school gentlemanly Toryism . The curriculum in private school

8211-650: The education system has always been separate from the rest of Great Britain , the term 'public school' was used historically to refer to state schools for the general public. According to The Good Schools Guide about 7% of children being educated in the United Kingdom are at fee-charging schools at GCSE level and 13% at A-level. Some independent schools are single-sex, although this is becoming less common. In 2011, fees range from under £3,000 to £21,000 and above per year for day pupils, rising to over £27,000 per year for boarders. Costs differ in Scotland. One in four independently educated children come from postcodes with

8330-401: The entire student population. Private school numbers have been in decline since the mid-1970s as a result of many private schools opting to become state-integrated schools , mostly due to financial difficulties stemming from changes in student numbers or the economy. State-integrated schools keep their private school special character and receives state funds in return for having to operate like

8449-449: The exception of Victoria, whose bilateral agreement commenced on 1 February 2019. The funding agreements provide states with funding for government schools (20 percent) and non-government schools (80 percent) taking into consideration annual changes in enrolment numbers, indexation and student or school characteristics. A National School Resourcing Board was charged with the responsibility of independently reviewing each state's compliance with

8568-473: The expense of enrolments in government schools, which have seen their enrolment share reduce from 78.1 percent to 65 percent since 1970, although the rate of growth of private schools has slowed in the later years. Australian private schools differ from those in other OECD nations as the Australian Government provides funding to all schools including private schools. In 2013, after release of

8687-528: The final years of the apartheid era, parents at white government schools were given the option to convert to a "semi-private" form called Model C , and many of these schools changed their admissions policies to accept children classified to be of other races. These schools tend to produce better academic results than government schools formerly reserved for other "race groups". Former "Model C" schools are state-controlled, not private. All schools in South Africa (including both independent and public schools) have

8806-440: The first of these emphasised team spirit and " muscular Christianity " and the latter the importance of scholarship and competitive examinations. Edward Thring of Uppingham School introduced major reforms, focusing on the importance of the individual and of competition, as well as the need for a "total curriculum" with academia, music, sport and drama being central to education. Most public schools developed significantly during

8925-417: The former direct-grant schools such as Manchester Grammar School . The scheme was terminated by the Labour government in 1997, and since then the private sector has moved to increase its own means-tested bursaries. The former classics-based curriculum was also criticised for not providing skills in sciences or engineering, but was perhaps in response to the requirement of classics for entry to Oxbridge until

9044-760: The funding agreement(s). Private school fees can vary from under $ 100 per month to $ 2,000 and upwards, depending on the student's year level, the school's size, and the socio-economics of the school community. In late 2018 it was reported the most expensive private schools (such as AAGPS and CAS schools in New South Wales , GPS and QGSSSA schools in Queensland , AGSV and APS schools in Victoria ) charge fees of up to $ 500,000 for thirteen years of education. The oldest private school in Australia

9163-495: The government, it can be an aided or an unaided school. Demand for private schools has been growing over the years. While a consensus over what is the most significant driver of this growth in private schooling has not yet emerged, some authors have attributed this to a higher demand for English-medium education, a dissatisfaction with the quality of public schools, greater affordability of private schools, and non-availability of preferred field of study in government schools. After

9282-504: The independent schools reached 7.5 per cent by 1991. The changes since 1990 have been less dramatic: the share fell to 6.9 per cent by 1996 before increasing very slightly after 2000 to reach 7.2 per cent in 2012. By 2015, the figure fell back to 6.9 per cent, with the absolute number of pupils attending independent schools falling everywhere in England apart from in the South East . In 2011 there were more than 2,500 private schools in

9401-579: The independent schools today are still registered as a charity, and bursaries are available to students on a means test basis. Christ's Hospital in Horsham is an example: a large proportion of its students are funded by its charitable foundation or by various benefactors. The educational reforms of the 19th century were particularly important. Reformers included Thomas Arnold at Rugby , and then Samuel Butler and later Benjamin Kennedy at Shrewsbury ;

9520-695: The inspectorial bodies listed above are inspected through the national inspectorates in each country. Private schools in Scotland educate about 31,000 children. Although many of the Scottish private schools are members of the ISC they are also represented by the Scottish Council of Independent Schools , recognised by the Scottish Parliament as the body representing private schools in Scotland. Unlike England, all Scottish private schools are subject to

9639-579: The larger private schools are either full or partial boarding schools , although many have now become predominantly day schools . By contrast there are only a few dozen state boarding schools . Boarding-school traditions give a distinctive character to British private education, even in the case of day-pupils. A high proportion of private schools, particularly the larger and older institutions, have charitable status. The Independent Schools Council (ISC), through seven affiliated organisations, represents 1,300 schools that together educate over 80 per cent of

9758-1362: The largest cities (Auckland, Hamilton, Wellington and Christchurch) and niche markets. Private schools are almost fully funded by tuition fees paid by students' parents, but they do receive some government subsidies. Private schools are popular for academic and sporting performance, prestige, exclusivity and old boys/girls networks; however, many state-integrated schools and some prestigious single-sex state schools, such as Auckland Grammar School and Wellington College , are actively competitive with private schools in academic and sporting achievement, history and character. Private schools are often Anglican, such as King's College and Diocesan School for Girls in Auckland, St Paul's Collegiate School in Hamilton, St Peter's School in Cambridge , Samuel Marsden Collegiate School in Wellington, and Christ's College and St Margaret's College in Christchurch; or Presbyterian, such as Saint Kentigern College and St Cuthbert's College in Auckland, Scots College and Queen Margaret College in Wellington, and St Andrew's College and Rangi Ruru Girls' School in Christchurch. However,

9877-483: The late 19th century (usually attached to an existing secondary private school, though exceptions such as Craigclowan Preparatory School and Cargilfield Preparatory School do exist), though they are still much less prevalent than in England. In modern times many secondary pupils in Scotland's private schools will have fed in from the school's own fee-paying primary school, therefore there is considerable competition facing pupils from state primary schools who seek to enter

9996-575: The learning of disabled children. In Australia, private schools are mostly operated by an independently elected school council or board of governors and range broadly in the type of school-education provided and the socio-economics of the school community served. Most private schools are run by religious institutes while others have no religious affiliation and are driven by a national philosophy (such as international schools ), pedogogical philosophy (such as Waldorf-Steiner schools ), or specific needs (such as special schools ). Australia has one of

10115-524: The media and in Ontario's Provincial Ministry of Education asserting that students may buy inflated grades from private schools. In Finland, education takes place in state-run, municipality-run, and private schools. To qualify for public funding, all schools must receive a license from the Ministry of Education and Culture and align with the national curriculum and educational standards. While education

10234-570: The most privatised education systems in the world with 30 per cent of primary students and more than 40 per cent of secondary students attending private schools. In contrast the OECD average is 18 per cent. Catholic schools make up a sizeable proportion of total enrolment (nearly 15%) and are usually regarded as a school sector of their own within the broad category of private schools, often charging lower fees than Protestant private schools. Enrolment in non-government schools have been growing steadily at

10353-429: The name of educational quality, most comply with regulations relating to the educational content of classes. Religious private schools often add religious instruction to the courses provided by local public schools. Special assistance schools aim to improve the lives of their students by providing services tailored to the particular needs of individual students. Such schools include tutoring schools and schools to assist

10472-433: The national average income or below, and one in three receive assistance with school fees. Evidence from a major longitudinal study suggests that British independent schools provide advantages in educational attainment and access to top universities. In England and Wales, the more prestigious independent schools are known as ' public schools ', sometimes subdivided into major and minor public schools. A modern definition of

10591-609: The opportunity to choose the school they prefer. For instance, the biggest school chain, Kunskapsskolan ("The Knowledge School"), offers 30 schools and a web-based environment, has 700 employees and teaches nearly 10,000 pupils. Private schools are also known as independent schools, because of their freedom to operate outside government and local government control. Elite institutions for older pupils, which charge high fees, are typically described as public schools . Preparatory schools in England and Wales prepare pupils up to 13 years old to enter public schools. In Scotland, where

10710-398: The original erroneous assertion. Across all English universities, state school students who scored two Bs and a C at A-level did on average eight per cent better at degree level than their privately educated counterparts. Two Bs and a C represents an entry tariff of 112, well below the average demanded by any of the UK's Russell Group universities. Private school A private school

10829-507: The past century. Some private schools are associated with a particular religious denomination or religion , such as Roman Catholicism , various branches of Protestantism or Judaism . Although private schools may have a religious affiliation, the precise use of the term excludes parochial (and other) schools if there is a financial dependence upon, or governance subordinate to, outside organizations. These definitions generally apply equally to both primary and secondary education . In

10948-481: The poor, but that trustees of a charitable private school should decide what was appropriate in their particular circumstances. The Charity Commission accordingly published revised public benefit guidance in 2013. In Scotland , under the Charities and Trustee Investment Act (Scotland), there is an entirely separate test of charitable status, overseen by the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator , which assesses

11067-402: The principles of natural justice as adopted by the state sector, and private law as applied to Higher Education. This belief is reinforced by the fact that the legal rights of pupils are governed by a private contract, as opposed to rights implemented by the national government. For instance, a pupil seeking admission to a state school that is rejected is legally entitled to appeal, whereas at

11186-467: The privately owned Blenheim House Ladies' School. It was located at London Road (in the building which became the Gladstone Club). The Church Schools Company , instrumental in founding the school, felt that Reading, with its growing population reaching 60,000, was in need of a new school. The school aimed to provide high quality education with a Christian ethos at an affordable price. When founded,

11305-456: The public benefit provided by each registered school charity. Journalist Alex Renton has written about abuse of pupils at boarding schools; The Guardian reported that he says that boarding school are "simply unsafe" and that "he has, he says, a database of more than 800 criminal allegations from former schoolchildren of 300 mainly private boarding schools". He presented an episode of the television programme Exposure , "Boarding Schools,

11424-589: The public. In the Netherlands over two-thirds of state-funded schools operate autonomously, with many of these schools being linked to faith groups. The Programme for International Student Assessment , coordinated by the OECD , ranks the education in the Netherlands as the 9th best in the world as of 2008, being significantly higher than the OECD average. As of April 2014, there were 88 private schools in New Zealand, catering for around 28,000 students or 3.7% of

11543-595: The pupils in the UK private sector . Those schools in England which are members of the affiliated organisations of the ISC are inspected by the Independent Schools Inspectorate under a framework approved by the Government's Department for Education (DfE). Private schools not affiliated to the ISC in England are inspected by Ofsted . Private schools accredited to the ISC in Scotland and Wales and Northern Ireland or others in England out with

11662-442: The quality of education in all independent schools. In Scotland, schools not state -funded are known as independent or private schools. Independent schools may also be specialist or special schools – such as some music schools, Steiner Waldorf Education schools, or special education schools. Scottish independent schools currently educate over 31,000 students and employ approximately 3,500 teachers. Schools are represented by

11781-562: The right to select their students and are funded in whole or in part by charging their students for tuition , rather than relying on taxation through public (government) funding; at some private schools students may be eligible for a scholarship, lowering this tuition fee, dependent on a student's talents or abilities (e.g., sports scholarship, art scholarship, academic scholarship), need for financial aid, or tax credit scholarships that might be available. Roughly one in 10 U.S. families have chosen to enroll their children in private school for

11900-437: The right to set compulsory school fees, and formerly model C schools tend to set much higher school fees than other public schools. In Sweden, pupils are free to choose a private school and the private school gets paid the same amount as municipal schools. Over 10% of Swedish pupils were enrolled in private schools in 2008. Sweden is internationally known for this innovative school voucher model that provides Swedish pupils with

12019-495: The same regime of inspections by Education Scotland as local authority schools and they have to register with the Learning Directorate . The nine largest Scottish private schools, with 1,000 or more pupils, are George Watson's College , Hutcheson's Grammar School , Robert Gordon's College , George Heriot's School , St Aloysius' College , The Glasgow Academy , Dollar Academy , the High School of Glasgow and

12138-404: The same six regional accreditation agencies that accredit public schools . The National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) is a membership organization of American pre-college independent schools. The NAIS provides this definition of an independent school: Independent schools are 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporate entities, independent in governance and finance, meaning: Independence

12257-512: The school had an enrolment of 40 girls, which steadily increased to 120 by 1902. In 1905, the school moved to its current Kendrick Road site. On 16 March 1905 William Methuen Gordon Ducat, the Archdeacon of Berkshire , laid the foundation stone of the school, which featured the inscription, " In aedificationem corporis Christi ". This motto, taken from Ephesians IV:12, can still be seen on the school's crest and promotional t-shirts. The new site

12376-520: The school systems of the British Empire , and recognisably public schools can be found in many Commonwealth countries. Until 1975 there had been a group of 179 academically selective schools drawing on both private and state funding, the direct grant grammar schools . The Direct Grant Grammar Schools (Cessation of Grant) Regulations 1975 required these schools to choose between full state funding as comprehensive schools and full independence. As

12495-470: The school's location, the willingness of parents to pay, peer tuitions, and the school's financial endowment . Some private schools are boarding schools, and many military academies are privately owned or operated as well. Religiously affiliated and denominational schools form a subcategory of private schools. Some such schools teach religious education , together with the usual academic subjects, to impress their particular faith's beliefs and traditions in

12614-574: The spirit of the state system. Francis Green and David Kynaston have written that "among affluent countries, Britain’s private‑school participation is especially exclusive to the rich", and that the "existence in Britain of a flourishing private-school sector not only limits the life chances of those who attend state schools but also damages society at large". Many of the best-known public schools are extremely expensive, and many have entry criteria geared towards those who have been at private "feeder" preparatory schools . The Thatcher government introduced

12733-406: The state-subsidised fee-charging schools are run by a religious order, e.g., the Society of Jesus or Congregation of Christian Brothers , etc. The major private schools being Blackrock College , Clongowes Wood College , Castleknock College , Belvedere College , Gonzaga College and Terenure College . There are also a few fee-charging international schools in Ireland, including a French school,

12852-641: The students who attend. Others use the denomination as a general label to describe what the founders based their belief, while still maintaining a fine distinction between academics and religion. They include parochial schools , a term which is often used to denote Roman Catholic schools. Other religious groups represented in the K–12 private education sector include Protestants, Jews, Muslims, and Orthodox Christians. Many educational alternatives , such as private schools or online schools , are privately financed. Private schools often avoid some state regulations, although in

12971-408: The study could not take into account the effect of a slightly different and more traditional subject mix studied by private students at university on university achievement. Despite these caveats, the paper attracted much press attention. The same study found wide variations between different independent schools, suggesting that students from a few of them were in fact significantly more likely to obtain

13090-529: The two groups. The stand-out finding of the study was that private school students achieved better in obtaining graduate jobs and study, even when student characteristics were allowed for (sex, ethnicity, school type, entry qualifications, area of study). In 2015, the UK press widely reported the outcome of research suggesting that school-leavers from state schools that attained similar A level grades go on to achieve higher undergraduate degree classes than their private school counterparts. The quoted figures, based on

13209-471: The vast majority of schools being under the ownership of private institutions, a large majority of all their costs, including teachers' salaries, are paid for by the Irish state. Of these private schools, only a very small minority actually charge fees. In 2007, 'The number of schools permitted to charge fees represents 7.6% of the 723 post primary level schools and they cater for 7.1% of the total enrolment.' If

13328-511: The very ablest of them are likely to secure the best degrees. In 2013, the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) published a study noting, amongst other things, that a greater percentage of students who had attended a private school prior to university achieved a first or upper second class degree compared with students from state schools. Out of a starting cohort of 24,360 candidates having attended

13447-542: The whole school in 2002. In 2004, Ofsted inspected the Early Years Centre only, that is, from ages 3 to 5. The Good Schools Guide produced a report on the Abbey in 2005. Private schools in the United Kingdom Private schools in the United Kingdom (also called independent schools ) are schools that require fees for admission and enrollment. Some have financial endowments , most are governed by

13566-579: The wider interests of the school. In England and Wales there are no requirements for teaching staff to have Qualified Teacher Status or to be registered with the General Teaching Council. In Scotland a teaching qualification and registration with the General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS) are mandatory for all teaching positions. Private schools are often criticised for being elitist, and seen as lying outside

13685-678: Was a vast improvement on the old site: there were six classrooms, a hall and space for playing fields. The school changed its name to The Abbey School in 1913, after parting from the Church Schools' Company. The name was chosen to commemorate a former Reading school dating from 1835, which was based in the Abbey Gateway . A previous school in the Abbey Gateway operating in the 18th-century, named Reading Ladies’ Boarding School , included Jane Austen among its pupils. The Abbey

13804-710: Was consequently 'modernised' and according to a 2010 report from the Department for Education, private school pupils had "the highest rates of achieving grades A or B in A-level maths and sciences" compared to grammar, specialist and mainstream state schools, and pupils at private schools account for a disproportionate number of the total number of A-levels in maths and sciences. Some parents complain that their rights and their children's are compromised by vague and one-sided contracts which allow Heads to use discretionary powers unfairly, such as in expulsion on non-disciplinary grounds. They believe private schools have not embraced

13923-490: Was founded in 1887, the novelist Jane Austen briefly attended Reading Ladies' Boarding School within the Abbey Gateway , which is commemorated by, and incorporated into, the Abbey School's crest. In 2017, HRH The Countess of Wessex visited the school as part of their 130th anniversary celebrations. The school was founded in 1887 by Francis Paget who later became an oxford bishop, named Reading High School, replacing

14042-477: Was implemented to protect these schools from a second Gleichschaltung or similar event in the future. In Italy education is predominantly public; about one-fifth of schools are private, attended by about one out of 10 Italian schoolchildren. The Italian constitution states that education is to be public, free, and compulsory for at least eight years. In India, private schools are called independent schools, but since some private schools receive financial aid from

14161-538: Was passed in November 2006, charitable status is based on an organisation providing a "public benefit", as judged by the Charity Commission . In 2008, the Charity Commission published guidance, including guidance on public benefit and fee charging, setting out issues to be considered by charities charging high fees that many people could not afford. The Independent Schools Council was granted permission by

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