Private school

Private schools, or independent schools, are schools not administered by local or national government, which retain the right to select their student body and are funded in whole or in part by charging their students tuition rather than with public (state) funds. In the United Kingdom and some other Commonwealth countries the use of the term is generally restricted to primary and secondary educational levels: it is almost never used of universities or other tertiary institutions.

Types of private school in England and Wales

Generally called independent schools because of their freedom to operate outside of government regulation, private schools are favoured by a significant minority of parents because of their frequent achievement of academic standards higher than those of the state sector. Independent primary schools are called preparatory schools, preparing pupils not for admission to a university as in the United States, but to an independent secondary school. Such independent secondary schools are often - somewhat confusingly - called public schools, though this term is primarily used of the older and more prestigious schools, like Eton and Harrow. Many of these schools are boarding schools.

Related Topics:
Preparatory school - University - Secondary school - Public schools - Eton - Harrow

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Due to their ancient foundation, many public schools have a religious character, although this does not generally aim at pupils' religious indoctrination and does not preclude pupils of other faiths attending if they wish. Religion is not as important an aspect in the majority of parents' decision to send their child to an independent school as it is in the United States, due to the requirement of state schools to timetable periods of Christian worship.

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Although the majority of independent schools in England and Wales aim at high academic standards, a small number provide support for those experiencing difficulties in mainstream education.

Related Topics:
England - Wales

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