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Inspector Reports. All schools are regularly inspected by either
Ofsted or ISI.
Ofsted inspects the educational provision of about half of the schools and reports may be found at
http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/inspection-reports/find-inspection-report.
ISI is a Government approved inspectorate responsible for the inspection of Association
Independent Schools. You
may view their reports at http://www.isi.net/reports/
Inspections are carried out every three years at least.
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Open day impressions. A school visit is essential to gain a
good impression of the school. During an organised open day, parents will see the best of the school, but you
may learn more by requesting to visit the school on a normal school day.
You should talk to pupils and teachers (other than the head) at the school. It is a good idea to see a lesson on an
ad-hoc basis (briefly) and be around during a break.
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Religious Identity. Parents need to consider whether prevailing
religious tradition is important to the child’s education.
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Curriculum. The curricula are set by the schools themselves
and vary considerably. Preparatory schools tend to base the structure of their curricula on the Common Entrance examination.
Some senior schools follow a curricula geared up for the International Baccalaureate qualification. (See the
International Baccalaureate section)
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Facilities. In general the facilities at indpendendent schools
are excellent, but your choice of school may be influenced by what the school has to offer.
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Ethos of the School. Each independent school has a unique
character based on its history, tradition and culture. There is a wide range of choice. Most school websites have
an introduction from their principal which gives a good overview of their ethos.
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Extracurricular activities. Most independent
schools offer a wide range
of extracurricular activities, however you may be influenced by what is on offer at a particular school.
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Cost. An affordable fee is an obvious requirement, but it is a good idea for
parents to look at ways to make the school fees affordable. There are bursaries and scholarships available at many
schools and discounts for siblings and early payment.
It is recommended that parents talk to financial advisers and independent school fee specialists to ascertain what
can be afforded.
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Bursaries and scholarships. A total of 166,643 pupils received
help with their fees in 2013 according to the ISC Census, representing 33.7% of all pupils.
Approximately 85% of financial assistance comes directly from the schools themselves. Means-tested bursaries were
worth an average of £7,619 per pupil per year.
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Single Sex or Co-ed. Parents should weigh up the pros and cons
of co-educational and single-sex education.
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Boarding or Day School. In some family circumstances, boarding
is a necessity, but for others it is an important consideration. Boarding has advantages and disadvantages and
these need to be carefully weighed up. On the one hand children can gain confidence and maturity by living away from home and schools
can offer much outside of formal lessons.
On the other hand, boarding may not suit everybody and may have a detrimental effect.
There are many schools that have weekly boarding where pupils return home at weekends. Many boarding schools have
day options, so it is possible to change the arrangement to suit. There are also summer schools available where
children can gain some initial experience of being away from home.