Most parents want their children to have access to the very best education. But for many, hopes of sending their children to private school may seem out of reach.
Parents whose children were enrolled in private school at reception age – four years old – in 2025 can expect to spend £377,000 on fees by the time they complete their A-levels.
That rises to a colossal £763,000 for boarding school, according to research by Weatherbys Private Bank.
And last year, VAT was added to school fees for the first time – pushing the cost of private education further out of reach for many.
Average day school fees are now £19,000 a year, and for boarders it’s £50,000, according to the Independent Schools Council (ISC).
But there are ways to reduce the cost or even attend for free.
Hitting the books: Some 34.5% of pupils receive help to attend private school
Fee help totals more than £1billion
Some 183,487 children receive help with fees – about 34.5 per cent of all pupils – says the ISC, which represents 1,400 institutions in the UK and overseas.
\This help totalled £1.5 billion last year, an increase of 11.4 per cent from 2024.
The majority (48.5 per cent of bursaries and 75.8 per cent of scholarships) are for between 1 per cent and 50 per cent of fees.
Scholarships are awarded for excellence in a particular area such as sport, music, performing arts or academia.
Do the research and you can find scholarships in everything from chess to physics, and tennis to sailing
The application process will vary between schools but may involve an entry exam, specialised assessment, interview, essay or providing a portfolio of work.
Bursaries, which account for almost half of all help given, are usually means-tested.
Melanie Sanderson, managing editor of the Good Schools Guide, says: ‘Bursaries are given to children who meet the school’s academic standards but do not have the family finances to pay for a place.
‘Many private schools are charities, so are obligated to extend their provision to children who merit places but whose parents cannot afford the fees.’
While bursaries are not awarded based on academic excellence, children will usually still sit an entrance exam.
An investigation by the school bursar or an external auditor will include checking family income, outgoings and other financial commitments, such as paying for care for an elderly relative.
Sanderson says: ‘Some schools publish their family income threshold, below which they may consider an applicant for a means-tested bursary, but most keep the exact figure under their hat.’
What family income qualifies you for assistance?
The income threshold may be far higher than you would expect.
St Paul’s School in London, for example, says families with combined earnings below £144,000 may be able to get some kind of bursary, so long as they have net assets worth less than £1.6 million.
Families with a gross total income below £78,000 may be eligible for an award of 100 per cent of fees.
Harry Godfrey, co-founder of The Degree Gap, says: ‘One point that often surprises parents is that many independent schools do not operate a strict salary cut-off when assessing bursary support.
‘Eligibility is usually considered as a whole picture, taking into account factors such as housing costs, number of dependants, assets and regional cost of living.
In higher-cost areas such as London, families with professional incomes sometimes assume that support is not available to them.
‘But, in practice, schools may still be open to discussions around bursary assistance or fee support, particularly where the cost of living is very high.’
Some 16.8 per cent of bursaries awarded cover 100 per cent of fees, and 2.8 per cent cover more than 100 per cent, where help is needed with extras such as uniform, transport or trips.
Extra help: Some scholarships and bursaries cover more than 100% of the school’s fees, giving parents money on top to pay for things like school trips and uniforms
For scholarships, 6.5 per cent cover 100 per cent of fees, and 3.9 per cent cover more than 100 per cent.
But Sanderson warns parents should not bank on receiving a full award. There may be other ways to get fees reduced though.
Some schools offer discounts to children of clergy, doctors or single parents.
Those with parents in the Armed Forces are usually able to get a reduction, and there may be a discount for children with a sibling who already attends the school.
The Licensed Victuallers School in Ascot offers discounts to children with parents working in the drinks trade, while the Royal Hospital School in Suffolk does the same for the children of seafarers.
Sanderson says: ‘Specialist interests are also supported. Do the research and you can find scholarships in everything from chess to physics, and tennis to sailing.’
The Government funds some places for those talented in the performing arts through the Music and Dance Scheme, and there are choral scholarships available at specific choir schools. Children whose parents work at a school will usually be eligible for a staff discount.
Start early in doing your research on what help might be available.
Edmund Matyjaszek, from Priory School of Our Lady of Walsingham in the Isle of Wight, says: ‘Numbers at most schools have gone down recently, so parents may have more bargaining power than they think.’
- Use the ISC School Search to find scholarships, bursaries and others at isc.co.uk/schools/. The Educational Grants Advice Service can help you find grants at educational-grants.org.
