The term 'private education' tends to conjure up images of £30,000 a year institutions, only accessible to the financial elite. However, there are plenty of schools across the UK that offer top class education for a significantly more manageable price. Academically, most of these schools compete results wise with their more expensive counterparts, as well as offering much the same array of extra-curricular options and sporting prowess. Despite the lower fees, there are still generous bursaries and scholarships available at many of these options, and even two schools from London make the list.
The focus here is on day schools, and all of these come in at under £15,000 annually. This is a list rather than a top 10 countdown, and schools are spread across the country, with a mixture of boys', girls', and co-educational secondary schools.
Nottingham High School
Annual senior day school fees: £12,843
As well as achieving 48.7 per cent A*/A grades at A-level in 2015, Nottingham High also performs well in the science and maths Olympiads, sometimes up to international level. The school is set to admit girls this year for the first time, having been a boys school for over 500 years. There is a large library with a generous budget, and the learning support department is headed by a full-time qualified coordinator. School teams and clubs range from rugby and squash to chess and various musical options. Trips include World Challenge expeditions and year 11/13 students are trained in how to deliver language lessons to reception and year four classes. Money wise, there are both part scholarships not related to parental income, and means tested bursaries up to full fees, in addition to bursaries for trips.
The Maynard School
Annual senior day school fees: £11,718
The Exeter based Maynard School was founded in 1658 but moved in 1882 to its present site next to the city centre, now catering for just under 400 girls. More than 20 subjects are offered at A-level, and 73.9 per cent of A-level grades were A*/A in 2015. The school balances sport and other activities, offering everything from dark rooms for photography to a refurbished gym offering kick-boxing instruction. Pupils come from as far as 50 miles away, and governor assisted bursaries pay a significant percentage of fees for those in need. The Good Schools Guide summarised the school as “academically successful but not at the expense of friendly atmosphere”.
St Benedict’s School
Annual senior day school fees: £14,550
The second London based school on this list, St Benedict’s in Ealing has around 800 pupils, having turned fully co-educational in 2008. The school is not highly selective academically but achieved 66.5 per cent A*-B grades at A-level in 2015, and 52.2 per cent A*/A at GCSE. A recent £6.3 million development has seen the addition of new language labs, and wheelchair access throughout the school means they can accommodate students with severe physical disabilities. The school has been previously ranked as the top rugby school in the country, and tours have included Dubai, Japan and New Zealand. Music is also popular, with a variety of choirs, bands and groups on offer, and three grand pianos to hand. There are multiple students on 100 per cent bursaries, as well as other means tested bursaries and academic scholarships on offer.
The Manchester Grammar School
Annual senior day school fees: £11,730
One of the leading boys' schools in the country, Manchester Grammar offers both A-levels and the International Baccalaureate. A-level grades came in at 70.8 per cent A*/A in 2015 and the IB average was 40 out of a possible 45 in 2014. Facilities include a large sports hall, gym and swimming pool, and the school has had sporting success at national level, particularly in water polo. There are well over a hundred clubs and activities, including robot and film-making options. Trips abroad have included Iceland, China, Peru and Africa and the school offers free mountain activity days every Saturday during term. The bursary fund is in the tens of millions, and supports over 200 families, with additional hardship funds available for trips.
Reading Blue Coat School
Annual senior day school fees: £14,580
This Berkshire based school takes boys from 11 to 18 and girls in the sixth form, totalling over 700 pupils. The IGCSE is used, with 73.8 per cent A*/A grades in 2014, in addition to 45.74 per cent A*/A grades at A-level in 2015. There is a dedicated geology lab thanks to a former teacher’s enthusiasm, and extra-curricular facilities include a new boathouse. Everything from archery and scuba diving to journalism and Young Enterprise is on offer, and many students are involved with the Cadets. There are a number of scholarships available for art, music or academics, and some means tested bursaries available up to 100 per cent of fees; full fees stand at just under £15,000.
George Watson’s College
Annual senior day school fees: £10,983
Based in Edinburgh, George Watson’s College is a large co-educational school, with over 2,000 pupils. Academically the school is highly successful, offering a broad range of International Baccalaureate, Scottish Highers, Advanced Highers and some A-levels, with over 90 per cent going on to higher education. In 2015, 55.4 per cent of A-level results were graded A*/A. The school has a technology centre devoted almost entirely to electronics, up-to-date science labs, and Mandarin Chinese is on offer as a language. Sports wise, the school is famed for its rugby and has a huge choice of over 20 sports clubs, in addition to 80 other clubs and societies. Sir Chris Hoy and former rugby internationals Gavin and Scott Hastings are former pupils. Money wise, pupils may apply for short term financial help at any stage, there are up to 13 academic and music scholarships annually, and a variety of bursaries offer assistance to over 100 pupils.
Bradford Grammar School
Annual senior day school fees: £11,790
This West Yorkshire based co-educational school offers a wide range of A-levels including PE, electronics and Latin, with over 49.6 per cent of A-level grades in 2015 at A*/A. They perform strongly in rugby and netball on a national level, and sports facilities include a competition sized swimming pool. Around a dozen pupils from the school go on to Oxbridge each year, and the Good Schools Guide describes the school as “First-class, academic and outward looking”. Fees are kept low and bursaries are available thanks to Old Bradfordians and corporate benefactors, maintaining the school's social diversity.
St Helen and St Katharine School
Annual senior day school fees: £14,190
Located in Abingdon, as the Good Schools Guide puts it this girls' school ‘takes no prisoners’, with 77.8 per cent of A-level grades being A*/A in 2015 and 93 per cent of I/GCSE results. Some teaching, such as theatre studies, is shared with Abingdon Boys’ School. The school ranked in the top 10 girls' schools for sport this year according to School Sport magazine and for the musically minded there are multiple orchestras, choirs and ensembles to choose between, with the school often staging ambitious music and drama productions. The overall fees are just over £14,000 annually, and there are a few means tested bursaries on offer, as well as some music and academic scholarships.
The Glasgow Academy
Annual senior day school fees: £11,584
This Glasgow based school has 680 boys and girls in the senior school, all following the Scottish school system. In 2015 67.5 per cent of Scottish higher entries gained A grades, and the school has links with Glasgow and Strathclyde universities. The school looks beyond the academic with sixth formers being offered a childcare qualification and home economics forms part of a life skills course. Musical offerings are varied, ranging from harp to drums, and the school can lay claim to many international sportspeople and Olympians. On the money side, there is a comprehensive bursary scheme in place, with the aim being that financial need should not prevent attendance.
King Edward VI High School for Girls
Annual senior day school fees: £11,250
KEYS has over 500 girls in attendance, and has produced outstanding academic results for decades, 75 per cent of students achieving at least AAB with two facilitating subjects in 2014. Facilities include nine science labs, two computer rooms and a high calibre library, in addition to a fitness centre, squash court, and fully kitted out video technology room. The school has a liberal outlook with pupils encouraged to take on responsibility, and very few choose to leave the school after GCSE. There are up to 14 financially assisted places available a year, and other academic scholarships on offer, with the fees themselves coming in around £11,000 annually.
