Former HM Chief Inspector of Schools, Chris Woodhead, talks about the things to consider when choosing an independent school in London and the south-east.

More children are educated in independent schools in London and the south-east than in any other part of the country. Why? Because more parents in the south-east can afford to educate their children privately, but equally, because in London in particular, demand for a good education outstrips supply.

Your guess about the continuing affordability of private education is as good as mine. We may or may not be escaping the recession and those responsible for setting fees in independent schools may or may not have realised that the annual above-inflation hike is unsustainable. What I do know is that demand for private schooling will continue. In the south-east, as in every other region of England, there are some wonderful state schools, but there are not nearly enough of them. If you live within spitting distance of the front gates, you might stand a chance of securing a place in a successful and therefore over-subscribed school. Otherwise, forget it.

The Labour Government would, of course, like us all to believe that the number of failing schools has been reduced, that the Academy and Specialist Schools initiatives have resulted in many more highly effective schools, and that you only have to look at each year’s record GCSE and A level statistics to realise that all is rosy in the world of state education. In real terms we spend two thirds more on education than we did in 1997. As the Public Accounts Committee has pointed out, there has not been a commensurate improvement in educational standards. The truth is that billions of pounds of public money have been poured down the drain and many parents have and will continue to have no option other than to dig deep into their pockets and go private. 

If you wish to read this article in full, you will need to purchase a copy of Which London School?  2009/10

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