Private vs State School: Costs, Outcomes and How to Decide
The private vs state school decision is one of the biggest financial and educational choices a family makes, and it is usually argued in the wrong terms. It is not really a contest between two sectors. It is a choice between the specific schools your child could actually attend, weighed against a cost that now runs to tens of thousands of pounds a year per child. This guide sets out the real numbers on fees, class sizes and results, then gives you a practical way to decide, one that starts with the individual schools rather than the label.
What private school actually costs
The headline number has moved sharply. The Independent Schools Council recorded an average day school fee of £7,382 per term in January 2025, a figure that now includes 20 percent VAT. That is roughly £22,000 a year for a single day place, and boarding costs considerably more. Multiply by two or three children, and the sum a family needs to find after tax becomes the dominant fact of the decision.
Two recent changes matter. From 1 January 2025 the long-standing VAT exemption on private school fees was removed, so 20 percent VAT now applies. Many schools reduced their underlying fees to soften the blow, so parents did not always face the full increase, but fees rose overall. Fees also vary widely by region, with London and the South East well above the national average and parts of the North and Wales below it.
Against that, most independent schools offer help. Means-tested bursaries can cover a substantial share of fees for lower-income families, and scholarships reward academic, musical, sporting or artistic ability. Around a third of pupils at ISC schools receive some form of fee assistance, so it is worth applying and asking directly rather than assuming a school is out of reach.
Class sizes and facilities
This is where the clearest practical difference lies. Independent schools commonly run classes well under 15 and maintain low pupil-to-teacher ratios, which means more individual attention and easier setting by ability. State primary infant classes are capped by law at 30, and state secondary classes commonly sit in the low to mid twenties.
Private schools also tend to offer more in the way of facilities and breadth: sports grounds, music and drama provision, smaller sixth forms with wide subject choice, and a longer school day with extensive extra-curricular activities built in. Well-resourced state schools can match much of this, but on average the gap in facilities and class size is real and is what many families are actually paying for.
Do private schools get better results?
On raw exam results, yes: independent schools average higher GCSE and A level grades. But raw results are the wrong measure, because they say as much about who attends as about the teaching. Private schools take a more advantaged intake, and many select academically at entry, so their pupils tend to start ahead.
The fairer question is progress: how far a school moves a child from where they started. Once prior attainment and family background are taken into account, the gap between the sectors narrows considerably. A smaller advantage remains at many private schools, and there is evidence of a modest lasting benefit for some pupils, but it is far smaller than the raw league-table difference suggests. The honest conclusion is that a strong school of either type can produce an excellent outcome for a particular child, and that a weak private school is not worth its fees.
The things fees do not buy, and the things they do
It helps to separate what money reliably changes from what it does not. Fees reliably buy smaller classes, more facilities, a longer and more structured day, and a peer group that is, on average, more advantaged. They do not reliably buy a better teacher for your particular child, a happier child, or a better result than a good local state school would have produced. Some children thrive on the structure and attention of a small private school; others do just as well, and make broader friendships, in a large comprehensive.
A practical way to decide
Rather than debating the sectors, compare the actual options in front of you.
- List the schools you can realistically access. For state schools that means the ones you are likely to be offered given catchment and admission rules; for private schools, the ones you could afford across all the years, not just the first.
- Visit them and compare like for like. Look at results, inspection history, staff stability, pastoral care and the feel of the place on a normal day. Our guide to comparing schools sets out what to weigh, and reading an Ofsted report explains how to read the state-sector inspections.
- Cost the full journey, honestly. Model the fees, with VAT, across every year and every child, including likely increases, and be sure the plan survives a change in income. Committing and then withdrawing mid-way is disruptive for a child.
- Match the school to the child. A shy child who needs attention, a specialist musician, or a child who has struggled in a large setting may gain most from a small school. A confident, sociable child may lose little by staying in a good state school and gain a great deal financially.
Frame the decision as this child, these schools, this budget. That produces a better answer than any general argument about private versus state ever will.
The bottom line
Private school buys smaller classes, more facilities and a more advantaged peer group, at a cost that has risen with the addition of VAT. It does not buy a guaranteed better outcome, because the raw results gap is largely explained by intake rather than teaching. For families who can comfortably afford it and have a child who suits the setting, a strong independent school is a reasonable choice. For most, an excellent local state school offers a comparable education and leaves the money for other things. Judge the individual schools, not the sectors.
You can check any state school's type, size and performance on the government's school performance tables, and the sector fee data comes from the Independent Schools Council census. For more on choosing well, start from the Schools Insight homepage.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does private school cost in the UK?
The ISC Census recorded an average day school fee of £7,382 per term in January 2025, including the 20 percent VAT that now applies, which works out at roughly £22,000 a year for a single day place. Boarding costs considerably more, and fees vary widely by region and by school, with London and the South East at the top end.
Is private school actually worth it?
It depends on the individual schools you are choosing between, not on private versus state in the abstract. Private schools tend to offer smaller classes, more facilities and more extra-curricular breadth, but a strong state school can match the academic outcome for a particular child at no cost. Compare the specific schools you can realistically access rather than the two sectors as a whole.
Do private schools get better exam results?
On raw results, yes, private schools average higher grades. But a large part of that gap reflects who attends: independent schools take a more advantaged, often academically selected intake. Once prior attainment and background are accounted for, the difference in progress narrows considerably, though a smaller advantage remains at many schools.
Are class sizes smaller at private schools?
Generally yes. Independent schools commonly run classes well under 15 and have low pupil-to-teacher ratios. State primary infant classes are legally capped at 30, and state secondary classes commonly sit in the low to mid twenties. Smaller classes are one of the clearest practical differences between the sectors.
Can you get financial help with private school fees?
Yes. Many independent schools offer means-tested bursaries, which can cover a large share of fees for lower-income families, and academic, music, sport or art scholarships. A third of pupils at ISC schools receive some fee assistance. It is worth applying and asking directly rather than assuming a school is unaffordable.
Does VAT now apply to private school fees?
Yes. From 1 January 2025 the VAT exemption on private school fees was removed, so 20 percent VAT now applies. Many schools cut their underlying fees to soften the effect, so parents did not always face the full 20 percent increase, but fees still rose overall and this is a real change to the cost of the private route.