Private, Grammar and State Secondary School - What’s The Difference?

As we enter the new year, there will be many parents of Year 5 children who are beginning the process of trying to select a secondary school for their child. Before anyone begins panicking, the forms don’t have to be completed until the end of October (nine and a half months away at the time of writing), so there’s plenty of time before decisions need to be made.

You may be aware that there are three main types of secondary school available in England and Wales: private/independent (I’ll mostly refer to these as just private schools), grammar and state secondary schools (although there are currently no grammar schools in Wales). Yet it is not always made very clear what these terms actually mean, and I am frequently asked by parents what the difference is between them. So, in this blog post, I shall aim to clear up some ambiguity and provide a clear distinction between them.

I have broken this down into four sections, so feel free to read those which apply the most to you. They are:

• Private/Independent schools

• State secondary schools

• Grammar schools

• How do I choose the right school for my child?

Private/Independent schools (also known as public schools - nerdy explanation as to why available at the end of this blog) - these are schools which are funded by parents having to pay for their child to attend. These fees vary from school to school, however research suggests the average is around £17,000 per year (around £5,700 per term). There are scholarships and bursaries available at most private schools, however most do not reduce the cost by very much. A small number across the county do provide full scholarships, but these are fiercely competitive and incredibly difficult to be offered. Prospective children also take an entrance exam before being offered a place, however it is not as challenging at the grammar school 11+ exam (see below).

With parents paying such large sums of money, it comes as no surprise that these schools provide a huge range of opportunities for their pupils, including having access to some of the best classroom equipment and facilities. Many include state-of-the-art sports complexes (including gyms, swimming pools, football and rugby pitches etc.), several computer suites with the latest computers/tablets, art studios, theatres for drama productions, libraries, science labs and so on. In short, the vast amount of money these schools receive mean they have access to equipment and facilities that state secondary schools can only dream about.

Obviously, parents at such schools demand the highest standard of teaching for their children, and academic performance at these schools is normally very high. Private schools can afford to pay for some of the most qualified and highly-skilled teachers in the country, with many having advanced degrees and years (sometimes decades) of teaching experience. It is therefore no surprise that a vast majority of private school pupils attend university after their final year, with many going to some of the top universities in the country.

The consequence of this high demand of academic success is that children’s workload is often much greater than at state schools. Pupils are given (on average) more homework than pupils at state schools, and are required to sit end-of-year exams at the end of every academic year. There are still exams at the end of Year 11 and Sixth Form, but private schools do not have to administer GCSE and A-Levels like state schools. Instead, the pupils sit alternative exams (such as the International GCSE) which are seen as the same level as the state school equivalent.

State secondary schools - these are “normal” secondary schools in England and Wales. They are entirely funded by the government and controlled by the Department for Education. They are known as inclusive schools, meaning they are available to everyone living within the school’s catchment (local) area. This means they are free to attend, and no entrance exam is required.

State schools follow the National Curriculum, and children sit exams at specific times of their school life: the GCSEs at the end of Year 11, and the A-Levels at the end of Sixth Form (assuming children have continued their studies after their GCSEs). Children are still set regular homework in each year group, but it is normally not as much as those attending private or grammar school.

As state schools receive their funding from the government, they are not normally as well equipped as private or grammar schools. However, some schools still boast excellent facilities which they have funded through specialist grants or additional funding. Many now have a range of sporting facilities, including all-weather pitches, gyms and sports halls. Others have specialised in their science labs, whereas some may have excellent art, music and drama facilities.

In terms of academic performance, whilst it is true that pupils at private or grammar schools get better results on average, there are many state schools which still boast very high academic achievement. Indeed, there are several in Warwickshire which get such good results that many parents in the catchment area do not consider private or grammar school for their children. As state schools are monitored by OFSTED, you can search online for any school’s latest inspection report (or latest GCSE/A-Level results) to get an indication of what the standard of education is like at that school. Most (if not all) state schools have outstanding teachers working within them, and there is a greater provision for children with special educational needs and those requiring specialist pastoral care.

Grammar schools - these schools are a mixture of private and state schools. They are still funded by the government (meaning they are still free to attend) and follow the GCSE and A-Level system, however they are selective, meaning children have to pass an entrance exam to be offered a place. This exam is called the 11+, and is notorious for being one of the most difficult exams taken by children in the whole country. As there are so few grammar school places, this test is designed to help schools find the most academic pupils in the local area. In Warwickshire alone, only 1 in 6 pupils who take the 11+ are offered a grammar school place (roughly 16.67%).

More information on the 11+ test is available in our other blogs and videos on our Facebook page and our website.

With these schools only admitting the most academic pupils, it is no surprise that the standard of education at these schools is incredibly high. Like at private school, there is a demand from parents for their children to achieve the best GCSE and A-Level results, so there is an increased workload on children compared to state school. Many grammar schools administer end-of -year exams, as well as setting more homework for their pupils.

Due to the ability of their pupils, grammar schools attract many teachers with additional qualifications and those with specialist skills and subject knowledge. With a greater focus on the “academic” subjects, these schools can offer more specialised teaching in English, maths, science and history, as well as providing teaching of greater range of foreign languages, and more classical subjects such as Latin.

However, as these schools are still funded by the government, they do not boast the same level of facilities as private schools. Some grammar schools are given charitable donations by former pupils, but most have similar funding to state schools. Despite this, grammar schools are still very popular with some parents as they are seen as an opportunity for children to receive a very high level of education without having to pay the fees of a private school.

How do I choose the right school for my child?

Even if you are fortunate enough to have all three options available to you, my advice would be the same as what I would tell a parent trying to choose between three state schools. I would highly recommend going to have a look around any school you are thinking of applying to twice. The first time, attend the school’s open day/evening. This is the school’s opportunity of putting on a show for prospective parents, and it does let you see the best features the school can offer. It allows you to speak to teachers, walk around the school, see their facilities and basically give you an idea of whether you actually like the school.

Then, perhaps a couple of weeks later, I would contact the school and ask if you could be given a brief guided tour of the school during the school day. This will give you an indication of what the school is like on a daily basis, and allow you to see and hear things you wouldn’t experience on an open school event. Are the majority of children focused on their work? How do they move around the school? Do they interact with each other and the adults in a positive way? How do the teachers seem in the classroom? Do you think your child would fit into this environment?

If any school denies you this opportunity, then I would be asking why. Most schools would be delighted to show prospective parents round. Even if it is a very busy or an unsuitable time of the year, they could easily arrange a date with you for a few weeks in advance for a time which is more convenient. Any school which flatly refuses to offer you a tour during the day at any time of the year would concern me - what is it that they don’t want you to see?

I hope this has been useful, and if you have any further questions about secondary schools, please get in touch and I’d be delighted to help you!

Nerdy explanation: in the UK, the term “public school” refers to a private school. The origin of this is that most schools in medieval England were only open to those children who met a specific criteria, such as belonging to a certain religion, or whose father belonged to a certain guild. When the first “public schools” opened in England, they were available to anyone in the public who could afford to pay the fees.