August 22nd 2024.
It's no secret that private schools in Britain can come with a hefty price tag. Parents are shelling out over £50,000 every year to send their children to these prestigious institutions. When you think of expensive schools, names like Eton and Harrow might come to mind, where we've seen famous figures like Prince William, Boris Johnson, David Cameron, and Benedict Cumberbatch get their education. While these schools do make the top 10, you might be surprised to learn that they aren't actually the most expensive.
In fact, according to the Spear's School Index, which recognizes the top 100 schools in the world, Brighton College currently holds the title for the most expensive private school in the UK. For the 2024/25 academic year, parents can expect to pay a jaw-dropping £18,490 per term, which adds up to a whopping £55,470 per annum. And it's not just Brighton College – all of the top 10 most expensive schools in Great Britain have seen their fees go up for the upcoming academic year.
As students across the UK eagerly await their GCSE results, let's take a closer look at the top 10 most expensive schools and the amount parents are paying to send their little ones there.
Brighton College may have a high price tag, but it has also been named the UK's school of the decade by The Sunday Times. The Independent Schools Guide praised the school for its "progressive outlook" and "excellent headship" under Richard Cairns. However, a place at this school does not come cheap. Boarding students in sixth form will pay £18,490 per term, which adds up to £55,470 per annum. This fee includes tuition, meals, personal accident insurance for pupils, accommodation, laundry, 24-hour medical, pastoral, and security services, as well as supervised study and a variety of activities on evenings and weekends.
But that's not all – there may be additional expenses for students, such as textbooks, extra-curricular activities, exam fees, career guidance, optional trips, and other incidental costs. If students participate in field trips, excursions, or sports tours that incur significant expenses, parents may be asked to pay a deposit in advance. Some notable alumni of Brighton College include artist John Worsley and actress Dakota Blue Richards from The Golden Compass.
Next on the list is Concord College, with an annual fee of £55,200. Founded in 1949, this independent, international school is located in Shropshire within Acton Burnell Hall. With around 580 students from 40 different nations, Concord College has notable alumni such as Emmy-nominated documentary filmmaker Aun Qi Goh and Fehintola Akinlose, Finance Director in the House of Lords. Boarding fees for the 2024/25 academic year are £18,400 per term, which comes out to £55,200 per annum. This includes tuition, accommodation, use of all college facilities, meals, access to clubs and societies, laundry, regular visits to Shrewsbury, residential trips, college celebrations, and boarding house activities.
However, there are additional costs that parents must cover, such as textbooks, stationery, public exam fees, some clubs and societies, pocket money, private academic or instrumental music tuition, additional trips and activities off-campus, and any other trips off-campus. For day students who do not board, fees are slightly lower at £6,400 per term.
Cheltenham Ladies' College, with an annual fee of £54,000, is a highly ranked private school for girls aged 11 to 18. Notable alumni include actresses Kristin Scott Thomas, Tallulah Riley, and Chelsy Davy. In 2023, it was named the Top UK IB independent girls' boarding school by Best Schools, and it has been praised by Tatler for its "forward-thinking" approach. For new boarding students in sixth form, the fee is £18,000 per term, which comes out to £54,000 for the year. For day students, the fee is £11,900 per term, or £35,700 per annum. Existing students and new pupils in the lower school have slightly lower fees of £16,200 per term for boarders and £10,500 for day students. These fees cover education costs such as teaching, essential materials, and many curriculum trips, as well as pastoral care, personal accident insurance, meals, and co-curricular and weekend activities.
But there may be additional charges for external exams, some co-curricular activities, extra coaching, some curriculum trips, educational magazine subscriptions, and optional insurances.
Sevenoaks School, with an annual fee of £53,550, is one of the oldest schools in the UK, founded in 1432. The co-educational boarding and day school has around 1,200 pupils, with standard day fees for sixth formers at £34,896 per year and boarding fees at £53,550. Lower school students pay slightly less, with day fees at £30,729 and boarding fees at £49,359. These fees include lunch on every school day, textbooks and exercise books for all subjects, and music tuition for £36 per 30-minute lesson with a £63 hire charge for instruments per term. Some notable alumni of Sevenoaks School include actor Daniel Day-Lewis and Ted Lasso star Brett Goldstein.
Harrow School, with an annual fee of £53,550, is a boys-only school in north-west London and was founded in 1572. We've seen famous faces like Benedict Cumberbatch, James Blunt, and Richard Curtis get their education here. For the lucky few who can afford it, a place at this prestigious school could shape their son's future. Day fees are £53,550, which includes tuition and lunch every school day. But that's not all – there are additional charges for textbooks, stationery, trips, and activities.
As you can see, sending your child to one of these top private schools in Britain comes at a steep cost. But for many parents, the high fees are worth the quality education and opportunities these schools provide.
As parents, we all want the best for our children, and for some, that means spending a significant amount of money on their education. In fact, some parents are shelling out more than £50,000 a year to send their kids to some of the most prestigious private schools in Britain.
You may think that schools like Eton and Harrow would be the most expensive, considering they are known for educating elites and wealthy figures like Prince William, Boris Johnson, David Cameron, and Benedict Cumberbatch. And while both schools do make the top 10 list, they are surprisingly not the most expensive. In reality, it's Brighton College that holds the title of the most expensive private school in the UK, with a staggering cost of £18,490 per term, equivalent to £55,470 per year for the 2024/25 academic year. This information comes from the Spear's School Index, which ranks the top 100 schools in the world and has narrowed down the top 10 most expensive in Great Britain, all of which have raised their fees for the upcoming academic year.
As students across the UK receive their GCSE results, it's worth taking a closer look at the top 10 and the amount of money parents are paying to send their children there. So, let's dive in and see what these schools have to offer.
First on the list is Brighton College, which has recently been named the school of the decade by The Sunday Times in their Independent Schools Guide. The article praised the school for its progressive outlook and excellent headship of Richard Cairns, stating that it's "one of the hottest tickets in independent education." However, with great prestige comes a hefty price tag. For the 2024/25 school year, sixth form boarding students will pay £18,490 per term, which adds up to a whopping £55,470 per year. This fee includes tuition, meals, personal accident insurance, accommodation, laundry, 24-hour medical, and pastoral and security provisions. It also covers supervised prep and a range of activities during evenings and weekends. But that's not all, as there may be additional expenses for students, such as textbooks, exercise books, extra-curricular activities, examination fees, and optional trips, among others.
Over the years, Brighton College has educated many notable figures, including the artist John Worsley and actress Dakota Blue Richards from The Golden Compass.
Next up is Concord College, located in Shropshire. This independent, international school was founded in 1949 and currently has around 580 students from 40 different nations. Notable alumni include Emmy-nominated documentary filmmaker Aun Qi Goh and Fehintola Akinlose, Finance Director in the House of Lords. For the 2024/25 academic year, boarding fees are set at £18,400 per term, which adds up to £55,200 per year. This cost includes tuition, accommodation, use of all college facilities, meals, and access to most clubs and societies. It also covers laundry, regular visits to Shrewsbury and other places, residential trips, college celebration events, and boarding house activities. However, there are additional expenses that parents have to pay for, such as textbooks, public examination fees, pocket money, and private academic or instrumental music tuition, among others. For day students, the fees are lower at £6,400 per term.
Cheltenham Ladies' College is another top boarding school for girls, consistently ranked as one of the best in the UK. Notable alumni include Kristin Scott Thomas, Tallulah Riley, and Chelsy Davy. In 2023, it was named the top UK IB independent girls' boarding school by Best Schools, and it has been praised by Tatler for its forward-thinking approach. For new boarding students in Sixth Form, the cost is £18,000 per term, which amounts to £54,000 for the year. New sixth formers attending only during the day are charged £11,900 per term, equivalent to £35,700 per year. Existing students and new pupils in the lower school pay slightly less, with boarders paying £16,200 per term and day students paying £10,500. The fees cover most educational expenses, including teaching, essential materials, and textbooks, as well as pastoral care, personal accident insurance, meals, and snacks. However, there may be additional charges for external exams, some co-curricular activities, and extra coaching, among others.
Sevenoaks School, founded in 1432, is one of the oldest in the country. The co-educational boarding and day school has around 1,200 pupils, with standard day fees for sixth formers costing £34,896 a year, and boarding fees being £53,550. Lower school students pay slightly less, with day fees set at £30,729 and boarding fees at £49,359. These fees cover the cost of lunch on every school day, textbooks and exercise books for all subjects, and music tuition at £36 for a 30-minute lesson. There's also a £63 hire charge for musical instruments per term. Notable alumni include actor Daniel Day-Lewis, who boarded at the school for two years, and Ted Lasso star Brett Goldstein.
Last but not least, we have Harrow School, which can be found on top of Harrow-on-the-Hill in North West London. This boys-only school was founded in 1572 and has a long list of notable alumni, including Benedict Cumberbatch, James Blunt, and Richard Curtis. If you want your son to follow in their footsteps, it will cost you £53,550 each year.
In conclusion, these private schools come with a hefty price tag, but for some parents, the investment in their child's education is worth it. From top-notch facilities and amenities to a prestigious education and opportunities for personal growth, these schools offer a lot for their students. However, it's important to note that there may be additional expenses on top of the fees mentioned, so parents should carefully consider their budget before making a decision.
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