40 . Glasgow Business October 2016
INDEPENDENTS THE DAYS OF
St Columba’s in Kilmacolm takes
children from pre-primary at the age of about three right through to 18
Scotland’s fee-paying schools sector is buoyant and still attractive to many parents T
here is one really valuable and lifelong giſt we can give to our children: a good
education. Tis builds confidence, encourages teamwork and leadership and fosters a sense of community. And through good exam outcomes, it paves the way for pupils to go on to university and a worthwhile and rewarding career. How, though, do you maximise
your children’s chance of achievement? Tere is no doubt that the independent sector consistently achieves excellent results, both academic and by helping in the formation of rounded, mature young adults ready to take on the world. Scotland’s independent schools
continue to be highly popular with parents who are prepared to invest in a top-class education for their offspring. And it’s a broad demographic, ranging from families on lower incomes claiming
bursaries or making sacrifices to pay the fees through to overseas students boarding in some of the country’s most famous and historic institutions. Tere are more than 30,000
children – that’s 4.3 per cent of the total – in 102 independent schools across the country. Nearly nine in 10 of their pupils go on to higher education, with more than 92 per cent of the total achieving A-C passes at Higher level. More than half gained As. By any standards, these are
impressive figures. Scotland’s independent sector is highly successful, but it works hard to ensure it is not elitist. More than a quarter of pupils receive some sort of financial assistance to help
with their fees, and educational establishments which are members of the Scotish Council of Independent Schools (SCIS) collectively provide at least £47 million a year by way of assistance. John Edward, who is Director
of SCIS, points out that in some parts of the country, such as Edinburgh, one in three children goes to an independent school. In Glasgow, which does not have quite the same strong culture of sending youngsters to fee-paying institutions, it is 8.6 per cent of the overall city school population, or 13.6 per cent at secondary level. “In Edinburgh, you have a real
mix – the old merchant schools, those such as Fetes providing a Victorian classical education,
and some which only became independent in the 1970s. But there are also thousands of pupils in our schools in Glasgow too – it’s just that you don’t see them as much, as they’re absorbed into a bigger city.” Parents with lower incomes
may be able to get help with fees. If you have to pay the full amount, it’s not cheap, with the average cost for a day pupil over a year being £11,310. However, the UK-wide figure is closer to £15,500, so Scotish schools appear to be significantly cheaper than those south of the border. So what do parents – and
indeed children – get for their money? John Edwards says that the independent sector is
“They want their youngsters to emerge with experiences in areas such as outdoor education, music, sport and debating alongside a high standard of teaching and attention to the individual“
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