With the imposition of VAT on school fees, many parents are taking stock as to whether the choice they had made for their child is still worth it, given the extra toll that it will take on their finances. The vast majority of independent school fee paying parents are not awash with cash. Instead, they are dual income families where careful calculations have been done and sacrifices and compromises made, to ensure that they can manage the fees. They have chosen to invest in independent education instead of buying a holiday home or a second car, but now, they are having to revisit this choice and question its worth.

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As Principal of Framlingham College, I know that independent school education is absolutely the right choice to make if you have the financial capacity to do so. And yes, the sacrifice and compromise are worth it. Never has it been so imperative for independent schools to shout about the good that they do and the tangible and intangible impact that they have on young people and their wider community. As our future leaders, we must invest and there is no better investment to make in the future than in your child’s education.

But what is it that makes independent education worth it? Independent schools ensure the time, resource and expertise to develop each child as an individual. At Framlingham, we know each child well from the systems in place that allow us to do so. Around each child there is a scaffold of support, from Housemaster/Mistress to tutor, from the medical team and our counsellors to the chaplain, from the teachers in the classroom to the coaches on the sports field. House structures lend themselves to a close relationship with House staff. The tutor system means that each child is known and understood. Our staff are genuinely interested in each young person, their individual character, personality, hopes, dreams and ambitions. It is these close relationships and the subsequent understanding of each child that brings reassurance to parents, who are often busy in their professional lives, to ensure the best possible start for their child in a world which is increasingly complex and demanding.

Making sure that young people understand both their place in the world and their responsibility towards their wider community is central to an independent school education. ”
Louise North, Principal

A happy child will thrive, so creating an environment where a child feels safe, supported and nurtured is paramount. In independent schools, pastoral care comes top of the list. Young people have always needed guidance and support as they navigate their way through the choppy waters of adolescence, but never more so than today. Independent education teaches young people to be kind to themselves and to others, and the rhythm of an independent school week, particularly in a boarding school, allows them time to take the lid off the pressure cooker. Wellbeing sessions and mindfulness, are weaved into the week to encourage young people to take time to reflect, find ways to relax and be calm. These are not added extras, rather they play an integral part in any young person’s education.

Developing a love of learning, intellectual curiosity and a spirit of enquiry in every child is central to independent education. Independent education allows more flexibility and creativity in the academic curriculum, and focus is placed on deepening knowledge alongside the development of skills. There is a freedom to pursue additional qualifications such as HPQ and EPQ, Dele and Delf, alongside the core curriculum. Space and time can be given to this in a boarding environment where the days are longer, and the pace is less frenetic. Academic achievement and flourishing come as a result of this supportive, inspiring and aspirational environment. I would go as far as to say it is a byproduct of the outstanding educational provision, rather than the goal in itself.

Instead, the priority for independent schools is to develop good human beings, capable of embracing the uncertainty that lies ahead without fear and with confidence. This confidence develops over time, and it is important to say that it is confidence, not arrogance, that our young people possess when they leave. Discovering things about themselves through the vast co-curricular offering in an independent school is essential to their learning. As well as team sport, drama productions, and musical ensembles, independent schools like Framlingham give young people the chance to learn about sustainability, beekeeping, how to knit, play chess, fly drones, and robotics. . Leadership, teamwork, collaboration and effective communication are all skills developed through their experiences on Duke of Edinburgh award expeditions and night exercises with the Combined Cadet Force. Co-curricular activities play a formative part in the development of each young person and independent education recognises the value in learning both within and beyond the classroom.

Making sure that young people understand both their place in the world and their responsibility towards their wider community is central to an independent school education. Working with and for the community through volunteering is the norm for young people in independent schools. Giving time to others is part of our school community ethos and contributes in so many ways to the development and growth of each young person. Partnerships between independent and state schools are thriving, and it is crucial that the momentum that we are seeing continues because partnerships are the key to improving the educational experience of so many young people.

Resilience, grit, toughmindedness, whatever you call it, we all know that young people need it to survive and thrive in their adult world. Independent education builds this by offering challenges, encouraging young people to step beyond their comfort zone. The growth mindset of those who teach in independent schools opens possibilities to the pupils and allows them to discover themselves both through through failure and through success.

Independent education is a choice that parents make, and schools take seriously to deliver the high-quality product that parents are paying for. Framlingham delivers an exceptional, forward thinking, relevant and dynamic education and the imposition of VAT will not change this. In fact, in the face of such opposition to our educational ethos and values, our commitment to the young people in our school simply strengthens.

Independent education should not be misrepresented as an unnecessary extravagance or indulgence of the super-rich. Rather, it is a choice that hard-working parents are making because in doing so, they are investing in the single most important thing in their lives: their child.