What is an Ofsted rating?

An Ofsted rating is the grade given to a school in England following an inspection by Ofsted (Office for Standards in Education). Schools are rated Outstanding, Good, Requires Improvement, or Inadequate based on the quality of education, behaviour, leadership, and early years provision.

How are schools graded by Ofsted?

Ofsted inspectors visit schools and assess four key areas: quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership and management. Each area is graded, and the grades combine into an overall judgement: Outstanding (1), Good (2), Requires Improvement (3), or Inadequate (4).

What is the difference between Outstanding and Good in Ofsted?

An Outstanding school significantly exceeds national expectations across all areas — teaching is consistently excellent, outcomes are high, and leadership is exceptional. A Good school meets the high standards Ofsted expects and provides a strong education. The majority of London schools are rated Good.

How do I find my local school's Ofsted rating?

Use the search on ofsted.london to find any London school by name, postcode, or borough. Each school page shows the current Ofsted rating, the date of the last inspection, and a link to the full inspection report on the Ofsted website.

What does KS2 mean in school data?

KS2 stands for Key Stage 2, which covers Years 3–6 (ages 7–11) in primary school. KS2 results typically refer to the SATs taken at the end of Year 6. The headline measure is the percentage of pupils meeting the expected standard in Reading, Writing, and Maths (RWM).

What does FSM mean for schools?

FSM stands for Free School Meals. The percentage of pupils eligible for free school meals is used as a measure of deprivation. A higher FSM percentage indicates a school serving a more economically disadvantaged community. Schools with high FSM rates and strong Ofsted ratings are often highlighted as 'beating the odds'.

Which London borough has the best Ofsted ratings?

Across London, boroughs such as Richmond upon Thames, Sutton, and Kingston upon Thames consistently have high proportions of Outstanding and Good schools. Inner-city boroughs including Tower Hamlets have made significant improvements and often perform above expectations relative to their levels of deprivation.

How often are schools inspected by Ofsted?

Outstanding schools were historically exempt from routine inspection but new rules introduced in 2023 mean all schools are inspected regularly. Good schools are typically inspected every four to five years. Schools rated Requires Improvement or Inadequate are inspected more frequently — often within one to two years.

Guide · Private schools

London private school fees in 2026: what parents actually pay

Updated July 2026 · 7 min read

Private school fees have gone through their sharpest repricing in a generation. Since January 2025, 20% VAT has applied to tuition and boarding fees, and Independent Schools Council (ISC) figures showed average fees rising by more than a fifth year on year once the tax took effect. For 2025/26, the average UK private day school fee sits at roughly £22,000–£22,500 a year including VAT — and London is the most expensive corner of that market, typically running 20–40% above the national average. Here's what that means in practice for a London family, band by band.

Typical London day fees by age group

StageTypical annual fee (inc. VAT)

Pre-prep / infants (4–7)£15,000 – £25,000

Prep / junior (7–11)£18,000 – £30,000

Senior day (11–16)£22,000 – £36,000

Sixth form day (16–18)£25,000 – £38,000

Boarding (where offered)£45,000 – £60,000+

Indicative ranges for Greater London based on ISC census reporting and published school fee schedules for 2025/26. Individual schools vary — always check the school's own fee page.

Two patterns are worth understanding. Fees step up at each transition — the move from prep to senior school typically adds several thousand pounds a year, and sixth form is the most expensive phase. And within London, the spread is enormous: a small proprietorial prep in outer London might charge under £15,000 a year, while the famous academically selective senior schools now charge in the region of £30,000–£36,000 for day pupils. Boarding, where London schools offer it, generally starts around £45,000 and can exceed £60,000 at the top end.

The VAT effect: what actually changed

When VAT was introduced in January 2025, few schools passed on the full 20%. Most absorbed a slice — typically a few percentage points — so parents saw net increases closer to 15% than 20%. The knock-on effects have been real, though: sector bodies have tracked around a hundred independent school closures nationally since the change, concentrated among smaller schools with thin margins, and the ISC reported a movement of pupils into the state sector in the first year. For London parents, that has two practical implications: financial resilience is now a legitimate question to ask a smaller school before paying a deposit, and demand for the strongest state schools — already fierce — has intensified.

The extras nobody puts on the homepage

Headline tuition is not the whole bill. Registration fees and refundable deposits come first; then uniform (often from a designated supplier), lunches, trips (residential trips at senior schools can run to four figures), individual music tuition, exam entry fees, after-school clubs and wraparound care. A sensible planning assumption is that extras add 10–30% on top of tuition, with the higher end applying to families using more of what the school offers. Over a full 4–18 education, published analyses put the total cost of a day education at roughly a quarter of a million pounds at national-average fees — and comfortably more than double that at a high-end London school once annual fee increases of 4–5% are factored in.

Bursaries, scholarships and other routes in

The sticker price is not what every family pays. Means-tested bursaries are the biggest lever — the larger London schools in particular fund substantial programmes, in some cases covering full fees, and the application is confidential and separate from admissions. Scholarships (academic, music, sport, art) usually carry more prestige than money nowadays, often a modest percentage off fees, but can be combined with a bursary. Sibling discounts, forces discounts, clergy discounts and monthly payment plans are all common. If fees are marginal for your family, ask the admissions office about bursary provision before ruling a school out — the schools with the largest endowments are often the most generous.

Is it worth it? Check the state alternative first

London is unusual: it contains some of the strongest state schools in the country, including selective grammar schools and comprehensives whose results rival the private sector's. Before committing to £250,000-plus over a school career, it's worth an honest look at what's available for free in your borough. Our tools are built for exactly that comparison: browse the London private schools directory, compare it against the state school explorer for your borough, and see which non-selective state schools achieve outstanding results in disadvantaged areas with Beating the Odds. If you're weighing inspection evidence, note that most established private schools are ISI-inspected rather than Ofsted-inspected — our explainer on private schools and Ofsted covers how to read those reports.

Frequently asked questions

How much does private school cost in London per year?

For 2025/26, most London private day schools charge roughly £18,000–£36,000 a year including VAT, depending on the child's age and the school. The national average day fee is around £22,000–£22,500 a year including VAT; London typically runs 20–40% above the national average, with the most selective senior schools charging £30,000–£36,000 for day pupils.

Is VAT now charged on private school fees?

Yes. Since January 2025, 20% VAT applies to private school tuition and boarding fees in the UK. Many schools absorbed part of the cost, so bills typically rose 15–20% rather than the full 20%.

What extras should I budget on top of the headline fee?

Uniform, trips, individual music lessons, exam fees, lunches, wraparound care and registration/deposit charges commonly add 10–30% on top of tuition, depending on the school and how many extras you take up.

Can I get help with private school fees?

Most established schools offer means-tested bursaries — sometimes covering up to 100% of fees — alongside scholarships, sibling discounts and payment plans. Bursary provision is strongest at the larger, wealthier schools.

Fee figures reflect ISC census reporting and published school fee schedules for the 2025/26 year and are indicative, not quotes. Always confirm current fees directly with the school. See our methodology for how this site sources its data.