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Private schools in the United Kingdom

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Public school, in current English usage, is a label applied to many independent schools, usually teaching children between the ages of 11 or 13 and 18. It is traditionally a single-sex boarding school, although many now accept day pupils and are coeducational. The majority date back to the 18th or 19th centuries, and several are over 400 years old. By contrast, a government-maintained school, where instruction is provided free of charge, is called a local authority school or a state school (although not run directly by the state).

Calling such schools "public" can sometimes surprise people from the rest of the English-speaking world (Australia, New Zealand, Canada, the United States, and so forth), who would expect such a name to imply public financial support. Indeed, in several of those countries "public school" is the usual name for what the English would call a "state school". Schools supported by private money are in those countries often called "private schools".

Usage in Scotland varies: "public school" frequently means "state school"; but it is used of English public schools, or, occasionally, of certain Scottish schools, such as Gordonstoun and Fettes (although they are properly referred to as "independent schools"). Calling a Scottish private school a "public school" can, as in England, be pejorative, implying "pretentious" or "posh". Both of these lead most Scots to avoid the term altogether, and speak of "state schools" (or "council schools") and "private" (or, more formally "independent") "schools".

The English usage dates to an era before the development of widespread national state-sponsored education in England and Wales, though Scotland had early universal provision of education, through the Church of Scotland, and the Scottish education system remains separate and different from the system covering England and Wales. Some schools (often called "grammar schools") were sponsored by towns or villages or by guilds; others by cathedrals for their choir. "Private schools" were owned and operated by their headmasters, to their own profit or loss, and often in their own houses. "Public schools" often drew students from across the country to board; in the 19th-century golden era of public schools, children from upper-class families typically began their education with home tutoring or as a day student at a local private school (what would today be called a preparatory school), and then went off to board at a public school once old enough.

The term can be traced to the middle ages, an era when most education was accomplished by private tutoring or monasteries. Public schools, by contrast, were independent charities, often offering free education. As time passed, such schools expanded greatly in size to include many fee-paying students alongside a few scholars, until they aquired their upper-class connotations. By the late 19th century, public schools were characterized not so much by the way the schools were governed or the students educated as by a very specific ethos of student life often celebrated or parodied in the novels of the day.

Today most fee-charging schools in England and Wales prefer to refer to themselves as "independent schools", whether or not they ever were referred to as "public schools".

Origins of public schools

Some public schools are particularly old, such as Westminster (founded 1179), Eton (1440), St Paul's (1509), and Winchester (1382), this last of which has maintained the longest unbroken history of any school in England. These were often established for male scholars from poor or disadvantaged backgrounds. The educational reforms were particularly important under Arnold at Rugby, and Butler and later Kennedy at Shrewsbury, emphasizing the importance of scholarship and competitive examinations.

Most public schools, however, developed during the 18th and 19th centuries, and came to play an important role in the development of the Victorian social elite. Under a number of forward-looking headmasters leading public schools created a curriculum based heavily on classics and physical activity for boys and young men of the upper and upper middle classes.

They were schools for the gentlemanly elite of Victorian politics, armed forces and colonial government. Often successful businessmen would send their sons to a public school as a mark of participation in the elite. Much of the discipline was (and is) in the hands of senior pupils (usually known as prefects), which was not just a means to reduce staffing costs, but was also seen as vital preparation for those pupils' later rôles in public or military service.

To an extent, the public school system influenced the school systems of the British empire, and recognisably 'public' schools can be found in many Commonwealth countries. Many prep schools in the United States (such as Groton School) are also recognisably "public" in the British sense.

Differing definitions

For a fuller listing of public and other independent schools in Britain, see List of UK Independent Schools.

The head teachers of major British independent boys' and mixed schools belong to the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference (HMC), and a common definition of a public school is any school whose head teacher is a member of the HMC. However some do not consider every HMC school to be a typical public school, and thus other definitions are sometimes employed. Nor does this definition include any girls' schools; it is debatable as to whether girls' schools can be considered to be public schools. Public schools are often divided into "major" and "minor" public schools, but these are not official definitions and the inclusion of a school in one or the other group is purely subjective (although a select few would be included in any list of "major" schools).

Prior to the Clarendon Commission, a Royal Commission that investigated the public school system in England between 1861 and 1864, there was no clear definition of a public school. The commission investigated nine of the more established schools: two day schools (Merchant Taylors' and St Paul's) and seven boarding schools (Charterhouse, Eton, Harrow, Rugby, Shrewsbury, Westminster and Winchester). A report published by the commission formed the basis of the Public Schools Act 1868. These nine are sometimes cited as the only public schools, albeit mainly by those who attended them.

Some suggest that only particularly old independent schools should be afforded the dignity of "public school". Amongst the oldest independent schools in the UK are (chronologically):

The Public Schools Yearbook published in 1889 named the following 25 boarding schools:

However, it notably omitted the Merchant Taylors' and St Paul's day schools that had been listed in the Act. It also omitted others, including Highgate School as well as the City of London School, another day school, which derived from a mediæval foundation of 1442, was reconstituted by a private Act of Parliament in 1835, and was held to be a public school by the Divisional Court in the case of Blake vs. City of London in 1886.

It is often thought unsatisfactory that the designation of a "public school" is given primarily to old boarding schools. University College School, founded in 1830 as part of University College London, was unique in that it neither took boarders nor gave religious education; indeed, by not limiting its intake to a specific religious denomination, it gained the claim of being the first truly "public" school, open to all. By 1880, it was undoubtably clear, by both the school's reputation and its list of alumni, that it was a major public school; by 1907, it was important enough for the King, accompanied by the Archbishop of Canterbury, to open the school's new site in Hampstead. Similarly, King's College School, Wimbledon, founded by King's College London, quickly became a top school. Both are now members of the exclusive Eton Group of public schools.

Perhaps the best way to tell if a school is a "Grand Public School" in modern times is to check an edition of Who's Who. The headmasters of many of the most prestigious schools have an entry there by virtue of their position.

Criticisms

While, under the best circumstances, these schools were superb examples of education, the reliance on corporal punishment and the prefect system could also make them a cruel and hostile environment.

The classics-based curriculum was also criticised for not providing skills in sciences or engineering. It was Martin Wiener's opposition to this tendency which inspired his 1981 polemic "English Culture and the Decline of the Industrial Spirit: 1850-1980". It became a huge influence on the Thatcher government's opposition to old-school gentlemanly Toryism.

The Thatcher government introduced the Assisted Places scheme in 1980 (in England and Wales: Scotland is covered by separate legislation, and the remainder or this paragraph does not apply to Scotland), whereby the state paid the school fees of those students capable of gaining a place but unable to afford the fees. This was essentially a response to the decision of the previous Labour government in the mid-1970s to remove government funding of direct-grant grammar schools, most of which then became private schools; many Assisted Places students went to the former direct-grant schools such as Manchester Grammar School. The scheme was axed by the Labour government in 1997, since when the private sector has moved to organise various means-tested bursaries of its own.

In the past, it was Labour Party policy to remove charitable status from independent schools. Although this policy has been dropped, there is presently some debate, emanating from Labour circles, as to whether independent schools deserve their charitable status – a tax break which, some critics argue, amounts to a government subsidy for the privileged. Independent schools argue that they are charitable and educational foundations which do not seek profits; many schools raise money for charities, encourage their pupils to take up community service, and lease their facilities to the public.

Public schools in modern Britain

Today most public schools are highly selective on academic grounds, as well as financial grounds (parents' ability to pay the high fees, up to £23,000 – c. US$40,000 – p.a. for boarding pupils). Many parents make immense sacrifices to be able to send their children to these schools because there is a continuing belief that the education is not only academically beneficial but can also offer social advantages. Many politicians of all parties, including Prime Minister Tony Blair (Fettes), are products of private schools.

Defining a British public school has always been complex. Many recently founded fee-charging schools in the UK do not refer to themselves as 'public schools', preferring the term 'independent school'. This may be because they do not share the centuries of tradition associated with the older public schools.

Public school language

The following list includes some terms peculiar to, originating from or commonly used in public schools in the UK:

Term Meaning School
ABROAD Out of the sick room. Winchester
BAD EGG A nasty and unpleasant person. —
BARGE YARD An outside area in a boarding house with a covering net and fences to play games. Sherborne
BEAK Teacher or tutor. Harrow, Eton, etc.
BEARDS! An exclamation of surprise. The Leys School
BEDDER A bedmaker and cleaner. Also used in Cambridge University
BEEF(CHOP) To not do or not care about something when having an ability to do so Shrewsbury
BIBBLING Six strokes of the cane Winchester
BOK One / school site Perse School, Cambridge
BRUSHING Flogging. Christ's Hospital
CHINNER Wide grin Winchester
CLIPE To tell tales. —
CORPS Combined Cadet Force (formerly Junior Division of the Officers Training Corps) —
COXY Conceited —
EXECUTION Flogging by the Head Master with a birchrod. Eton
FAG A junior boy who acts as servant for a sixth-former. Obsolete
FOUNDATION YEAR The first year (pupils usually aged 13-14). Malvern College
GOD A prefect or sixth former. Eton
GOOD EGG A trustworthy or reliable person (later inversion of BAD EGG). —
HALL Homework. Malvern College, Sherborne
HUNDRED The academic year in which pupils take their GCSEs. Malvern College, Marlborough
MAJOR Such as Smith Major, the elder brother. —
MAXIMUS Such as Smith Maximus, the eldest brother (of three or more). —
MINIMUS Such as Smith Minimus, the youngest brother (of three or more). —
MINOR Such as Smith Minor, the younger brother. —
MONITOR Prefect. Bedford, Bolton, Harrow, Westminster
MUCK-UP DAY The last day of term for the Remove students, where sponsored 'misdemeanours' are common. Westminster
MUZZ To read. Westminster
NEWBIE New boy. Now a general term.
OIK Junior boy or non-public-school person. —
OPTION Minor prefect. Bedford.
PEPPER To fill in the accents on a Greek exercise. —
PLAY A day off for all members of the school; often requested by a visiting dignitary, known as "begging a Play". Westminster
PLEB Junior boy or non-public school person (derives from the Latin "plebeius" referring to those of plebeian (common) stock). —
PREP Homework (from "preparation"). —
QUAD(RANGLE) School courtyard. Also used at some universities.
QUILL To flatter. Winchester
RAG A misdemeanour, hence: —
RAG WEEK Where sponsored "misdemeanours" are common. Also used at universities
REMOVE The year before the 4th form (age 14 (usually 15)) and 5th form (age 16). Bedford
The academic year before the year in which pupils take their GCSEs, and in which they are usually aged 14-15. Malvern College
Final years before one is 'removed' from the school (ages 13 and 18). Westminster Under School and Westminster, respectively
SAPPY Severe flogging. —
SCHOOL SIXTH Lowest rank of prefect. Plymouth
SHAG DAY A day when, on payment of a small amount to a charity, pupils can wear own-clothes instead of uniform. Westminster
SHELL A boy in the youngest year. Westminster, Harrow, Marlborough, St. Edward's
SWIPE A sweater in House colours used for sports. Marlborough
TITCHING Caning. Christ's Hospital
TOPSCHOOLS Homework. Shrewsbury

See also

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