How much does private school cost in the UK?
Average UK private school fees from the ISC 2026 census with 20% VAT added: day and boarding costs by age and region, plus extras and bursaries.
How much does private school cost in the UK? The latest official sector figures, from the Independent Schools Council (ISC) census taken in January 2026, put the average day school fee at £6,226 a term and the average boarding fee at £14,980 a term. The ISC reports fees before VAT. Since 1 January 2025 most fees carry 20% VAT, so a family paying the average would pay about £7,470 a term for a day place (roughly £22,400 a year over three terms) and about £17,980 a term for boarding (roughly £53,900 a year).
Those are averages across very different schools. Fees rise as children get older, London costs far more than the North West, and the termly fee is not the whole bill. This guide sets out the numbers by age and region, then covers who pays VAT, the extras on top, bursaries, and how to check what a particular school charges.
Average private school fees in 2026
The ISC describes its census as the most comprehensive source of data on UK independent schools, and 1,455 member schools completed it in January 2026. The table below shows its averages by age group. The VAT-inclusive columns are our own calculation, adding 20% to the ISC figure, and the yearly figure assumes three terms.
| Type of place | ISC average per term (before VAT) | Per term with 20% VAT | Per year with VAT (three terms) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Day school, all ages | £6,226 | about £7,470 | about £22,400 |
| Day school, junior (primary age) | £5,766 | about £6,920 | about £20,760 |
| Day school, senior | £6,492 | about £7,790 | about £23,370 |
| Day school, sixth form | £6,754 | about £8,100 | about £24,310 |
| Day pupil at a boarding school | £8,611 | about £10,330 | about £31,000 |
| Boarding | £14,980 | about £17,980 | about £53,900 |
Source: ISC Census and Annual Report 2026, Table 5.1. Specialist SEND schools are excluded because their fees are usually set per pupil.
Three things stand out. Fees climb with age: in day schools, the ISC found senior fees 12.6% higher than junior fees, and sixth form a further 4.0% higher. Day places at schools that also board cost noticeably more than places at day-only schools. And across schools that took part in both years, fees rose 4.4% between January 2025 and January 2026, before VAT.
Schools usually set the next year's fees in spring, so fees for the 2026/27 school year may already be higher than these January 2026 averages. Treat the table as a guide to the market, not a quote.
How fees vary by region
The ISC also breaks day school fees down by region. These averages mix all age groups, nursery places included, so a region with more prep schools can look cheaper than it is for secondary age. On this basis the ISC's overall day average is £6,155 a term, a little below the £6,226 headline, which leaves nursery out.
| ISC region (England) | Average day fee per term (before VAT) | Per term with 20% VAT | Per year with VAT |
|---|---|---|---|
| London | £7,580 | about £9,100 | about £27,290 |
| South East | £6,769 | about £8,120 | about £24,370 |
| East | £6,496 | about £7,800 | about £23,390 |
| South Central | £6,330 | about £7,600 | about £22,790 |
| South West | £5,525 | about £6,630 | about £19,890 |
| East Midlands | £5,455 | about £6,550 | about £19,640 |
| North East | £5,371 | about £6,450 | about £19,340 |
| West Midlands | £5,295 | about £6,350 | about £19,060 |
| Yorkshire and The Humber | £5,121 | about £6,150 | about £18,440 |
| North West | £4,473 | about £5,370 | about £16,100 |
Source: ISC Census and Annual Report 2026, Table A.7 (day schools). Regions follow the ISC's own boundaries.
What VAT on school fees means
Until the end of 2024, private school fees were exempt from VAT. Since 1 January 2025, GOV.UK confirms, education and vocational training that private schools in the UK provide for a charge is subject to VAT at the standard rate of 20%, and so is boarding. The change applies to school terms starting on or after 1 January 2025.
When VAT arrived, many schools absorbed part of it. The ISC's 2025 census found that 584 schools, about two thirds of those reporting, cut their underlying day fees in January 2025, and that on average schools passed on the equivalent of 14.0% VAT rather than the full 20%. That cushioning happened when VAT arrived. Since then, the ISC found underlying fees rose a further 4.4% by January 2026, with VAT charged on top.
Schools face other new costs too. Most private schools in England that are charities lost charitable business rates relief from April 2025 (schools mainly educating pupils with EHC plans are excluded) under the Non-Domestic Rating (Multipliers and Private Schools) Act 2025. Costs like this can feed into future fee decisions.
Who still pays VAT and who does not
The 20% applies to most fee-paying families, but there are exceptions worth knowing.
- Nursery classes. Classes made up wholly, or almost wholly, of children below compulsory school age stay VAT-exempt. GOV.UK gives the example of a class where 90% of children are below that age. The ISC's January 2026 average for nursery places at day schools was £5,111 a term.
- Places funded through an EHC plan. Where a local authority funds a place because a child's education, health and care (EHC) plan names the school, VAT is charged to the authority, which can reclaim it. The family does not pay it. A child with special educational needs whose place is paid for privately, without an EHC plan naming the school, is charged VAT.
- Very small schools. A school whose taxable turnover is below the £90,000 VAT registration threshold does not have to register, so always check whether quoted fees include VAT.
Paying fees years in advance no longer avoids VAT. Under the HMRC rules, fees paid from 29 July 2024 for terms starting on or after 1 January 2025 are subject to VAT. The full detail on what is and is not taxed is in the GOV.UK guidance on charging and reclaiming VAT.
The extra costs beyond the fees
The termly fee is the headline, not the whole bill. Most schools charge separately for some of these:
- A registration fee to apply, and often a deposit to accept a place. Ask whether and when the deposit is returned.
- Uniform and sports kit.
- Lunches, where they are not included in the fee.
- Trips, residentials and co-curricular activities.
- Individual music lessons, LAMDA and similar one-to-one tuition.
- Exam entry fees for GCSE, A level or equivalent qualifications.
- Transport, if the school runs buses.
VAT on extras depends on what each one is. GOV.UK says registration fees carry VAT like the main fee, for example, while before- and after-school childcare provided by the school is exempt. Ask each school for its full list of compulsory and optional extras, and whether each includes VAT, so you compare like with like.
How to make private school more affordable
The published fee is the list price. Several routes can bring it down.
- Means-tested bursaries. These are based on family income and assets. In the ISC's 2026 census, 36,676 pupils held a means-tested bursary, worth £14,077 on average. Just over half of bursary holders (50.9%) had more than half their fees covered, and 7,042 pupils paid no fees at all through a bursary. Funds are limited, so ask early.
- Scholarships. Awards for academic, music, sport or art ability are more common but usually smaller. Non-means-tested scholarships averaged £4,006 a pupil in the 2026 census.
- Discounts. Many schools offer reductions for siblings, children of staff or armed forces families. The ISC's 2026 census counted 72,911 pupils receiving discounts of this kind.
- Early years funding. Some independent school nurseries accept government-funded childcare hours, so ask how a school applies them to its nursery fees.
Monthly payment plans spread the cost across the year, but they ease cash flow rather than cut the total, and some may carry admin or interest charges. If a school offers an advance payment scheme, ask how VAT applies to it and consider regulated financial advice before committing a large sum.
How to check what a school actually charges
National averages are a starting point. The fee that matters is the one at the school you are considering, and FindMySchool publishes that for many independent schools. Where we have the data, an independent school's profile shows its published fees by year group or stage, including boarding and registration fees where the school sets them out, with the fee year, a link to the school's own fee page and, where known, whether the figures include VAT.
- Use the school search or browse independent schools near you, then open a profile to see its published fees where available.
- In London, see the rankings of the best independent secondary schools and best independent primary schools.
- School Match suggests state and independent schools that fit your priorities. You need a free account to see your results, and your first result is free. Then compare schools side by side.
- Weighing fees against the alternative? Our guide to state versus independent schools looks at what the money buys.
Before you commit, do three things: get the school's current fee list and schedule of extras, confirm whether the figures include VAT, and line the all-in cost up against the strongest state schools you could realistically get a place at.
Frequently asked questions
The Independent Schools Council's January 2026 census puts the average day school fee at £6,226 a term before VAT. With 20% VAT added, that is about £7,470 a term, or roughly £22,400 a year over three terms. The average boarding fee is £14,980 a term before VAT, about £17,980 with VAT, or roughly £53,900 a year. Individual schools can be well above or below these averages.