Framlingham College principal on the value of independent schools

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. But now, they are having to revisit this choice and question its value.

Louise North is principal of Framlingham College (Image: Nick Ilott/Framlingham College) 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 they have on young people and their wider community.

But what is it that makes independent education worth it? Independent schools ensure the time, resources 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.

Independent schools ensure that the resources and expertise are in place to support each child as an individual (Image: Framlingham College)

Support

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. 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.

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.

Teaching young people to be kind to themselves and to others is a key part of Framlingham College's offering (Image: Framlingham College) 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 at Framlingham 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.

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 Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) and Diploma of French Language (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.

Independent education allows more flexibility in the academic curriculum (Image: Framlingham College)

Academic achievement comes as a result of this supportive, inspiring and aspirational environment. I would go as far as to say it is a by-product 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.

Co-curricular activities

Discovering things about themselves through the vast co-curricular offering in an independent school is essential to pupil’s learning. As well as team sports, 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.

They also develop key skills through experiences like the Duke of Edinburgh's Award and the Combined Cadet Force.

Pupils are given the opportunity to pursue a range of co-curricular activities at Framlingham College (Image: Framlingham College) 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.

Working with and for the community through volunteering is the norm for young people in independent schools, and giving time to others is part of our school community ethos, contributing 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.

Framlingham College's goal is to ensure that children leave the school prepared to face the wider world with confidence (Image: Framlingham College)

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.

For more information, visit framlinghamcollege.co.uk