ABSTRACT
Independent schools have become less accessible to ordinary people with average incomes. The access challenge is twofold: improving access for children from low-income households and maintaining access for children from middle-income households. There is significant pressure on independent schools from the public and the government to improve their accessibility. Many people, including politicians from across the spectrum, regard the academic and career success of Independent School Council pupils as problematic. There are just over half a million children in independent schools, representing about 7 per cent of all school age children in England and Wales. Schools could consider offering bursaries for middle-income parents: the group is large and the cost per child is much less than that for low-income pupils, making them a natural source of pupils. But another important way to maintain access for middle-income students is to cut costs.
