Find the best value private schools near you

Image credit: Alamy
With more than 1,400 fee-paying schools across Britain, finding the best choice for your children is far from straightforward.
And with the Government removing the VAT exemption for private schools, finding value for money is more important than ever.
While extracurricular activities and top-class facilities are a big part of why parents opt for public schools, for many it is academic prowess that is the most important factor.  
Telegraph Money’s value-for-money league table helps you find the independent schools in your area and – crucially – assesses whether the most expensive schools lead to the top grades.
A-Level and GCSE results refer to those taken in the summer of 2023. Data compiled using the latest available fees on schools’ websites. Boarding fees are primarily for weekly boarding, unless only full-boarding is offered. Grades are drawn from a mixture of the Independent School Council’s data or schools’ websites. Independent schools do not have to provide full A-Level or GCSE results, meaning if a school does not have grades in the table they have not been transparent with the proportion receiving top grades or sit different examinations such as Scottish Highers or IB. School fees generally cover tuition and might exclude compulsory extras such as lunch, exam fees or book charges.
Fee-grade ratio represents fees divided by the proportion of top grades. Adjustments have been made relative to regional wage differences due to staffing representing the largest costs at schools. Where a school only has boarding fees, a day fee is estimated by comparing differences at comparative independent schools.
Independent schools come in all shapes and sizes, with fees ranging from less than £10,000-a-year to in excess of £50,000 for some boarders at the most expensive schools.
Last year, Cardiff Sixth Form College recorded the best results amongst fee-paying schools with over 95pc of exams being graded the top grades of A* or A at A-Level. However, at £24,100 a year for day pupils, these fees will be out of reach for many. 
Telegraph Money analysis shows that, once you compare the top results relative to fees, lesser-known schools produce similarly impressive results – but at a fraction of the cost.
At the top of the fee-grade ratio is St Michael’s School, where fees are £9,000 cheaper, but around 80pc of pupils are given the top grades at A-Levels and 87pc in GCSEs.
Withington Girls’ School in Manchester has around 90pc of GCSEs and 74pc of A-levels marked A*-A , based on exams taken in 2023. But its fees are among the lowest in the country, at £15,558 a year.
However, for many parents the value of independent schools goes beyond academic achievements. 
While stalwarts of the public school system, such as Eton, Winchester, Tonbridge and Radley, produce excellent results, albeit at a steep price, they argue their higher fees contribute to multi-million pound capital projects and extracurricular activities.
“Independent schools take a much wider view of education than just exam results. Boarding schools in particular offer a wide range of activities outside the classroom and subjects inside the classroom,” a spokesman from the Independent Schools Council said. 
Eton, for example, with fees of £52,749 a year, recently opened a £20m sports facility complete with an indoor pool, climbing wall, squash courts and fencing salle.  
Our league table also allows parents to find the fees most relevant to their child’s current age – a first for a private school league table.