Independent Schools Council

Public relations body for fee charging schools

The Independent Schools Council (ISC) is a non profit lobby group that represents over 1,300 private schools in the United Kingdom. The organisation comprises seven independent school associations and promotes the business interests of its independent school members in the political arena, which includes the Department for Education. The ISC has received much positive comment for their work to support independent education in the face of ideological and politically motivated attack on the sector. Even critics of the ISC describe them as the "sleepless champion of the sector" and doing so in a "very forthright manner."

The ISC was first established (then as the Independent Schools Joint Council) in 1974 by the leaders of the associations that make up the independent schools. In 1998, it reconstituted as the Independent Schools Council. Schools that are members of the associations that constitute ISC are inspected by the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI). Since December 2003, ISI has been the body approved by the Secretary of State for Education and Skills for the inspection of ISC schools and reports to the DfE under the 2002 Education Act. ISI was part of ISC until, in late 2007, the ISI became its own limited company, thereby separating itself from ISC. The current chairman of ISC is Barnaby Lenon CBE. ISC is managed by the Chief Executive, Julie Robinson.

Promoting partnership working between the State and Independent Sectors is an important part of the work by ISC. Figures from the 2022 ISC Annual Census show 8,793 partnerships were recorded in that year up 26% from the prior year. The types of partnerships are very varied from academy sponsorship, helping with university entrance, seconding teaching staff, serving as governors at state schools and sharing facilities to partnering for music, drama and extra curricular activities. The ISC has published an annual report of cross sector partnership work between independent and state schools called Celebrating Partnerships. Partnerships, case studies and best practice are further promoted via Schools Together. 6988 case studies are included.

In 2011, the ISC challenged the Charity Commission in relation to the latter's statutory guidance on public benefit. The Upper Tribunal heard the judicial review, which was combined with an Attorney General's reference, over five days in May 2011 and reserved judgment until October 2011. The lengthy ruling upheld ISC's main ground of complaint, which was that the guidance did not reflect the true state of charity law on public benefit and charities which charge fees. A subsequent hearing and ruling in December 2011 ordered that the Commission withdraw large parts of its guidance or face a quashing order. The disputed guidance was withdrawn shortly before Christmas 2011, and replacement guidance was put out to consultation in 2012.

Girls' Schools Association (GSA) – the main association to which heads of girls' senior independent schools belong. Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference (HMC) – represents the heads of 298 boys' and co educational independent senior schools. Society of Heads (SoH) – represents the heads of independent schools of all sizes, many of which have a long tradition of boarding. Independent Association of Prep Schools (IAPS) – represents the heads of more than 670 boys', girls' and mixed preparatory schools for children mainly between the ages of 7 and 13. Many IAPS schools take children from age 3, however, and some schools go up to the age of 16. Independent Schools Association (ISA) – ISA members include heads of nearly 600 schools for children of all ages. They represent both boarding and day schools, co educational and single gender, and specialist schools in the arts and music. Association of Governing Bodies of Independent Schools (AGBIS) – represents the interests of the governing bodies of schools whose heads belong to GSA, HMC and SoH (and some belonging to IAPS & ISA). Independent Schools' Bursars Association (ISBA) – represents the bursars of over 800 senior and junior schools.