Good Schools Guide editor: Better state schools put private sector at risk

HMC, which represents independent schools, says it is good to see state schools improving, adding "everyone can win"

UK state schools have improved so much that some private schools may go out of business, the Good Schools Guide says.

When the guide was first published in 1986, it recommended 10 state schools - 4% of its total. This year, about 300 schools (25%) are in the state sector.

Editor Lord Lucas said featured schools were chosen by parents who were more interested in sending their children to state schools now than in the past.

A body representing private schools said it was good to see improvement.

The Good Schools Guide, published annually, contains portraits of some 1,200 schools, mostly written and chosen by parents, including schools which do not necessarily get good results but do benefit children.

'Fees up'

"I would guess that over time we would see fewer independent schools. If more parents are choosing state, then there's a smaller market for independent schools," Lord Lucas told BBC Radio Four's Today programme.

"If they are going to continue to expand as they have been doing, they are going to have to find new sources of parents or new ways of attracting parents.

"This is a challenge to the private sector. There are a lot of extremely good schools that are well managed, that are responding by making themselves even better," he added.

He said private school fees - which average more than £15,500 year - "have gone up a lot and gone up more than people's ability to pay for them".

But, he added that parents were prepared to make "extraordinary sacrifices" for their children.

'Not a football league'

The Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference (HMC), which represents nearly 300 independent schools, said it was "good to see education for all pupils improving" and attributed some of the success to partnerships with independent schools.

Responding to suggestions the private sector was under threat, it said everyone could "win", adding that the education sector was "not like the football league".

HMC's chairman Christopher King said it was an "ongoing challenge" to provide future-proof education for children "at a fee parents can afford".

Last May, the Independent Schools Council said 517,113 pupils were at UK independent schools, the highest level since records began 40 years ago.

The proportion of international students at private schools has remained fairly steady at about 5% over the past few years.

A Department for Education spokesman said 1.4 million more pupils were being taught in schools rated as "good" or "outstanding" by Ofsted than in 2010.

"Our reforms have been underpinned by a commitment to social justice and fairness - that means achieving educational excellence for everyone, everywhere, regardless of their background," he added.