Jun 12, 2022, Teeside Live: Number of children attending private schools on Teesside increases https://www.gazettelive.co.uk/news/teesside-news/number-children-attending-private-schools-24200953
NE England
Parents are increasingly choosing to take their youngsters out of state schools according to the latest data
Despite the current economic climate the number of youngsters attending private schools on Teesside is increasing.
Latest figures unveiled by the Department of Education show more parents are choosing to send their children to independent schools than their local tax-payer funded schools.
This was also the highest number of pupils at private schools in the area since figures began to be recorded and published in 2016. The figures also revealed that Teesside currently has a total of 13 independent schools.
This increase follows a national trend. Across England, the number of private school pupils hit 581,427 in January this year, up from 569,366. It was also the first increase in numbers at independent schools since 2017....
The trend for growing numbers of pupils attending private schools had already been picked up by the Independent Schools Council, which brings together seven associations of independent schools, their heads, bursars and governors. Its census of members found a record 544,316 pupils at 1,388 ISC member schools, a 2% rise on the 2020 figures.
It found an increase in the number of pupils who were boarders, with 65,232 or 12% of total pupil numbers in 2022. That was an increase on the estimated 62,405 boarding pupils reported in 2021.
The census found the proportion of pupils who are from a UK minority ethnic background also continues to increase. In 2021, 35.1% of pupils identified as UK minority ethnic, whereas in 2022, the proportion had risen to 37.7%. There were 31,029 non-British pupils whose parents are UK-based attend ISC schools this year, an increase of 1,467 compared with 2021.
...Across the schools surveyed, 95,991 pupils identified as having special educational needs and disability (SEND), making up 18% of all pupils - higher than last year.
