Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will ask the Competition and Markets Authority to investigate changes in the levels independent school fees.

All registered independent schools must, as a condition of registration, meet the Independent School Standards (ISS). Schools which do not meet the ISS can face regulatory action, including deregistration. The ISS do not cover the fees charged by independent schools, which are a contractual matter between the school and the parent/carer.

Since independent schools do not normally receive public funding, the Department does not have any role in monitoring their spending or regulating their finances. Where the public sector funds places in independent schools, that funding is subject to the conditions put in place by the funding body.

Where parents/carers have concerns about the setting or payment of fees, these should be discussed with the school.

It would be a decision for the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) whether to investigate changes in the levels of independent school fees. The CMA does permit the reporting of issues in a market sector through their website. This is available here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/tell-the-cma-about-a-competition-or-market-problem.

Many independent schools are also subject to regulation as charities or companies.