UK Public Schools Directory & Guide 2008/09

A public school, in common English and Welsh usage, is a (usually) prestigious school, for children usually between the ages of 11 or 13 and 18, which charges fees and is not financed by the state.

It is traditionally a single-sex boarding school, although many now accept day pupils and are coeducational. The majority date back to the 18th or 19th centuries, and several are over 400 years old.

By contrast, a government-maintained school, where instruction is provided free of charge, is called a state school.

The English usage of the term "public school" is in direct opposition to what any foreign English speaker would expect. In countries such as Australia, New Zealand, Scotland, the United States and Canada, a "public school" is the equivalent of an English "state school", while an independent, fee-charging school is called a "private school". This is also the generic name for all fee-paying schools for children in England and Wales, although rarely used for those which categorise themselves as public schools. Preparatory schools (historically also known as "private schools", as they were usually privately owned by the headmaster) take children from the age of eight (or younger) and prepare them for their entrance exams to public schools.

The term "public" (first adopted by Eton College) refers to the fact that the school is open to the paying public, as opposed to a religious school, which was open only to members of a certain church. It also distinguished it from a private education at home (usually only practical for the very wealthy who could afford tutors)

(http://www.publicschools.co.uk/)

Westminster School

Date: 2015-02-16; view: 884