Hold Private Schools Accountable

Our Mission

Private Schools Are Unaccountable. It's Time to Change That.

Thousands of UK families pay tens of thousands of pounds each year for independent schooling — with no independent complaints body, no binding code of conduct, and no real recourse when things go wrong.

When a state school fails a child, parents can escalate to the local authority, to Ofsted, to the Secretary of State. The system is imperfect — but it exists. When a private school fails a child, parents are met with silence, legal stonewalling, and the infamous closed loop: the Governors backing the Head, and the Head backed by the Governors.

Independent schools in the UK receive significant public benefits: charitable status, business rates relief, and VAT exemptions worth hundreds of millions of pounds per year. In exchange, the public has a right to demand accountability. Yet complaints from parents are handled internally, investigations are conducted by the very institution under investigation, and the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI) is funded by the schools it inspects.

"The fox is guarding the henhouse. Schools investigate themselves, Governors rubber-stamp the result, and parents are left powerless — or bankrupted by legal fees trying to fight it."

This campaign exists for every parent who was dismissed, gaslit, ignored, or told to accept a decision they knew was wrong. You are not alone. Your experience matters. And together, we will make Parliament listen.

Share your story below. Sign our open letter to the Department for Education. And help us build an evidence base that cannot be ignored.

Key Issues

No Independent Ombudsman

Unlike state schools, private schools face no mandatory external complaints body. All grievances loop back through the school's own governors — the very people appointed by the school.

Governor Conflicts of Interest

Governors at independent schools are often appointed by, or are close associates of, senior management. When they investigate complaints against the headteacher, impartiality is structurally impossible.

Inspections Funded by Schools

The Independent Schools Inspectorate is paid by the schools it inspects. This creates an obvious financial incentive to maintain favour with fee-paying institutions — undermining the entire concept of independent oversight.

Tax Benefits Without Transparency

Private schools claim charitable status worth hundreds of millions in tax relief annually — public money — while refusing to be held to public standards of accountability or transparency.

Legal Cost as a Deterrent

Parents who challenge schools are advised by solicitors that legal action is futile. Schools can afford protracted legal battles; most families cannot. Justice becomes a function of wealth.

Children's Wellbeing at Risk

Unresolved complaints — about bullying, exclusions, pastoral failures, and discrimination — leave children without protection. The absence of oversight means patterns of misconduct can persist for years.

Parent Voices

Bullying / Governor Whitewash Anonymous — South East England, 2023

"Our daughter was systematically bullied for two years. We raised it formally three times. Each time, the school conducted an 'internal review'. Each time, we were told it had been 'thoroughly investigated and no evidence found.' When we escalated to the Governors, we received a letter — clearly written by the same person as the Head's response. Our solicitor told us not to bother. 'Governors always back the Head,' she said. That's when I realised this wasn't a school problem. It was a systemic problem."

SEND Failure Anonymous — Midlands, 2022

"My son has dyslexia. We were promised specialist support when we enrolled him. Three years later, he had received almost none of it. When we complained, the school said they had 'made reasonable adjustments'. There was no independent body to appeal to. No Ofsted equivalent. We paid £18,000 a year for a provision that simply didn't exist. If this were a state school, there would be consequences. Because it's private, there are none."

Unexplained Exclusion Anonymous — Scotland, 2024

"Our son was asked to leave mid-term with four days' notice and no written explanation. We were given a vague reference to 'not being the right fit'. He had no disciplinary record. We believe it was because we raised concerns about a member of staff. The timing was too convenient. We contacted three law firms. All said the same thing: private schools have wide contractual latitude and there is almost nothing to be done. This cannot be right."

Hold Private Schools
Accountable

Private Schools Are Unaccountable. It's Time to Change That.

No Independent Ombudsman

Governor Conflicts of Interest

Inspections Funded by Schools

Tax Benefits Without Transparency

Legal Cost as a Deterrent

Children's Wellbeing at Risk

Our Demands to Parliament

An Independent Ombudsman

Genuine Independent Inspection

Mandatory Complaints Code

Accountability for Public Subsidies

Children's Advocate Access

Published Complaints Data

Private Schools Are Unaccountable. It's Time to Change That.

No Independent Ombudsman

Governor Conflicts of Interest

Inspections Funded by Schools

Tax Benefits Without Transparency

Legal Cost as a Deterrent

Children's Wellbeing at Risk

Your Experience Can Drive Change

Our Demands to Parliament

An Independent Ombudsman

Genuine Independent Inspection

Mandatory Complaints Code

Accountability for Public Subsidies

Children's Advocate Access

Published Complaints Data