Private schools could face higher Ofsted inspection fees, DfE plan shows
Eight-week consultation would raise annual charges for non-association private schools over five years, shifting costs toward school fees
Private schools in England could face higher inspection fees under plans set out by the Department for Education (DfE). The department said the regulator’s inspections of private schools cost £6.5 million last year, with £2.2 million covered by fees charged to the schools. Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said that taxpayers shouldn’t subsidise private businesses in this way and that the proposed changes would free up funds to invest more in state schools and improve Ofsted.
The Ofsted inspections cost £6.5m last year, with £2.2m paid through school fees. The DfE’s eight-week consultation outlines a five-year plan to raise the annual charges for private schools inspected by Ofsted, while framing the move as a funding boost for Ofsted to bolster state-school standards.
Under the proposals, a private school’s annual fee would rise gradually over the next five years. For example, a school with between 150 and 399 pupils currently pays £2,500 per year; the plan would lift that to £3,300 in 2030-31. The DfE said the money would represent a funding boost for Ofsted to improve state schools and ensure more children benefit from higher standards.
Ofsted inspects about 1,150 independent schools in England — just under half of the total. Most of these are special schools. The remainder are inspected by a separate body, the Independent Schools Inspectorate. The new plan focuses on private schools that are inspected by Ofsted, known as non-association private schools.
Within the non-association category, about 63% of schools last year were special schools, according to DfE data. Faith schools accounted for just under 20%. The government introduced a value-added tax (VAT) on private school fees in January to fund more state school teachers in England. The Independent Schools Council (ISC) said average fees were about 22% higher in January than in January 2024. The government faced legal challenges over the policy, but three High Court judges dismissed the case in June, allowing the VAT policy to proceed.
The government’s aim, according to the consultation documents, is to expand Ofsted’s capacity and drive improvements in state education. Critics have argued the changes would shift costs from taxpayers to families with children in independent schools. Supporters say the move would ensure private-school inspections contribute to a stronger, better-funded public education system. The eight-week consultation invites comments from stakeholders on the proposed fee increases, the timing of changes, and how the new funding would be allocated over the five-year period.