A COLCHESTER private school has been named amongst the most affordable in the country.
Holmwood House School, a co-educational prep school, charges £16,800 per year in boarding fees, or £5,600 each term, according to research by online toy shop PoundToy.
This made the Chitts Hill school the 12th cheapest school in the UK, according to the study.
PoundToy claim that, in order to send A child to Holmwood House, a household would need a yearly income of £58,243.
Holmwood House, which is about to celebrate its 100th anniversary, has pupils from six-months-old until aged 13, when they are in Year 8.
It has just appointed a new headteacher, Ed Bond, and is extending its provision through until Year 11.
Current head Alexander Mitchell said: "It is great to be recognised as one of the most affordable, top schools in the country.
"We are constantly striving to offer the very best value for our families, whilst providing our children with an outstanding, inspiring learning environment and boundless opportunities for discovery and exploration on our glorious site.
"Additionally, the figures quoted in the survey are the very highest version of our fees which include full boarding; the majority of our students, however, are day pupils who enjoy occasional overnight stays; so even more affordable than the survey suggests."
The cheapest private school was Abrar Academy in Lancashire, which charges £834 per term or £2,502 per year.
As for the most expensive schools, Cherwell College in Oxford charges the most, with an annual fee of £58,500.
Eton and Harrow, which have produced 33 UK Prime Ministers between them, were ranked in 25th and 26th respectively, with both schools charging just over £14,000 per term.
PoundToy also found a slight difference in the fees of boys only, girls only and co-educational schools.
Read more:
- Ed Bond is the new headteacher at Holmwood House School
- Holmwood House offers pupils option to stay until Year 11
The company's research found that boys' boarding schools with co-educational sixth forms charged the most, with an average of £11,669 per term.
Next came girls only schools, such as Roedean, with average costs of £11,577 per term.
Boys only schools averaged out at £10,428 per term.
This Colchester private school has been named as one of the UK's most affordable
A PoundToy spokesman said: "Boys only boarding schools charge an average of £10,428 which increases to £11,669 when they also have a co-educational sixth form.
"The most expensive boys only school is the highly specialised Westminster Abbey Choir School who charge £14,854 per term.
"Westminster is also the location of the most expensive boys only day school. The Westminster School charges pupils just under £10,500 every term.
"The most expensive girls only boarding school actually charges more than any of its male only equivalents.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here