Grammar School vs Private School: What's the Difference?

You've started looking at secondary schools, and two words keep coming up: ‘grammar’ and ‘private’. They sound like they might be the same thing, but in fact they are not.

The essential difference between a grammar school and a private school comes down to who pays. Grammar schools are funded by the state and free to attend. Private schools charge fees. Grammar schools select pupils by academic ability. Private schools set their own admissions criteria, and many selective private schools use entrance exams and interviews.

Aside from the funding, there are more detailed differences between the two which might matter more when you don’t have both options available where you live.

Key Takeaways

• Grammar schools are state-funded and free. Private schools charge fees, and those fees now include VAT.

• Grammar schools select pupils by academic ability, usually through an 11+ entrance test. Private schools set their own admissions criteria, which may include entrance exams and interviews.

• Grammar schools only exist in some parts of England, plus Northern Ireland. Many families have no grammar option nearby.

• Some fee-paying schools have "Grammar" in their name. Manchester Grammar School, for example, is private.

• Grammar school results look strong partly because of their highly selective intake.

What is a grammar school?

A grammar school is a state-funded secondary school that selects pupils by academic ability. Entry depends on academic selection, usually the 11+ exam that students sit in Year 6.

There's no tuition fee. Grammar schools are part of the state system, funded the same way as any other state secondary.

They're a survivor of the old tripartite system, which split pupils into grammar, technical and secondary modern schools after the 1944 Education Act (opens in a new tab). Most areas moved to comprehensive schooling from the 1960s onwards. Around 163 grammar schools (opens in a new tab) remain in England.

Grammar schools cluster in specific areas such as Kent, Buckinghamshire, Lincolnshire and parts of Greater London. Northern Ireland runs its own transfer test system. If you live in Wales or Scotland, state grammar schools aren't an option at all.

What is a private school?

A private school charges fees and sits outside local authority control. It sets its own admissions criteria, its own term dates and, within limits, its own curriculum.

You'll also see these schools called independent schools. That's the same thing. The term "public school" adds to the confusion. In Britain it means a long-established and usually expensive private school. That's the opposite of what it sounds like.

Private schools still enter pupils for GCSEs and A Levels, or sometimes the IB. The qualifications at the end are the same ones state school pupils take.

Grammar school vs private school: the key differences

The academic difference for most families is narrower than it looks: grammar schools require academic selection, while many selective private schools also use entrance exams at around age 10 or 11

Which is better for exam results?

Grammar schools post excellent GCSE and A Level results. So do many private schools. Neither figure tells you as much as it appears to.

Grammar schools and many high-performing private schools have selective intakes. A school that only admits children who have passed an entrance exam is likely to start with an academically strong cohort, so raw exam results alone cannot show how much of its performance is attributable to the school itself.

What you really want to know is how much a school adds to the children it takes. Progress measures get closer to that than raw grades do. Ask any school you visit what progress its pupils make, not just what percentage got a grade 7.

Are grammar schools free?

Yes. Grammar schools charge no tuition fees, because they're funded by the state like any other state school.

The costs sit elsewhere. Preparing for the 11+ has become an industry, and private tutoring for it runs from around £30 to £80 an hour. Our research on tutoring in the UK shows how common paid tuition has become.

Then there's travel. Because grammar schools draw from a wide catchment, your child may commute further than they would to the local comprehensive. Some grammar schools offer boarding, which is charged separately.

So grammar schools are free to attend, but getting in can cost quite a lot.

How much do private schools cost?

Fees vary enormously (opens in a new tab) by school and region. Day places at many private schools run well above £15,000 a year, and boarding fees at senior schools can significantly exceed £40,000.

Since January 2025, private school fees have carried 20% VAT. Schools absorbed some of that and passed on the rest, so the figure on this year's invoice may differ from what might have been quoted before.

Bursaries and scholarships change the equation for some families. Bursaries are means-tested and can cover a large share of fees. Scholarships are usually awarded for academic or sporting ability, and are often worth less. Ask each school what proportion of pupils receive help, and how much.

How do you get into each one?

The two routes run on different timetables, and you can pursue both.

Grammar school entry (England)

• Register for the 11+ in the spring or early summer of Year 5, depending on the area

• Your child sits the test in September of Year 6

• Results usually arrive in October

• You name schools on your local authority application by the end of October

• Offers land on National Offer Day in early March

Selective private school entry

• Register with the school, sometimes years ahead

• Pre-tests at 10 or 11 for some senior schools

• Entrance exams in English and maths, plus reasoning papers, often in January of Year 6

• Interview with the head or a senior teacher

• Offers and deadlines set by the school, not the local authority

Because private schools run their own timetable, many families sit both and decide in the spring. If your child is moving up from primary, our guide to your child's transition to secondary school covers the practical side of that year.

Why are some private schools called "grammar schools"?

This is where the naming trips people up. Manchester Grammar School (opens in a new tab), Bradford Grammar School (opens in a new tab) and Portsmouth Grammar School (opens in a new tab) all charge fees. They're private schools.

The explanation is historical (opens in a new tab). Many were founded centuries ago as grammar schools, teaching Latin grammar to boys. When the state system reorganised in the twentieth century, some of these schools joined it and others went independent. The ones that went independent kept the name.

So the word "grammar" in a school's name tells you nothing about whether you'll pay. Check the school's own admissions page for fees before you assume. If it lists fees, it's private.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between a normal school and a grammar school?

A comprehensive school admits children of all abilities from its local area. A grammar school admits only those who pass the 11+. Both are free and state-funded, though curriculum requirements vary according to school status.

Is grammar school better than private school?

Neither is better per se. Grammar schools are state funded and match private school results in many areas. Private schools tend to offer smaller classes and more facilities, plus a boarding option at some. The answer depends on what's available near you and what you can afford.

What are the disadvantages of grammar schools?

A single exam at 10 or 11 decides entry, which is a lot of pressure on a single morning. Competition for places is fierce in popular areas. Children who don't pass may end up feeling they failed at 11. The tutoring culture around the 11+ also favours families who can pay for it.

Can your child go to a grammar school without passing the 11 plus?

Usually not for Year 7 entry. Some grammar schools admit pupils at 13 or into the sixth form on GCSE results, and most areas run an appeals process. If your child narrowly misses the mark, ask the local authority about late testing and appeal deadlines.

What if my child doesn't get into either?

Most children attend their local comprehensive and do well. If you're weighing up options more broadly, our guides on home schooling and what to do when your child is struggling at school may help.

Whichever school your child ends up in, GCSEs and A Levels are the same qualifications. Some schools also offer alternatives such as IGCSEs or the IB. GCSEs and A Levels don't get easier because you paid fees, and they don't get harder because you didn't.

Save My Exams gives your child revision notes and exam questions written by the teachers and examiners who set and mark the real papers. 95% of parents say Save My Exams helped their child feel more confident, and students improve by 2.6 grades on average.

Explore our GCSE resources or A Level resources to see what's covered for your child's subjects. Our parent guide to GCSEs and parent guide to A Levels explain what's coming.

(1917 Save My Exams students were surveyed in September 2025)

References

• The Education Act of 1944 (opens in a new tab)

• Good Schools Guide: Grammar Schools (opens in a new tab)

• Private school fees explained – what are you paying for? (opens in a new tab)