The public cost of private schools: rising fees and luxury facilities raise questions about charitable status

Eton College, founded in 1440, is the largest boarding school in England. Shutterstock

Some UK private schools appear to be taking advantage of their charitable status and the lax legal definition of “public benefit” by charging fees that are increasingly out of kilter with their ongoing costs.

Around 1,300 UK private schools, including the vast majority of the most prestigious private institutions, enjoy long-standing charitable status. This gives them substantial tax advantages but obliges them to use their charitable resources for public benefit.