*
English schools: types of schools sonsors private schools
English School Types: Sponsors: Private Owners/Charitable Trusts--Private Systems
Figure 1.-- English preparatory schools are elementary-level schools, generally for boys 8-13 years of age. (There are also girls' and coed prep schools, but the girls often leave for their public schools at age 11.) They are called preparatory schools as they were created to prepare younger boys for the public schools. The public schools in the 19th Century could be and often were very rough places. Many had no definite age for accepting children, but were not generally suitable for younger boys. The prep schools were mostly set up as boarding schools and persued an academic and sports program designed to hrlp the boys do well at their public school.
Private schools were often owned by individuals. This was especially the case for prparatory schools. Over time ownership has shifted to charitable trusts. It should stressed that the chairitable trusts were not charities to assist poor childrem, but rather tax devices to provide for the long term operation for these schools. They were fee paying schools beyond the means of the working-class. State schools around the world are usually called public schools, but this is a little confusing in England. The primary private schools, including world famous schools, are known as public schools. They came to be called public schools because they are open to the public--at least the well heeled public which could afford the fees. A private school when the public schools developed were schools organized by privtre individuals on their own property for their own children. Affluent English parents had the choice either to employ a tutor/governess to educate their children privately or sending them to boardung schools, a public schools (Eton, Harrow, Rugby, Winchester, ect.). This was not an obvious choice. These schools tended to be rough places and weaker or non-athletic boys could have a rough time. Thgrough the mid-19th century quite young boys attended these schools. The core of the education system for several centuries had been the curiously named public schools--actuallly elite private boarding schools, some dating to the 16th century. Public schools accepted very young children at first, but masters, often from the public schools, began opening new preparatory schools for the younger children (mid-19th century). The preparatory known as prep schools thus took on the role of preparing the children to enter the public schools at about age 13 years. For some reason, the girls commonly entered their public schools earlier--age 11 years. This onky changed with the development of the prep schools. At the public schools there was a substantial degree of boy management. The older boys appointed as prefects played an important role in supervising the student body. This issue was most famoully addressed in a novel about schoolife at Rugby (1857). [Hughes] The author was a former student at Rugby and His book gave a boost to the developoment of preparatory schools. The British school system was a largely fee-paying private (including the public schools) until the 19th century. There are two primary components, the preparatory schools for the younger boys and the public schools for the older boys. There are also colleges which offer a combined program for the children. In recent years, any preparatory schools have added preprep schools. And have have expanded day boy enrollment. Many of the boys schools have shifted to coeducation. rivate schools were mostly single gender schools until recently. The trend toward coeducation began (1970s). Many of the schools are now coeducational. The smaller number of girls prep and public schools have tended to remain single gender schools.
Pre-Prep Schools
Modern prep scools generally accept children beginning a abiut 8 years of age. They are vexceoed to have nastrer sone nbasiuc reading band math skills. In the past the entry age was more fluid. Many prep schools now have attached pre-preps to prepare the children foir eantry to nthe bmain school. Besides tge acad=ademic value of preparing the childremn for the prep schoo, there is also the business matter of helping top ensure each years intake. Parents with more than one children also find it convenient to only deal with one school. The vschools vary as to just what age group is dealt with in the pre-prep section.
English preparatory schools are elementary-level schools, generally for boys 8-13 years of age. (There are also girls' and coed prep schools, but the girls often leave for their public schools at age 11.) They are called preparatory schools as they were created to prepare younger boys for the public schools. The public schools in the 19th Century could be and often were very rough places. Many had no definite age for accepting children, but were not generally suitable for younger boys. The prep schools were mostly set up as boarding schools and persued an academic and sports program designed to hrlp the boys do well at their public school. Many prep schools were established in the late 19th Century just as uniforms were becoming established and many new public schools were being opened. Like the public school, the preparatory school had a dautingly long list for the boys school kit. Many prep schools were quite strict about the uniform and how it was worn. Headmasters often viewed the boys as walking advertisements for the school and insisted that the boys wear the uniform correctly. The uniform has been significantly simplified at the modern prep school, but it is still given substantial emphasis at many schools.
The American and increasingly the modern British reader is acustomed to associating school uniform with exclusive public schools. In fact the first English school uniforms were introduced by charity schools like the hospital or blue coat schools. The boys at the public (private) schools wore their individual clothes. Many would choose outlandish styles. To end this and to discorage such attention to fashion, uniforms were gradually introduced in the 19th Century and were widely accepte by the late 19th Century. The uniforms worn were extrodinarily elaborate and included outfits for many different occasisons and sports events. Minor differences were established and enforced rigorously to show one's status. Junior boys could in some schools, for example, had to close all their jacket button. Boys at another school showed the status by the width and color of he ribbon on their straw boaters. Junior boys at many schools wore knickers or after World War I (1914-18) short trousers. Eton School played a major role in establishing Public Scgool uniforms and he Eton collar was widely worn for years. Beginning in the 1920s it was mostly replaced with Blazers and soft collars. The uniform at the moden school has been greatly simplified, but most schools continue to require the boys wears blazers or suits.
