Secondary and sixth form tuition at London independent and international day schools runs roughly GBP 20,000 to GBP 44,000 per year in 2026, with every figure now inclusive of VAT. Premium schools sit at about GBP 33,000 to 44,000 (USD 41,000 to 55,000), the upper mid tier at GBP 26,000 to 33,000, and the mid tier at GBP 20,000 to 26,000. Secondary is where fees peak, so the headline numbers in our London international school fees guide reflect this stage closely. The fuller London city guide covers schools, neighbourhoods and admissions in detail.
London is the deepest independent day school market in Europe, and the single biggest change to its fees in a generation arrived on 1 January 2025, when VAT at 20 percent was applied to private school tuition for the first time. Schools absorbed some of the cost through efficiencies and reserves, but most families saw a net increase of 12 to 16 percent, and the full pass through will not be visible until reserves run thinner around 2027. For relocating families weighing a real offer, the practical effect is that a place which once looked comparable to a strong school overseas is now meaningfully dearer, and the secondary and sixth form years are where the gap is widest.
The bands below are tuition only, inclusive of VAT, and are taken directly from the tier structure in our London fees guide, with secondary placed at the upper part of each school's range. Treat them as planning ranges. The exact fee depends on the school, the year group and whether the child is in lower secondary, the GCSE years or the sixth form.
| Tier | Annual tuition (GBP) | Annual tuition (USD) | Illustrative schools |
|---|---|---|---|
| Premium | GBP 33,000 - 44,000 | USD 41,000 - 55,000 | Westminster, St Paul's, City of London, KCS Wimbledon, Highgate, Latymer Upper |
| Upper mid | GBP 26,000 - 33,000 | USD 32,500 - 41,000 | Dulwich College, Alleyn's, JAGS, Whitgift, Trinity, Forest, Mill Hill |
| Mid | GBP 20,000 - 26,000 | USD 25,000 - 32,500 | Smaller independents and international schools such as ACS, ICS London and Southbank International |
School names indicate the fee tier and are illustrative, not a ranking. All figures include VAT. The sixth form figure is the highest published fee at almost every London school, so a family entering at Year 7 should budget for a rising tuition line across the secondary phase rather than a flat number. First year invoices also run higher than tuition because of one off registration and deposit lines.
Model sixth form tuition against the full cost of place across up to three schools and other stages.
Three things move the senior number. The first is the year group, since the GCSE years and the sixth form sit at the top of every school's scale and Year 13 is invariably the dearest place in the building. The second is VAT and inflation, where the January 2025 VAT change reset the whole market upward and schools continued to apply annual rises on top of it, so a place priced today will cost materially more across a five year secondary stay. The third is the academic profile, where the most selective premium schools, with the strongest A Level results and Oxbridge counselling, cluster at the top of the range and the relationship between fee and result tightens in the sixth form. Budget for continued above CPI increases as the VAT pass through completes toward 2027.
Headline tuition is only part of the picture, and the senior years carry the heaviest add ons of any stage. The lines to plan for are a registration fee of GBP 100 to 400, a deposit of GBP 500 to 2,000 held against the final term, uniform and sports kit of GBP 200 to 600, lunches, residential and field trips that run from several hundred to over a thousand pounds, and external exam entries for GCSE, IGCSE and A Level in the senior years. Together these typically add 8 to 15 percent to the headline figure. Our London fees guide sets out the line items in full, and the relocation cost calculator places them inside a complete family budget. To weigh London against another posting, the fee comparison tool models several cities at once, and parent reviews of London schools add the lived experience behind the numbers.
Secondary and sixth form tuition at London independent and international day schools runs roughly GBP 20,000 to GBP 44,000 per year in 2026, all figures now inclusive of VAT. Premium schools sit at about GBP 33,000 to 44,000 (USD 41,000 to 55,000), the upper mid tier at GBP 26,000 to 33,000, and the mid tier at GBP 20,000 to 26,000.
Yes. VAT at 20 percent has applied to private school tuition since 1 January 2025. Most schools passed through a net 12 to 16 percent increase after absorbing part of the cost, so every figure quoted today already includes VAT. A place that cost about GBP 27,000 before VAT now sits nearer GBP 33,000 to 35,000.
Expect a registration fee of GBP 100 to 400, a deposit of GBP 500 to 2,000 held against the final term, uniform and sports kit of GBP 200 to 600, lunches, residential and field trips of several hundred to over a thousand pounds, and external exam entries for GCSE, IGCSE and A Level in the senior years. Together these typically add 8 to 15 percent to headline tuition.
Most senior independents run a full secondary and sixth form, including Westminster, St Paul's, City of London, KCS Wimbledon, Dulwich College and Alleyn's, alongside international schools such as ACS, ICS London and Southbank International. The named schools are illustrative of the tier rather than a ranking.
Weekly fee analysis and city by city true cost intelligence for 50+ destinations.