Private girls' schools could vanish over the next 50 years as institutions grapple with falling pupil numbers, reports suggest. The drop in demand, paired with changing parental preferences, could mean there are fewer than 100 girls' schools by 2040, and none at all by 2079.
VAT and closures hit independent schools
It comes as private schools across the board struggle to stay open following the Labour Government's imposition of 20% VAT on fees, with over 100 closing since the change was enforced in January 2025. Figures analysed by The Telegraph also suggest private boys' schools could be phased out entirely by 2096, if current trends continue.
Julie Keller, head of Nottingham Girls' School, which charges an annual fee of £14,000, said: "Many girls' schools are smaller in number to start with and therefore they're more vulnerable to the changes that have happened. Schools under pressure for numbers perhaps move to the co-ed model."
Numbers drop sharply since 2011
Analysis of data from the Independent Schools Council shows that the number of private girls' schools has dropped by 23% since 2011, from 186 to 142. Meanwhile, the number of private boys' schools has fallen from 117 to 86. Schools have either been forced to shut or start admitting both boys and girls to mitigate plunging pupil numbers.
But Ms Keller warned that single-sex institutions still play an important role in modern life, and that perceptions of them as old fashioned are misguided. "Without girls' schools, you miss out on the girls who will leave schools with confidence and resilience," she said. "The world we have in a girls' school is where everything that we do is built around girls. It's the only time in their lives when that will be true."
Overall private school enrolment at decade low
The overall number of pupils in private schools in England fell to the lowest point in at least a decade this year, dropping by more than 22,000 in January compared with the same period in 2025. It means private school pupils now account for 6.3% of the school population, with a total of 560,255, down from 582,477 last year. The number of children in both private and state schools across the country also dipped in early 2026, falling below the nine million mark for the first time since 2020.
Government response
A Department for Education spokesperson said the figures reflect "demographic change playing out across the entire school system". They added: "Primary school numbers have been falling since 2018/19, long before any change to VAT. The share of pupils in independent schools has stayed broadly consistent at 6.3%, and more private schools opened than closed in 2025. Ending tax breaks for private schools is delivering over £1.8billion a year by 2029/30 to improve education for the 94% of children in state schools, and record numbers of families are getting their first-choice state school place."
