“When my eldest child first went to an independent school in Year 7, I became aware of the absence of a national organisation to unite and represent families who choose private or independent education. Until then, I only had experience of the state education sector, where a national body exists to represent parents by undertaking research to inform and influence policy and public debate.
While independent schools and their leaders are served by a number of trade organisations that represent schools and champion the sector, there has been no equivalent voice dedicated to the individuals and families who choose and access independent schooling and, in the vast majority of cases, fund it themselves.
Over recent years, there has been a growing negative rhetoric directed at private schools and the families who choose them. The wider socio-political climate has often felt increasingly hostile, shaped by ill-informed judgements and unbalanced media coverage that reinforce narrow stereotypes of wealth and elitism, while overlooking the diversity of backgrounds, motivations, and experiences within independent schooling. This has contributed to a public debate that often unfairly stigmatises families for their educational choices. Like many others, I have found this both saddening and frustrating. It became clear to me that robust research and a more evidence-led conversation were urgently needed, and that this could best be achieved through a national platform that brings families together and gives them a collective voice.”
Michelle Daniells
AFIS Founder and CEO
