The Independent Schools Census 2025/26 — Mosaic
Mosaic Data Report · 2026

The Independent Schools Census 2025/26

Six years of Department for Education data on every independent school in England. What just changed — and what it means.

2,497 schools560,255 pupils2020/21–2025/26DfE SPC underlying data
01

The State of the Sector 2025/26

The 60-second read. What changed this year, and why it matters.

Pupil Numbers — Change Each Year

Headline Trend · 6-Year
Schools rising, pupils falling

It's the Established Schools Losing Pupils

Like-for-Like
Established schools — total pupils
02

Age

The strategic backbone — where pupils are, and where they're heading.

This Year — What Changed

Pupils
Schools

Six-Year Trend

Trend

Cross-Section — Phase by Region

Phase Mix by Region

03

Gender of School

Single-sex education under acute pressure.

This Year — What Changed

Pupils
Schools

Six-Year Trend

Trend

Cross-Section — Conversions to Co-Ed

Conversions per Year (from Boys' / from Girls')
Outcome After Conversion (school count)

04

Boarding

The boarding cliff, located by region and phase.

This Year — What Changed

Pupils
Schools

Six-Year Trend

Trend

Cross-Section — By Region & Phase

Boarding Over Time

05

Denomination

A predominantly secular sector with a small, stable faith segment.

This Year — What Changed

Pupils
Schools

Six-Year Trend

Trend

06

School Size

The lopsided sector — two-thirds tiny, a handful vast.

This Year — What Changed

Pupils
Schools

Six-Year Trend

Trend

07

School Age & Resilience

Are long-established schools weathering the downturn better than newer ones? Not anymore.

This Year — What Changed

Pupils by Era (25/26)
Schools by Era (25/26)

Six-Year Trend — The Resilience Reversal

Pupil Roll by Era (like-for-like)

08

Regions

Where the pressure is greatest — and a profile of any region.

This Year — Regional Risk Read

Composite Exposure
Most Exposed Regions
Pupils by Region (25/26)
Schools by Region (25/26)

09

Region Deep Dive

Pick a region for the full breakdown — age, gender, boarding, denomination, size, era.

Total Pupils

Age

Pupils by Phase (25/26)
Phase Trends (6-Year)

Gender

Pupils by Gender (25/26)
Gender Trends (6-Year)

Boarding

Boarders vs Day (25/26)
Boarders Trend (6-Year)

Denomination, Size & Era

Pupils by Denomination (25/26)
Pupils by Size Band (25/26)
Pupils by Establishment Era (25/26)

10

Sector Churn

Why more schools has meant fewer pupils.

This Year — What Changed

Six-Year Trend

Schools Opened vs Closed per Year

Closures vs New Entrants — Side-by-Side Breakdown

Closures by Size (5-Year)
New by Size (25/26)
Closures by Boarding Status
New by Boarding Status
Closures by Phase
New by Phase
Closures by Denomination
New by Denomination
Closures by Region (5-Year)
New by Region (25/26)
Closures by Establishment Era (5-Year)
Net Schools Added (Opened − Closed)

11

Know Your Competitors

This report is the sector. Radar is your street.

"I shouldn't swear in an email but… absolutely bloody brilliant."

— a head, the first time they opened Radar

What Radar Shows You — A Quick Demo

Market Position · Illustrative
Enrolment growth vs your competitor set (24/25 → 25/26)
Live Intelligence · Illustrative
What Radar pulls together, per competitor

Book a Radar demo →

mosaic-tools.com/radar

12

What This Means for September

The five things marketing, admissions, heads and governors should act on now.

Methodology