or independent school
In Britain, any of a small group of tuition-charging secondary schools that specialize in preparing students for university and for public service.
The name public school dates from the 18th century, when the schools began attracting students from beyond their immediate environs and thus became "public" as opposed to local. Such schools are thus in fact "private" schools independent of the state system. Important boys' schools include Winchester (1394), Eton , Westminster (1560), and Harrow (1571); well-known girls' schools include Cheltenham, Roedean, and Wycomb Abbey. Public schools cultivated a class-conscious code of behaviour, speech, and appearance that set the standard for British officialdom from the early 19th century. See also secondary education .