Michelle Daniells

A new organisation, the Association for Families of Independent Schools (AFIS), has been launched which states it aims to brings families and schools together.

AFIS is open to parents, carers, extended family, alumni and staff of independent schools.

AFIS states its goals as:

1. Offering AFIS members a central platform through which to engage with other supporters of independent education, share ideas and opinions, receive perks and special offers, and take part in important research.
2. Funding and commissioning independent, robust research to contribute to a more balanced national debate about independent education.
3. Generating funds for schools to offer more means-tested fee assistance for more children.

Families can sign-up to an annual membership (free and paid options are available) and access content, discussion groups, events and research participation, as well as exclusive offers on goods and services from AFIS sponsors.

Membership for schools is free and they will receive a proportion of AFIS revenue in donations for their means-tested bursary provisions.

AFIS founder Michelle Daniells said: “AFIS exists to champion and celebrate independent education in the UK. With the collective input of our members – families and schools, together – we can bring positivity, truth and balance to the discussion. Additionally, with the strength in our numbers and attractiveness of the AFIS audience to consumer brands, we are able to partner with selected companies who are offering AFIS members lots of valuable perks.

“The independent education landscape is changing rapidly, in no small part because of the recent addition of VAT to school fees: fewer families are able to choose an independent education for their children and schools are having to reduce the amount of fee-assistance they offer to families. The debate around private schools has become more divisive and destructive. We decided to do something productive to help families, children and schools.

“Parents, from all walks of life, make choices about education, state or private, based on the specific needs of their children and their family circumstances. Most of the families we know at our private schools are not wealthy. We make personal and financial sacrifices in order to do what we believe is best for our children. Many families have support for paying fees, either directly from the schools or from grandparents and other family members.”

“AFIS is passionate about creating a credible, unified and powerful voice that will shout loudly and in the right directions, to counteract the negativity and biases that are divisive and detrimental to all children and to society as a whole. Together, we are helping to enhance and safeguard the future of independent education as part of the vibrant mix of UK schools.”

AFIS stated it is not a lobbying or campaign group, receives no funding from political groups, and is aligned to no political party.