sothatdidntwork The population of London has risen rapidly over the past decade or so, fuelled in part by inward migration, sending demand for schools including independent schools, rising. I once knew (from someone who handled independent school admission appeals) how many additional independent school places were needed each year as a result of this migration. It was surprisingly high, reflected by the willingness of financiers to fund new secondary schools, or the expansion of prep schools upwards.
It is a real mix. Senior bankers and lawyers whose employers have international HQ in the city; European trustaferians; Russians Arabs and others who have decided to raise their families in London, Asians and Africans wanting their DC to have an international education. British education is a real draw, as can be evidenced by the new chains of Harrow/Dulwich/Westminster schools being set up overseas. Why buy into the franchise when you could have the real thing.
At the same time, the ending of Direct Grant and the rise in fees, is squeezing the trad middle classes out of private education. As is the pressure on places, and the greater priority some will put on academic achievement. Take a peek at some of the 3+ threads.
Having gone through the process we realise that at times our DC were overshadowed academically by those who were getting a lot of support outside school. When DD was 7 she asked for a tutor because one of her (international trustafarian) classmates was boasting she had tutors on both Saturday and Sunday. Another girl who got into SPGS had no playdates for six months and tutoring morning and evening. Its meant that DC had headroom starting University and are used to independent learning, so it was not a problem. But perhaps a concern for schools who have a charitable ethos, so perhaps are less comfortable with some of the "my child first", and have the challenge at 11+ of unpicking the potential that may lie behind a thick veneer of preparation .
From observation schools with better international recognition (St Pauls, Westminster) and single sex schools (G&L which offers IB is an obvious example) are more popular. However, without looking, I would guess that the numbers from Alleyns applying for US Universities, like from other London private schools, has been rising over the years. A reasonable proxy for growing an increasingly international pupil body.
At what point does international become diverse?! Or at what point does being boring English middle class public sector become a contribution to a school's diversity.