Schools fall into four broad categories: public, private or independent, international, and online. Each one is governed differently, leads to a different leaving qualification, and carries a different annual cost. Choosing between them comes down to four things: the qualification you want your child to hold at eighteen, whether your family expects to move country, the learning environment your child actually needs, and what you can fund across a full year rather than a single term.
CambriLearn has taught families in more than 100 countries for almost two decades. The questions parents ask are the same in Johannesburg, Dubai and Suffolk. This guide covers what each type of school is, what it leads to, who it suits, and how to verify that a school is what it says it is.
What are the four main types of school?
Public schools are funded by the state and teach the national curriculum. Private and independent schools charge fees and govern themselves, within rules set by the education authority they register with. International schools teach curricula built to be recognised across borders. Accredited online schools deliver a full school programme over the internet, with a fixed timetable and qualified subject teachers.
Most education systems also recognise special-needs schools and early childhood development centres as separate categories, and many countries add faith schools and boarding schools as sub-types. This guide covers the four that parents actively choose between at primary and secondary level. "Independent" and "private" are used interchangeably here, as they are in most education systems.
Public schools: how they work and what they lead to
Public schools are funded and managed by the state, follow the national curriculum, and admit learners from the widest range of backgrounds. Quality, class size and resourcing vary sharply between regions and between individual schools, so the nearest public school is not a fixed quantity. Two schools in the same city can offer very different experiences.
Admission ages and compulsory schooling
Every country sets its own thresholds for when a child may start school and when attendance becomes compulsory. Three examples:
Check the current rules with your national or provincial education authority before you plan an entry year. Thresholds move, and cut-off dates catch families out more often than any other admissions detail.
The national curriculum and the final qualification
Public schools teach the national curriculum from the first year of formal schooling through to the final year, and learners sit a national school-leaving examination at the end. In South Africa that curriculum is CAPS, the Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement, and the leaving qualification is the National Senior Certificate, known as Matric. The NSC is accepted by South African universities, and by a number of institutions abroad where the subject combination meets their entry requirements.
The pattern repeats elsewhere. National curricula are built for national universities first. If your child is likely to apply to universities outside the country you live in, check the recognition question early rather than in the final year.
What public schools cost
Public schools divide into two groups. No-fee schools are fully state-funded and charge nothing for tuition. Fee-paying public schools supplement state funding with parent contributions, and in South Africa these are generally the schools classified in Quintiles 4 and 5. Both groups are government-run, and the difference in resourcing between them is often larger than parents expect. Fee-paying public schools in Gauteng commonly charge between R10,000 and R30,000 a year.
Private and independent schools
Private and independent schools are privately owned and governed, sit outside the state system, and are required to register with the relevant education authority. What they offer over the public alternative is usually smaller classes, a wider subject range, and the freedom to teach a curriculum the state does not offer.
Curriculum options inside the independent sector
An independent school may teach the national curriculum exactly as a public school does, or choose an alternative assessment route within the same national qualification. In South Africa, independent schools often follow the IEB, the Independent Examinations Board, which leads to the same NSC Matric through a more internally assessed, skills-weighted model. Others teach an international curriculum that sits entirely outside the national system.
Grade-level entry points vary by school, and independent schools change their offering more often than public ones do. Confirm the current curriculum and the grades it runs across directly with the school before you apply.
What the fees actually cover
Independent school fees vary enormously. In Gauteng they commonly run from R40,000 to well beyond R200,000 a year, and in the Western Cape from around R35,000 upwards. Those headline figures rarely include everything. Textbooks, uniform, sport, transport, technology access and examination entry are frequently billed separately, and the gap between the advertised fee and the annual outlay can reach 30% or more. Ask for a full twelve-month cost breakdown, including compulsory extras, before you commit to a place.
Who independent schools suit
Independent schools work for families who want a particular religious or cultural ethos, need smaller classes for a child who gets lost in a crowded room, or want a curriculum their local public options do not run. A well-resourced public school in a strong catchment can outperform a thinly funded private one, so the category label tells you less than the specific school's results, staff turnover and subject range.
International schools and qualifications that travel
International schools are defined by their curriculum rather than their facilities. The qualifications they teach are designed to be recognised by universities outside the learner's home country, which matters most to families who relocate. Physical international campuses cluster in cities with large expatriate populations, including Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Johannesburg, London and Singapore.
The main international routes are International GCSEs and International A Levels, which are offered by more than one UK examination board, the International Baccalaureate Diploma, and the US high school diploma with Advanced Placement courses. Pearson Edexcel publishes admissions guidance confirming that its International A Levels are accepted by Russell Group universities in the UK, including Oxford and Cambridge, alongside leading universities in the United States, Canada, Australia and Asia.
For a family that moves every two or three years, the practical benefit is continuity. The curriculum follows the child across the border, so there is no repeated year and no lost content. Grades and subject combination still decide university outcomes, but a portable qualification is the starting condition.
Online schools: what an accredited online school actually is
An accredited online school is a registered school that delivers its full academic programme over the internet. It holds accreditation or registration with a recognised education authority or examination board, employs qualified subject teachers, runs a fixed timetable, and prepares learners for formal examinations that universities accept. Home education, where a parent takes responsibility for teaching and assessment, is a separate route with different legal obligations in most countries.
What a school week looks like online
A typical week runs to a set timetable. Learners join live lessons at fixed times, taught by degree-qualified specialists in each subject, with homework, marked assessments, and direct access to teachers through messaging and weekly Q&A sessions.
Younger learners sit shorter live sessions, usually 25 to 45 minutes, built around activities that change often enough to hold attention. Secondary learners work in longer blocks that include discussion, collaborative tasks and dedicated question time. The shape of the day mirrors a conventional school rather than replacing it with a library of recordings.
How to tell an accredited online school from a learning app
An accredited online school can name its accrediting body, its examination centre number, and the arrangements it has for learners to sit examinations. A subscription learning product sells access to content and leaves the qualification to you. Ask two questions: which body accredits you, and how do my child's examinations get entered and sat? A provider that cannot answer both leaves your child sitting examinations as an unsupported private candidate, which is a harder and less certain route.
Which type of school suits which child
Five questions that narrow the list fast
- What qualification do you want your child to hold at eighteen? Answer this first. It rules out entire categories in one step, because a national curriculum and an international one lead to different places.
- Will your family stay in this country? If relocation is likely inside the next five years, a portable qualification saves your child a repeated year.
- What environment does your child need to learn in? A child who shuts down in a class of 40 will not improve by moving to a better-resourced class of 40.
- What is the true annual cost? Add uniform, transport, textbooks, technology, sport and examination entry to the tuition line, then multiply by the number of years remaining.
- Can the school evidence its outcomes? Ask for university acceptance data, subject-level results and the accrediting body. A school that gives you a number without a definition is giving you marketing.
How to check a school is accredited
Verify accreditation with the accrediting body directly rather than accepting the claim on the school's website. Registries and directories worth using:
- Cognia, for internationally accredited schools, publishes a searchable institution directory
- Pearson Edexcel lists approved examination centres by centre number
- SACAI and the IEB publish registration lists for South African assessment bodies
- ISASA SchoolFinder covers member independent schools in Southern Africa, searchable by location, fees, curriculum and pupil numbers
- DBE and provincial EMIS master lists are the government source for South African public school records, with the WCED Find-a-School tool covering the Western Cape
- Get Information About Schools is the UK Department for Education register
- KHDA and ADEK publish inspection ratings for Dubai and Abu Dhabi schools
Confirm details with the institution as well. Directories fall out of date, and a school's registration status can change between publication cycles.
One point of accreditation vocabulary worth knowing: in South Africa, Umalusi accredits examination bodies such as SACAI and the IEB, not individual schools. A school that claims to be Umalusi-accredited has misunderstood its own paperwork, which tells you something about how carefully it handles the rest.
CambriLearn: an accredited online school teaching in more than 100 countries
CambriLearn is an accredited online private school for learners aged 4 to 19, operating in more than 100 countries. It teaches five curricula across six pathways inside one school: the International British Curriculum, Pearson Edexcel, US K-12, CAPS, KABV, and the IEB. Learners switch curricula without changing schools, which removes the usual penalty for a family that relocates mid-phase.
Accreditation and registration: CambriLearn is accredited by Cognia and Pearson Edexcel (Centre No. 94888), registered with SACAI and the IEB, and NCAA approved.
Track record: more than 80,000 students educated cumulatively across more than 20 years and 100+ countries. Among graduating cohorts, 98% secured university acceptance, and graduates have been awarded more than $25 million in university scholarships. The IEB pathway launched at Grade 10 in 2026 and has no matric cohort until 2028, so these outcomes cover the established pathways rather than IEB or KABV.
What families say: 4.8 stars on average across 330+ reviews on Google, Trustpilot, HelloPeter and Facebook.
How the school day works: CambriLearn runs on CambriOS, four connected school experiences that cover the live timetabled school day (CambriCampus), the accredited curriculum routes (CambriPathways), clubs, events and meetups across the student body (CambriCommunity), and a parent view of progress (CambriCommand). Social development sits inside the programme rather than being left to chance.
Families joining from another school usually start with how enrolment works and a conversation about which pathway matches the grade their child is currently in.
Frequently asked questions
What are the different types of schools?
Schools fall into four broad categories: public schools funded by the state, private or independent schools that charge fees and govern themselves, international schools teaching curricula recognised across borders, and accredited online schools delivering a full programme over the internet. Most systems also recognise special-needs schools and early childhood development centres as separate categories.
What is the difference between a public school and a private school?
Public schools are funded and managed by the state and teach the national curriculum. Private and independent schools are privately owned, charge tuition fees, and can choose between the national curriculum and an alternative. Private schools generally run smaller classes and a wider subject range, and register with the education authority rather than being managed by it.
Is an online school a real school?
An accredited online school is a registered school. It holds accreditation or registration with a recognised education authority or examination board, employs qualified subject teachers, runs a fixed timetable of live lessons, and prepares learners for formal examinations that universities accept. The examinations and the certificate are identical to those a learner would sit at a physical school following the same programme.
Do universities accept qualifications from an online school?
Universities accept the qualification, not the delivery method. A learner completing International A Levels through an accredited online school holds the same certificate as one completing them at a physical school with the same examination board. Recognition varies by country and institution, so confirm entry requirements with your target universities before choosing a curriculum.
How much does each type of school cost per year?
Public schools range from free to moderate, with fee-paying public schools in Gauteng commonly charging R10,000 to R30,000 a year. Independent schools in Gauteng commonly run from R40,000 to beyond R200,000, and from around R35,000 in the Western Cape. International schools sit at the upper end. Accredited online schools generally cost less than comparable independent schools because there is no campus to fund.
What is the best type of school for a child who struggles with attendance?
An accredited online school is usually the strongest fit for a child managing illness, anxiety or another condition that makes attending a physical school difficult. The child accesses live teaching from qualified subject specialists without the environment causing the distress, and the qualification route stays unchanged.
How do I check whether a school is accredited?
Check with the accrediting body directly rather than relying on the school's own claim. Cognia publishes a searchable directory of accredited institutions, Pearson Edexcel lists approved examination centres by number, and SACAI and the IEB publish registration lists. In the UK, use the Department for Education's Get Information About Schools register. In Dubai and Abu Dhabi, KHDA and ADEK publish inspection ratings.
Can my child change type of school partway through?
Yes, and many families do. A child who does well in a neighbourhood public school at eight may need something different at fourteen. The switch is easiest between phases rather than mid-year, and the point to check is whether the receiving school recognises the work completed and can place the child in the right grade without repetition.
Which type of school is best for a family that moves countries often?
International schools and accredited online schools both offer curriculum continuity across borders. An accredited online school removes the additional constraint of needing an international campus in the destination city, which matters if a posting takes the family somewhere without one.
Choosing a school is a decision about governance, curriculum, cost and fit, and each of the four types answers those four questions differently. Work through them in that order and the shortlist builds itself.
If an accredited school with live specialist teachers and internationally recognised qualifications fits what you are looking for, book a consultation with the CambriLearn admissions team to work out which pathway suits your child's stage and goals.
