esenda research, September 2026

22,941

Pupils at ISC schools with parents living overseas. Down 10.1% in a year.

The Overseas Intake

Fewer international families, each one worth more. What the 2026 ISC Census means for how schools get paid.

Download the research paper

Free, four pages, for bursars and finance teams.

What the numbers show.

The 2026 ISC Census shows a smaller international community, concentrated in a few markets and paying at the top of the fee scale.

−10.1%

Shrinking three times faster

Overseas-parent pupils fell 10.1% in a year, against 3.5% across all ISC schools.

9,196

Two markets, 40% of the total

Mainland China and Hong Kong account for 9,196 pupils between them.

£14,980

Paid from abroad, every term

The average boarding fee per term, excluding VAT. Close to £45,000 a year.

93% of overseas-parent pupils board 4.4% of the ISC population Down from 25,526 in 2025

Fewer families. Harder won. Far more expensive to replace.

When each international family matters this much, how they pay matters too.

A fee reminder, a payment attempted from another country, a “why did that fail?” email. Each one is now a retention question, not just an admin one.

Your school receives the full amount due. Every time, from anywhere.

No cost to the school

Collecting internationally costs you nothing. Card and FX costs are never absorbed by the school.

Parents choose how to pay

They see the total before they confirm, with lower-cost routes shown where their country allows.

Payments arrive identified

Every payment reconciles automatically, whichever country it came from.

The full picture, in four pages.

The data, what it means, and what it means for your school. Every figure sourced.

Source: Independent Schools Council, ISC Census and Annual Report 2026 (January 2026 data).