In the United Kingdom, an independent school (also referred to as a private school, and in certain cases a public school) is a school which is funded by private sources, predominantly in the form of tuition charges, gifts and long-term charitable endowments, and is not subject to the conditions imposed by accepting state financing. Around 10% of independent schools in the UK, which are in general older, more expensive, more exclusive and members of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference, are known as "'public schools". There are around 2,500 independent schools in the UK, which educate around 615,000 children (just over 7% of all British children, rising to around 18% of pupils aged over 16).

Some independent schools are particularly old, such as The King's School, Canterbury (founded 597), St Peter's School, York (founded c.627), Sherborne School (founded c.710, refounded 1550 by Edward VI), Warwick School (c.914), The King's School, Ely (c.970) and St Albans School (948). These schools were founded as part of the church and were under their complete dominion. However, it was during the late 14th & early 15th centuries that the first schools, independent of the church, were founded. Winchester & Oswestry were the first of their kind and paved the way for the establishment of the modern "Public school". These were often established for male scholars from poor or disadvantaged backgrounds; however, English law has always regarded education as a charitable end in itself, irrespective of poverty. For instance, the Queen's Scholarships founded at Westminster in 1560, are for "the sons of decay'd gentlemen".

England ⁱ/ˈɪŋɡlənd/ is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, while the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separate it from continental Europe. Most of England comprises the central and southern part of the island of Great Britain in the North Atlantic. The country also includes over 100 smaller islands such as the Isles of Scilly and the Isle of Wight.

The area now called England was first inhabited by modern humans during the Upper Palaeolithic period, but it takes its name from the Angles, one of the Germanic tribes who settled during the 5th and 6th centuries. England became a unified state in AD 927, and since the Age of Discovery, which began during the 15th century, has had a significant cultural and legal impact on the wider world. The English language, the Anglican Church, and English law—the basis for the common law legal systems of many other countries around the world—developed in England, and the country's parliamentary system of government has been widely adopted by other nations. The Industrial Revolution began in 18th-century England, transforming its society into the world's first industrialised nation. England's Royal Society laid the foundations of modern experimental science.

Roy Hodgson (born 9 August 1947) is an English former footballer, who is the current manager of the England national football team.

Hodgson, who has managed sixteen different teams in eight countries, guided the Switzerland national team to the last 16 of the 1994 World Cup and qualification for Euro 1996; Switzerland had not qualified for a major tournament since the 1960s. From 2006 to 2007, he managed the Finland national team, guiding them to their highest ever FIFA ranking of 33rd place, and coming close to qualifying for a major tournament for the first time in their history. He has been the beaten finalist in the UEFA Cup and the Europa League. Hodgson has also coached many notable club sides, including Internazionale, Blackburn Rovers, Grasshoppers, FC Copenhagen, Udinese, Fulham, Liverpool and West Brom. Hodgson served several times as a member of UEFA's technical study group at the European Championships, and was also a member of the FIFA technical study group at the 2006 World Cup. Hodgson speaks five languages and has worked as a television pundit in several of the countries in which he has coached.

Sir Elton Hercules John, CBE (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight on 25 March 1947) is an English rock singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and occasional actor. He has worked with lyricist Bernie Taupin as his songwriter partner since 1967; they have collaborated on more than 30 albums to date.

In his four-decade career John has sold more than 250 million records, making him one of the most successful artists of all time. His single "Candle in the Wind 1997" has sold over 33 million copies worldwide, and is the best selling single in Billboard history. He has more than 50 Top 40 hits, including seven consecutive No. 1 US albums, 56 Top 40 singles, 16 Top 10, four No. 2 hits, and nine No. 1 hits. He has won six Grammy Awards, four Brit Awards, an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award and a Tony Award. In 2004, Rolling Stone ranked him Number 49 on its list of the 100 greatest artists of all time.

John was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994. Having been named a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1996, John received a knighthood from Queen Elizabeth II for "services to music and charitable services" in 1998.

Jack Andrew Garry Wilshere (born 1 January 1992) is an English footballer who plays as a midfielder for Arsenal and the England national team.

Wilshere came up through Arsenal's youth academy and impressed from an early age. He made his first team debut in 2008, at the age of 16, and was Arsenal's youngest ever league debutant. In his short career thus far Wilshere has earned a number of accolades including the PFA Young Player of the Year, PFA Team of the Year, and Arsenal's Player of the Season as voted on by the fans for his performances in his first full campaign for Arsenal during the 2010–11 season.

Wilshere was born in Stevenage, Hertfordshire and currently lives in Hitchin, where he grew up, attending Whitehill Junior School and The Priory School. He captained The Priory School Football team to County Cup and District Cup glory from Year 7 through to Year 10, and also added the Under 15s National Cup to his list in Year 8, playing alongside Leyton Orient's Jake Argent-Martin and Jack Reeves.