ONE of the region’s leading independent school heads has been invited to a reception at the House of Lords to celebrate a landmark report on the private school sector.

David Dunn, headmaster at Yarm School since 1999, has been invited to speak at the Independent Schools Council (ISC) event, which will present the Oxford Economic report on the impact independent schools have on the national economy.

Mr Dunn will be one of only three independent school heads at the reception on June 23, which is being hosted by Lord Lexden and Barnaby Lenon, chairman of the ISC.

James Wharton, MP for Stockton South, and other MPs from the region will be in attendance.

Each head will give a speech about the contribution that independent schools generally, and their school in particular, has made to local communities.

Mr Dunn said: “British independent schools have a worldwide reputation for excellence and are an attraction to overseas students as well as those from Britain. The economic impact that independent schools have on the economy is very significant.

“According to the report, the ISC, which is made up of 1,205 schools, educates 470,000 pupils and generates £9.5 billion for the country – more than the city of Liverpool.

“Yarm School now has a national reputation for excellence in many fields and helps to attract people to the area. It supports in excess of 240 jobs, which generate £2.3m of tax and saves the economy more than £11.7m through educating pupils privately.”

Yarm School’s award-winning Princess Alexandra Auditorium, part of a recent £20 million development project, was also singled out in the report not only for creating much needed construction work during the recession, but for the impact it now has on the town.

James Wharton commented: “Yarm School is a great local success story and goes from strength to strength every year.