Public means funded from the public purse (ie, by government) and controlled by public policies (ie, by government). Non-Public means the opposite. Why does this matter?
US public schools are either traditional district schools or charter schools. District schools typically represent a geographic area with a governing board elected by that area, and are funded on a group basis by federal and state government per student according to a formula, typically based on the first 100 days of each school year. The board then allocates those funds amongst the schools in the district (and the district office) according to its priorities.
Charter schools may be single schools or a group of schools and may be for-profit and non-profit. They may be run by an owner or group of owners, or by a board elected according to their rules and bylaws. They are funded individually and directly by federal and state government on a per student basis, often based on actual numbers that week or month. The owner(s) or board then allocates those funds according to its priorities.
District and charter schools are subject to federal and state laws and polcies, although charter schools may be exempt from some of these and so can set their own policies such as class sizes, hours per subject or teacher qualifications.
UK public schools are traditional LEA (Local Educational Authority), grant-maintained, academy or free schools. LEA schools typically represent a geographic linked to a borough or council and are operated a a part of that council's operations with staff working for the council, policies set by the council and so on. They are funded on a group basis by national government, which can be augmented by council funds, per student according to a formula.
Grant-maintained schools are non-profit private church-sponsored schools paid for by the state, per student according to a formula. Free schools were a short-lived government initiative to set up schools, each with an individual and unique program and character and funded directly by national government per student according to a formula. Several still exist, however the scheme was ended. In essence, they are the same as UTCs (University Technical Colleges), the difference being that the latter are governed by a sponsoring university.
Academies may be single schools or a group of schools, although single academies cannot really function in econoiic terms, are non-profitand governed by a board elected according to their rules and bylaws. They are funded individually and directly by national government on a per student basis, although the board may move funds amongst its schools and allocate them according to its priorities.
UK public schools are subject to national and local laws and polcies accordinf to their type, although free schools and academies may be exempt from some of these and so can set their own policies such as class sizes, hours per subject or teacher qualifications.
Non-public schools are essentially those which derive thier own funding rather than from national or local government, and as a result are not bound by laws or conditiond attached to that funding. US non-public schools may be explicitly exempted from complying with public education law, although of course health and safety, and child protection laws will still apply. UK non-pubic schools must follow relatively more laws, for example they must regularly be inspected under a national quality regime and the results published.
Non-public schools include parochial (attached to and run by a parish or diocese), proprietary (owned by person or company and for-profit), corporate (owned by a corporation such as Meritas) and independent (non-profit or charity). There are also parent-owned and operated co-operative models.
The distinction matters because of who makes the decisions, why they make those decisions, and what those decisions are. These questions will be explored over time, but in essence the answers to these questions determine what happens or doesn't; what is funded or not; what is prioritised or not; what is taught or not; when and how something is taught or not; etc, etc, etc.
It matters because different schools suit different students, families and teachers. For you to know if a school suits you, you need to know who is in control and how the school is funded.
This discussion was further developed here.
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