UK Boarding Schools

With more than 450 boarding schools to choose from, parents can be rest assured that there will be one that suits their child’s needs

Boarding schools in the UK come in all shapes and sizes. Parents can conveniently organize them into several broad categories based on their preferences on gender (single-sex or co-educational), age range (prep school or senior school), school type (state or public), student body size (small or large), school location (urban or rural), religious affiliation (faith-based or non-faith based) and cost of attendance (low or high).

However, we have seen parents being increasingly swayed by ‘league tables’ and choosing schools purely based on their ranking. This is unhealthy and unwise because ‘league tables’ can be and are manipulated. Above all, these tables do little in showcasing all the important elements that make up a school – the people, the educational philosophy, the ethos and values and the boarding culture. Having an unhappy child at a high achieving school defeats the purpose of education because numerous studies have shown that pupils learn best when they are happy, relaxed and engaged.

As well as their education, parents will also be trusting their children’s day-to-day welfare and happiness to the school so we always urge our parents to look beyond the surface of ‘league tables’ and choose the school that is right for their child’s personal development.