Let us help you find the perfect English Boarding School

Applying to the right school can be a challenging process, when the school is an English Boarding School in England the process can become dauntingly complex.

The two best pieces of advice, which can be given to overseas parents, are not to leave choosing an English Boarding School until the last minute and not to insist upon a school near London. There is a network of airports throughout the UK and arrangements can always be made for children to be met at Airports or terminals.

More important than location is the type of English Boarding School they have in mind. Should it be co-educational, single sex, have a particular religious foundation; should it provide special facilities for music, dance, sports or drama? It is imperative to consider the child’s academic and emotional needs bearing in mind that the child will spend a large part of every year within the chosen institution.

Overseas parents can find the task of trying to choose a school a daunting one. Prospectuses give an overall picture of a school but it is impossible to get the ‘feel’ of a school from them. Parents should make every effort to visit at least two or three English Boarding Schools with their child before making a decision. This can be difficult for some parents but it does make the experience easier for their child.

When applying initially, parents should send the child’s details to Angloed, copies of school reports and level of English. English Boarding Schools are reluctant to offer a place unless they have some idea of a child’s academic ability. The school year commences in September and is divided into three terms. Autumn term from September to December; spring term from January to March and summer term from April to July. Preparatory schools cater for children between the ages of 7 and 13. Secondary schools caters for children between the ages of 13 and 18+. A homestay option is available for students wishing to go to a Day School whilst living with a British host family.

The best age for overseas children to start English Boarding School in England is at about the age of 9 years in a preparatory school and 11+ or 13 in a senior school. It is unwise to send a child at 15+ because children of the same age will be halfway through the two year GCSE (General Certificate of Secondary Education) course. The child will probably be placed in a lower class where other children are a year or more younger. The first public examinations are the GCSE’s. UK students sit for these exams at the age of 16 after a two-year course.

It is wise to send the child to the UK to an English Language School during the long summer holidays. This is an excellent way to prepare the child for English Boarding School life in England. There are a few residential schools, which offer intensive English plus subjects such as mathematics, some sciences, computer studies, art and music. These schools offer a valuable service because children can embark on these subjects even if their knowledge of English is limited. At the same time they can experience, in a slightly more protected environment, a taste of boarding school life in the UK. During holidays students may return home, stay with the guardian host family or join in supervised activity holidays and school trips abroad.

Looking for an English Boarding School in England? Contact angloed today!