boarding schools and colleges

choosing your boarding

school or college
United Kingdom (UK) independent schools are known all over the world for their
excellence. Academic success rates are high, and nearly all independent school pupils
go to university, mainly in the UK. There is a huge choice of schools in England, Wales,
Scotland and Northern Ireland, taking pupils from first school age to eighteen. More
than 600 of these take pupils who board. After going through the UK independent
school system, a child will not only have benefited from one of the best educational
experiences in the world, but will be a fluent speaker of English, which is becoming the
global language of business and commerce.

Checklist: Why should I choose a boarding school or college in the United

Kingdom?

• they offer an excellent education in a stable and safe country

• the UK independent school system develops high academic success, independence
and social responsibility
• you can expect up-to-date teaching methods in small classes, with excellent
facilities, a wide choice of subjects and courses, and concern for your child’s welfare
• sport and cultural activities are considered important to a broad education
• for children with special educational needs, there are many types of schools that
can meet their educational requirements.

1. Choosing a school

Where should I start looking?

One of the best places is probably the Independent Schools Council Information Service
(ISCis), which has a comprehensive and searchable database of its member schools on
its web site www.iscis.uk.net. Other sites that are of use are www.isbi.com and
www.boardingschools.hobsons.com. The British Accreditation Council (BAC) www.the-
bac.org keeps a searchable database of independent tutorial colleges. The Conference
for Independent Further Education (CIFE) provides links to its member colleges from its
web site www.getthegrade.co.uk.

www.educationuk.org
What is the difference between an independent school and an independent tutorial
college?

Independent schools are more traditional, concentrating on the general education of

pupils up to the age of eighteen. Tutorial colleges are usually for those aged sixteen
and above. They offer a wide range of courses in small classes, including career-based
courses and access courses. They also run one year courses to resit A-levels (which
usually take two years).

Can an independent school encourage my child’s sporting excellence?

Independent schools take sport seriously, and often have outstanding facilities. Several
schools offer scholarships or bursaries to talented sports people. You can search the
ISICis database for these.

What qualifications are offered?

Most of the courses work towards standard public examinations. This makes sure that
qualifications are consistent and recognised. These are usually General Certificate of
Secondary Education (GCSEs) for pupils aged sixteen (Scottish Certificate of Education
Standard Grades in Scotland), and A-levels for pupils aged eighteen (Scottish Highers
and Advanced Highers in Scotland). Some Scottish independent schools also offer
GCSEs and A-levels as an alternative or exclusively. It is possible to study for the
International Baccalaureate at many independent schools. There is also an increasing
number of vocational A- and AS-levels. Tutorial colleges also offer foundation courses
and one year courses to retake A-levels.

2. Entrance

Is it difficult to get in?

There is a lot of competition to get into some schools. The most popular schools always
have more applicants than places. There are also academic entrance tests. Most pupils
sit a special examination, the Common Entrance exam, at the age of eleven or
thirteen. This is hard for children who have been through a different educational
system, so international students are usually tested, instead, on mathematics and
English language.

When is the best time to start?

Preferably at the beginning of the academic year (in September) or at the start of a
public examination course. However, whenever a new pupil arrives independent
schools will ensure that they are integrated into both the academic programme and
school life as quickly and easily as possible.

www.educationuk.org
Will my child be able to move on to a United Kingdom university?

Yes, as long as he or she applies in the normal way and achieves the exam grades
asked for by the university. UK universities now charge tuition fees for everyone,
including UK and European Union (EU) students (but EU students pay a lower,
subsidised rate). In Scotland, there is no tuition fee requirement for EU first degree
students. For more information, refer to Applications and Choosing your degree course
and institution in this series.

3. Quality assurance

Will a more expensive school be better?

Not necessarily. Some schools receive endowments, which effectively subsidise tuition
fees. Some UK independent schools are well known throughout the world, and they
may be among the more expensive. To look at academic results, and other indicators of
a school’s performance, links to tables and other information can be found at
www.news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/education/league_tables/default.stm. For more
information, refer to Quality issues in this series.

Are independent schools and tutorial colleges regulated to assure their standards?

Yes. All independent schools have to be registered with the government education
departments in England and Wales, or Scotland or Northern Ireland. Education
departments lay down minimum standards of facilities and teaching and can enforce
them. All independent schools are inspected by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate in the same
way as state schools. There is also an accreditation scheme run by the Independent
Schools Council, which carries out inspections. Tutorial colleges are not inspected by
the government. They can choose to join the Conference for Independent Further and
Higher Education (CIFE). CIFE colleges are inspected and accredited by the British
Accreditation Council for Independent Further and Higher Education (BAC).

www.educationuk.org
 Checklist: Choosing your boarding school or college

• When you are working out the fees, check what they include. Usually, this is tuition,
medical care, accommodation, meals, stationery, textbooks and sport and
recreation facilities, but not uniforms or sports clothes, telephone calls or travel
home.
• Make sure you apply well in advance. To begin a new academic year, usually in
September, you should apply a year before the start date.
• If you think your child could get a scholarship (help towards fees), you should also
arrange for them to take the exam, which is competitive, well in advance. This
could be nearly a year before the start date.
• All schools have different attitudes and cultures. You should look through their
prospectuses thoroughly to find which school offers the features you want.
Prospectuses will also show which schools specialise in sport or other areas.
• Ensure that there are enough boarders at your chosen school to make sure your
child will have company at weekends and half-term holidays.
• Some schools offer special programmes in English as a Second Language (ESOL).
All tutorial colleges offer English language support along with the main subject.

4. Welfare

Are there any legal matters governing children at boarding school?

Yes. All children under the age of sixteen should have a guardian. This should be
someone resident in the UK who can care for them if they are suddenly ill, or during
vacations if they cannot go home. In most of the UK, some schools insist that a
guardian is appointed and others do not – but in Scotland, all schools do. More
information on guardianship can be obtained from ISCis.

Will my child enjoy a safe and happy environment?

The vast majority of boarding students really enjoy their experience and see their
schooldays in the UK as fun. Schools and colleges pay great attention to their pupils’
welfare and try to provide friendly, individual attention and a sense of family.

www.educationuk.org
5. Next steps

Checklist: Your next steps

1. Begin your search for a suitable school or tutorial college well in advance – well
over a year before your son or daughter is to start. Web sites are a good starting
point (ISCis, ISBI, SCIS, CIFE) and the schools’ own web sites should enable you to
look for any special requirements you want.
2. There are several methods of application. You can contact the school or tutorial
college direct to ask for a prospectus or registration form. Applications can be
submitted by the British Council in some countries. ISCis International offers an
alternative application process and can help with finding suitable schools.
3. Fill in and return the registration or application form along with any other
documents you are asked for. These could be a school report, the result of an
English test or a reference.
4. The school or college will want to assess the pupil, either through examination or
by referring to his or her academic record and contacting his or her current head
teacher. Some schools have more formal procedures and examinations than others.
The results of exams are given immediately.
5. The school or college usually asks for a report from the pupil’s current school.
They may also want to interview parents (though they accept that this is not always
possible with international students).
6. If the child has not had to take an exam, the school is likely to prefer an interview,
if possible. If it is not possible, a school or college will usually accept a pupil (or not)
within forty-eight hours of seeing the application form.

6. Where can I find more information?

British Council Education British Accreditation Council for

information Independent Further and Higher
Web site www.educationuk.org Education (BAC)
For further information, you can find Westminster Central Hall
details of your nearest office at Storey’s Gate
www.britishcouncil.org/where/index.htm London SW1H 9NH
, which includes links to all our country Telephone +44 (0) 20 7233 3468
web pages and a worldwide address Fax +44 (0) 20 7233 3470
book giving contact details for all E-mail [email protected]
offices. Web site www.the-bac.org

Independent Schools Examinations

Board (ISEB)
Jordan House
Christchurch Road

www.educationuk.org
New Milton BH25 6QJ Scottish Council for Independent
Telephone +44 (0) 1425 621111 Schools (SCIS)
Fax +44 (0) 1425 620044 21 Melville Street
E-mail [email protected] Edinburgh EH3 7PE
Web site www.iseb.co.uk Telephone +44 (0) 131 220 2106
Fax +44 (0) 131 225 8594
Independent Schools Council E-mail [email protected]
Information Service (ISCis) Web site www.scis.org.uk
Grosvenor Gardens House
35–37 Grosvenor Gardens The Conference for Independent
London SW1W 0BS Further Education (CIFE)
Telephone +44 (0) 20 7798 1500 75 Foxbourne Road
Fax +44 (0) 20 7798 1501 London SW17 8EN
E-mail [email protected] Telephone +44 (0) 20 8767 8666
Web site www.iscis.uk.net Fax +44 (0) 20 8767 9444
Web site www.getthegrade.co.uk
Links with member colleges

While every effort has been made to ensure that the information given here is correct
and up to date, the British Council accepts no legal liability for its accuracy, currency or
completeness.

May 2002

British Council
classification
Schools and colleges

www.educationuk.org