Frequently Asked Questions about British Boarding School
Everything you want to know about British Boarding School – from admissions, school life, school holidays and boarding house arrangement
With its long and unique history and the autonomy in operation, British boarding schools have their own way of handling admissions, teaching and general operation matters. Below we’ve tried to sum up the most common practices, so that parents have a guide to start their research. Our education consultants will provide further advices along the way, as we go through the consultation and admission process.
How should I pick the right boarding school for my children, out of so many options? What are the most common criteria?
- Academic Standard – Look for schools that match your children’s academic ability! Most schools publish public examination results every year. Parents can compare results from different schools (common benchmarks include A*-B and A*-A rates in A-levels) and may refer to ranking tables as initial reference. Typically, top 200 schools are very decent schools with above-average results, while the top 100 include many regional top schools!
- Target Academic Discipline at University – If students have a clear idea of what they want to study at university, parents may want to pay more attention to university destinations. While these destinations are usually quite diverse (as boarding schools typically don’t push students toward certain careers), some schools do provide better support to students who want to apply to medical schools, art schools and music schools.
- Budget – There are three terms in every school year and boarding fees are paid termly. Boarding fees normally includes accommodation, meals and most extracurricular activities, and often cover laundry and book fees. Uniforms and special extracurricular activities (like horse-riding and music instrument lessons) are generally not included in boarding fees. Typically fees increase by 5% to 10% every year and parents should budget these into their financial planning.
- Extracurricular Activities & Facilities – Diverse sports and extracurricular activities is a key feature of a British boarding school education! Boarding schools big and small should provide enough variety for most Hong Kong students. On top of the usual sports and extracurricular activities, some schools provide professional trainings on certain activities, for example, tennis, equestrian, rowing, etc. Some of them even come with world-class facilities and are the school choice of Team GB athletes and can therefore support students to develop these talents professionally.
- Location – For Hong Kong students and parents, the common first impression is that the South of England is warmer, and as it’s closer to London, it’s quite often where school searches begin. While the North and Scotland are generally colder, there are actually not too many days with snow and temperature below 0°C, so it is not too difficult to adapt. With more BN(O) families moving to the UK, more parents are looking for schools near big cities or relatives’ places. We have a good variety of schools that can satisfy most of these requirements. However, as most boarding schools are in rural area and suburban residential areas, there might be a choice to make between facilities and your most preferred locations.
- Other Common Criteria – School atmosphere, boarder population and Hong Kong students at school are other typical criteria. Additionally, some schools provide specialized care for students with special education needs (SEN). Do tell your consultant what you prefer and what you need at the start of the process, so that they can provide the best options for you!
When should I start applying to boarding schools for my children?
Admissions are open all year round in most schools, except for public exam year groups (Year 11 & Year 13). So, no worries even if your children need to transfer to a new school in the middle of the year.
Some more popular schools among local families and Hong Kong parents may only recruit new students in these key year groups:
- Year 7
- Year 9
- Year 10
- Year 12 As independent schools are expensive, many families will only have their children transfer to these schools in sixth form, causing a greater competition in this entry point!
The most prestigious boarding schools – Eton College, Charterhouse, Harrow School, Radley College, etc – only accept students into Year 9 and Year 12, where applications are required 2-3 years in advance.
When is the best time for my children to start studying in the UK?
Of course, apart from these objective criteria, it also depends on more personal factors. Are students happy at their existing school? Are school results going up or down? Does the existing school have enough support for students’ hobbies and interests – academic or in the sport fields?
Will there be any entrance exams?
Students applying for prep schools (Primary schools in UK) often only need to go through reasoning tests and an interview. From Year 7-9 and upwards, entrance tests usually include English, Maths and subject tests. Student applying for Year 10-13 will typically sit a test for each of their elective subjects, to better assess their academic abilities.
What should my children bring from Hong Kong when they study in a boarding school?
Generally, student will have a bedside table, a small wardrobe and a study desk of their own. They are not recommended to bring too many personal items, but photographs and a few posters to decorate their space are always welcome! Younger students may want to bring their favourite doll and a few small toys. Valuable items like designer clothing and jewellery are typically not encouraged. As for entertainment, there will generally be a television, board games, and game consoles like PlayStation and Switch in the common rooms of boarding houses, so that boarders can spend time together and make friends.
If students have long-term medication needs, they can also bring their medicine after informing the school. Medicine will be managed by school nurses for the sake of students’ safety.
Are electronic devices like smartphones, laptops and tablets allowed?
Different schools will have different rules on the usage of electronic devices, but they all aim to help students develop healthy habits and to prevent distractions. For example, smartphones may need to be handed in to the school during lesson time and are prohibited after lights-out in the boarding houses.
What if my children get sick?
How can I contact my children?
What do students do during weekends?
What if my children are homesick?
How much pocket money will my children need?
Do I need to order school uniforms before departure?
What are the typical holidays in UK schools?
Long Holiday | Duration | Date |
---|---|---|
Christmas Holiday | Around 2 weeks | Late December to Early January |
Easter Holiday | Around 2 weeks | Early April to Mid April |
Summer Holiday | Around 1.5 months | Mid-July to Late August |
Apart from these long holidays, there are also the Half-terms holidays and Exeat Weekends. Half-term holiday lasts for 1-2 weeks, as its name implies, in the middle of a term. As there are three terms in a school year, there will be three Half-term holidays.
Exeat Weekends happen once or twice each term. Most schools and boarding houses will be closed during these holidays and boarders will need to stay at guardian’s places. However, some schools will open during Exeat Weekends and even Half-term holidays for international students’ convenience.
School Holiday | Duration | Date |
---|---|---|
Half-term Holiday | Around 1-2 weeks | Mid February*, Mid May and Mid October |
Exeat Weekends | Around 2 days (Friday after school to Sunday) | Varies school by school |
* The mid February half-term holiday may sometimes overlap with the Lunar New Year holiday, where students can come back to Hong Kong! |
What can students do in the guardian’s during holiday?
Can the students go to town or the nearest city during weekdays or weekends?
Are there pickup services from the airport to schools?
How many boarders will there be in a shared room?
In Year 1-9, most boarders will live in the a dormitory of 4-6 students. Year 10-13 boarders will mostly live in double rooms. Parents may prefer their children to have more personal space when they study aboard. However, after they got used to their new boarding and school life, many students might actually prefer bigger rooms, as more roommates mean more fun! Many schools will rearrange the rooms in every term, allowing students to enjoy rooms of different sizes and settings and to meet more friends.
Do boarders have their own bathroom in their room?
Additional Information for Boarding School