Independent Day School

In the United Kingdom, there are about 950 independent day schools – these are independent schools that don’t have a boarding provision, with a large majority of local British students, and therefore seldom actively recruit students from overseas in the past. However, with the introduction of the Hong Kong BN(O) Visa, independent day schools is now a viable option for families planning to move to the UK.

Like independent boarding schools, independent day schools usually have a strong academic profile and provide better facilities than state schools. According to data from the Department for Education, students in independent schools outperform their peers in state schools. In A-levels 2024, for example, independent schools achieved an overall A*-A rate of 49.1%, compared to the 27.5% rate of state schools.

Why should you consider Joining a Boarding School as a Day Student?

Instead of limiting the search to independent day schools only, families preparing to move to the UK can also consider letting your child join a boarding school as a day student. Here are a few things to consider while making your decision:

• Language Support & Adaption: Apart from a small number of students from expat families ^{(less than 5% of all students in independent schools)}, the vast majority of students in independent day schools are local British students. Therefore, these schools usually don’t provide additional English language and other support for international students. In boarding schools, as they have years of experience taking care of international students – some even have taken international students for over a hundred years – these additional supports are commonplace! Joining a boarding school as day student, students will receive extra English as a Foreign Language (EFL) lessons, and will be under the care of teachers with experience working with international students, making it easier to adapt to a new learning environment of a new language and teaching style.
• Facilities and Extracurricular Activities: Boarding schools, usually located in rural or suburban area, often provide a wider range of facilities and activities for students than independent day schools in urban area. Traditionally boarding schools are also a stronger advocate for extracurricular activities, through which to develop students’ interest and curiosity. Joining a boarding school is an extremely good choice for strudents who have lots of hobbies (especially outdoor ones).
• You could be missing out on the finest schools in the UK: Academic standard of independent schools is in general remarkably high, but the world-renowned boarding schools system is the jewel in the crown of a British education! A number of top boarding schools (such as Eton College, Harrow School, etc) are even considered the most influential schools in the world – not only are their education model replicated in many parts of the world, boarding schools have also edcuaeted 40 of the 58 Prime Ministers of the UK (including Rishi Sunak, Boris Johnson, David Cameron, Winston Churchill, etc). Limiting the search to day schools could just miss out on the finest of schools in Britain!
• Enjoy the best of both day and boarding education: Many boarding schools provide a few boarding options to cater for the needs of different families. In addition to the common Full Boarding option, students can also consider boarding for a few days a week:
  • Full Boarding (staying 7 nights a week)
  • Weekly Boarding (staying 5 nights a week)
  • Flexi Boarding (staying 3-4 nights a week)
  Spending a few nights a week in the boarding house, students will be able to minimize commute time and enjoy the benefits of boarding education, while retaining the weekends for family! For BN(O) families, joining a boarding school also means that you have the flexibility to switch to boarding ^{(subject to availability)}, in case circumstances require parents to return to Hong Kong for a while.

It is common for both independent day schools and boarding schools to offer school bus routes for destinations within a 30 to 40-minute ride. Many of these are cross-city and cross-county routes, so do explore schools in your neighbouring towns and cities too! To help with your search, we’ve already compiled school listings by major cities. Please feel free to obtain them from our education consultants!

With a strong boarding tradition, many British families would let their children board, especially during public exam year groups. According to a 2024/25 survey from Independent School Council (ISC), boarding students make up as much as 31% of student population in sixth form!