Starting life at a UK boarding school will be one of the most exciting and transformative experiences of your child’s life. The academic opportunities, personal growth and lifelong friendships your child will gain are all incredibly valuable and will shape their future in incredible ways.
However, moving to a new school away from home can bring unfamiliar challenges for students of all ages, and can sometimes lead to feelings of loneliness, homesickness and anxiety during this period of change. It’s natural to feel concerned about how your child will adjust to this new chapter – especially when considering the growing mental health challenges young people around the world face.
With the right support these feelings can be effectively managed, allowing students to make the most of their time at boarding school and reach their full potential.
Pastoral care refers to the support system within a school and is a cornerstone of the boarding school experience. It plays a fundamental role in supporting a student’s overall wellbeing and is designed to help students cope with any issues they may face. Pastoral care is comprehensive, covering everything from mental health support to social and personal development. It’s about nurturing a child’s growth both in and beyond the classroom – helping them build strong values, self-confidence and resilience.
Every school will have its own approach to pastoral care, but all share the same goal – ensuring that students are supported, happy and thriving. Pastoral care staff are often the first point of contact for students who need someone to talk to. In boarding houses this could be their tutor, houseparent, matron or another dedicated person. Our blog on common boarding school terms is a helpful resource for those unfamiliar with these titles.
Whether it’s academic stress or personal issues, these staff members are there to listen and offer guidance. Their primary objective is to support an individual student, and they will work closely with parents to address any concerns regarding their child’s emotional wellbeing. 16+ year old students may request their parents not to be involved.
Academic Families are experts in dealing with any issues that students may face while at their UK boarding school. Our Guardianship Care Managers are qualified Mental Health First Aiders (MHFA). This certification equips them with the skills to recognise any sign of mental health issues and to act early. Our Guardianship Care Managers are trained to –
Our team is here to guide your child throughout their UK boarding school journey – ensuring they have the tools and resources necessary to thrive in every aspect of their experience.
If you’re interested in learning more about how Academic Families can support your child’s mental health at a British boarding school, you can contact our team here.
Together, we can help your child succeed, giving you confidence and peace of mind.
Academic Families is delighted to announce the acquisition of English Country Guardians (ECG), a highly regarded British guardianship company based in the South of England. This partnership reflects both organisations’ shared commitment to providing exceptional opportunities and UK guardianship for international students – from boarding school through to university.
For Academic Families, bringing ECG into the fold helps to widen their network of boarding schools and host families throughout England, and further builds upon their 13+ years of industry experience, professionalism and expertise. The acquisition also provides continuity for students and families under the guardianship care of ECG, as its owner retires and the staff join the wider team at Academic Families’ headquarters in Scotland.
Academic Families and ECG are united by shared values and a student-centred approach. Both companies were founded by strong, visionary women dedicated to providing personalised and high-quality care for international students attending UK boarding schools.
“Joanna has built an incredible organisation with a hardworking, knowledgeable, and independent team. Her child-focused ethos aligns perfectly with ours and we’re excited to build on her legacy.”
- Lorna Clayton MBE, Managing Director and Founder of Academic Families, Owner of ECG
With ECG’s commitment to local care and Academic Families’ extensive resources, the consolidation is a natural fit. Together, the two organisations aim to bring even greater opportunities and support to current and prospective families who want the best education for their children.
For families currently supported by either Academic Families or ECG, your main contact and personalised service will remain unchanged. Additionally, the acquisition brings enhanced benefits for international students attending UK schools -
“Families and host families can rest assured that nothing is changing except for more opportunities and support. Since 2012, I’ve watched Academic Families grow from a small business to a UK-wide organisation, and I’m excited to ensure this transition is seamless for every family.”
- Sophie Clayton, Head of Guardianship at ECG and Academic Families
Joanna has built ECG into the outstanding organisation it is today. Her leadership has created a team that is both hardworking and deeply committed to the international students in their care.
“I am delighted to pass on the leadership of English Country Guardians to my good friend, Lorna Clayton MBE. Lorna has a wealth of guardianship experience since starting Academic Families in 2012 (she was awarded her MBE by King Charles for her Services to Young People).
We have worked closely together to ensure a smooth transition during which time Lorna has proved to be an excellent leader and custodian of our ECG values and service. The ECG team enjoy working with Lorna and Sophie; and I know this dynamic and friendly pair will maintain the care, high standards and reputation of English Country Guardians.
It has been a great privilege to be the Principal of ECG since we started in 2011 and to lead the ECG team to provide the outstanding Guardianship service for which ECG is well renowned.”
- Joanna Winstanley, Founder and Previous Owner of English Country Guardians
To reflect the shared values of the two organisations, ECG now has a new brand identity and a fresh new website with extended content and functionality: englishcountryguardians.co.uk.
"As we welcomed English Country Guardians into our portfolio, we wanted them to truly feel like part of our family, of Academic Families. That includes their brand identity, which we evolved to symbolise the caring nature of high-quality guardianship services."
- Lorna Clayton MBE, Managing Director and Founder of Academic Families, Owner of ECG
The integration of ECG into the Academic Families network marks a significant step forward for both organisations. Together, they are not just expanding geographically but also strengthening their ability to support international students in every aspect of their British education experience – from their first moments of exploring admissions to UK boarding schools to their enrolment in British higher education.
Above all, this acquisition reflects the core values that both organisations share - ensuring that students are safe, happy, and successful. By fostering meaningful relationships between international students and local British host families, they aim to create memorable cultural exchanges and ensure every student has the best possible experience in the UK.
If you’d like to learn more about the benefits of this acquisition or how we can support your family, please contact our team.
For students passionate about swimming, finding a school that actively nurtures their talent is key. UK boarding schools are renowned for their holistic approach to education, and many offer outstanding facilities and programmes for aspiring swimmers.
We have curated a selection of 10 of the best UK boarding schools for swimming, all with exceptional facilities, coaching expertise, and a dedication to helping students thrive both in and out of the pool.
Finding the best UK boarding school for you is our top priority – contact us to find out more about what the schools have to offer.
Bournemouth Collegiate School is a co-educational school located on the south coast of England. The school has multiple sports academies, with swimming being their most successful. The Swimming Academy has produced many national medallists and even some record-breaking Olympians such as Alice Tai. Their excellent reputation for swimming resulted in them being awarded the Independent Schools Association Prize for Sports in 2021.
Make a splash at Bournemouth Collegiate School.
Culford School is a co-educational school set in the beautiful Suffolk countryside. Known for its dedication to nurturing sports talent, Culford provides a 25-metre heated indoor swimming pool and professional coaching through its Swimming Academy, tailored to each student’s needs. The school has a proven track record of producing skilled swimmers who achieve great success in regional and national competitions.
Take the plunge at Culford School.
Eastbourne College, a co-educational school on the south coast of England, offers excellent swimming facilities as part of its broad sports programme. Students that are part of the Swim Club train mornings and evenings, and benefit from a six-lane swimming pool with touchpad timing. There’s also seating for 100 spectators and a plasma screen for competitions. Students are coached by Claire Bryant, a nationally recognised swimmer and water polo player.
Dive into success at Eastbourne College.
Ellesmere College is a co-educational school located in the picturesque Shropshire countryside, near the Welsh border. The school has a Swimming Academy that provides students with fantastic facilities and coaching, whilst ensuring they have plenty academic support. Students consistently achieve national and international medals, making Ellesmere a great choice for those passionate about swimming.
Make waves at Ellesmere College.
Kingswood School, a co-educational institution in the historic city of Bath, offers a thriving Swimming Club supported by a heated indoor pool and expert coaches. Students have the opportunity to compete in local, regional, and national competitions, all while balancing academic excellence with their passion for the sport.
Perfect your stroke at Kingswood School.
Malvern College is a co-educational school set in the stunning Worcestershire countryside. Students benefit from a 25-metre indoor swimming pool within the Sports Complex. The school has experienced coaching staff ready to give students individualised training tailored to their goals. Their strong reputation and outstanding facilities led former Olympian swimmer Mark Foster to host his training camp at the school in 2016.
Dive deeper at Malvern College.
Millfield School is a co-educational school in Somerset and is known as one of the best boarding schools for sports in the UK, with alumni being present at every Olympic games since 1968. The school boasts an Olympic-sized swimming pool and full water polo facilities. Training is offered six days a week and programmes are tailored to the individual student’s goals and level.
Take the plunge at Millfield School.
Plymouth College, a co-educational school in Devon, has excellent swimming and diving programmes, producing Olympic Gold Medallist Tom Daley and World Champion Ruta Meilutyte. The school is partnered with Plymouth Leander, one of the UK’s best Swimming Clubs. This partnership ensures students receive world-class swimming coaching whilst still focusing on their academics. Facilities include both a 50 and 25-metre pool, and a fantastic diving programme.
Make a splash at Plymouth College.
Strathallan School is a co-educational school in Perthshire, Scotland. The school has a Swimming Academy that offers students physiotherapy and mentoring alongside excellent swimming coaching. Academy swimmers have exclusive use of the pool and swim for up to 6 days in the mornings and evenings. Duncan Scott MBE, a previous Strathallan student, became the Most Decorated British Olympian at the Tokyo 2020 Games after winning four medals in swimming.
Reach new depths at Strathallan School.
Whitgift School, an all boys school in Surrey, has an outstanding swimming programme. Students have access to a 25-metre swimming pool and have 14 hours of training available to them per week before and after school. The school takes part in multiple galas and competitions, competing in clubs from across the UK. From first time swimmers to those aspiring to compete at national levels, Whitgift caters for all abilities and goals.
Dive into excellence at Whitgift School.
Beyond the pool, UK boarding schools offer a supportive community, high academic standards, and an emphasis on personal development. Their commitment to nurturing talent ensures that students receive the best possible start in their swimming journeys, equipped with skills to succeed in sport and life.
Contact us to find the best UK boarding school for your child’s swimming aspirations.
Keep an eye out for the next blog post in our ‘Best UK boarding schools for…’ series!
Academic Families works closely with over 450 top UK boarding schools, many of which offer a variety of fantastic summer short courses for children and teenagers. These courses give students the opportunity to take the next step in their chosen career path, build on their skills, and experience British boarding school life.
Short courses provide a fantastic opportunity for children to develop academically, socially, and personally. Whether you’re considering full enrolment at a UK boarding school for your child or simply looking for an excellent summer experience, these programmes offer several key benefits, including:
Architecture courses offer students an immersive introduction to design, urban planning, and sustainable building. Throughout this short course, your child will explore the foundational principles of architecture, gaining insight into the creative and technical processes behind building design.
Students will engage in practical projects, such as designing their own sustainable structures, allowing them to develop skills like spatial awareness and problem solving. These courses also include exclusive visits to leading architecture firms and iconic British architectural landmarks.
These summer experiences are ideal for aspiring young architects seeking to strengthen their portfolios, gain valuable experience, and prepare for university or college applications in the competitive field of architecture.
Through engaging and interactive lessons, students will explore the complexities of economic theory, global financial systems, and recent trends in investment banking.
With visits to leading international investment banks and the London financial district, your child will experience a fast-paced, competitive environment firsthand. This exposure will also prepare students for future university applications and leadership roles within major corporations.
For students interested in psychology and social sciences, these courses provide a great introduction to the fascinating world of human behaviour and societal dynamics. Your child will explore key psychological disciplines, from criminal behaviour to social identity, while participating in interactive seminars, workshops, and real-life case studies.
With career simulations like patient consultations, students will gain practical experience and a deeper understanding of clinical, forensic, and health psychology. Psychology summer courses will also provide a strong foundation for university applications, particularly for those considering psychology or sociology as a career.
If your child is an animal lover and you’re wondering how they can turn that passion into a career, then a summer programme in veterinary medicine and zoology is a perfect match!
Offering students a unique experience in animal care, veterinary science, and zoology, your child will be taught key topics such as animal husbandry, behaviour, and handling while gaining practical knowledge through expert-led workshops.
With exclusive behind- the-scenes zoo visits and shadowing top vets in real animal hospitals, these courses offer a unique glimpse into both wild and domestic animal care. Your child will also build a professional network and gain practical skills that will be invaluable for future veterinary or zoology studies. These summer courses are perfect for students who want hands-on experience in real-world settings, and are designed to boost university applications and inspire the next generation of animal specialists.
Each of the ten UK summer courses we’ve highlighted in our guide offers unique opportunities for students to explore a chosen subject and build a strong foundation for their future. By attending one of these outstanding summer courses, your child will gain invaluable skills, broaden their knowledge, and accelerate towards their goals.
To hear more about a specific course, or to be guided on which one might suit your child best, you can contact our Admissions Team using the form below. More information about the first five subjects we offer can be found in part two, and don’t forget to follow us on Instagram for a sneak peek at life in British boarding schools!
In October 2024 Academic Families launched a new destination to our half term trips, adding Sri Lanka as an option for UK boarding school students at October half term, alongside the very popular Dubai trip. Two of our staff have previous experience of living and working on the island and their knowledge and research proved invaluable in constructing a diverse two week itinerary for our international students.
Although roughly the same size as the island of Ireland, Sri Lanka has two monsoon seasons and so it is always possible to find some sun and avoid the rain in one half of the country. The plan for our students included
With such a packed programme it is difficult to select just a few highlights, but our dawn climb up the very challenging staircases of Sigiriya Rock was breathtaking (literally) and worth the reward of seeing the sun rise over the vast surrounding plain. And all before breakfast.
The students particularly enjoyed the two compact national parks we visited at Yala and Minneriya. Not only for the game viewing opportunities at very close quarters but for the sheer fun of being driven in the open sided jeeps, kicking up the dust and heading into the sunset which lent an intimate feel to the safari experience. All this, and we caught a rare glimpse of a relaxing leopard.
Through adult eyes, the sheer variety and beauty of the island’s countryside was a joy - with nearly every square metre of land providing an abundance of fruit, vegetables and produce. The neat rows of tea bushes, the graceful rubber plantations and the vast paddy fields all gave a sense of a land bursting with nature. We were also struck by the calm and charm of the Sri Lankan people, who are natural and welcoming hosts.
Perhaps for us all the most moving experience was our visit to the Tsunami Museum on the coast near the beautiful walled city of Galle. This sobering memorial to the devastating tsunami that hit the island, and other countries, on 26 December 2004 (long before our students were born) included photos, written testimony of survivors and a train carriage that had been swept far off its tracks. The visit prompted interesting and sensitive discussion within our group.
Academic Families Managing Director Lorna Clayton MBE said of the trip;
"Our packed itinerary, which saw us staying in seven locations over fourteen days far exceeded our expectations. We were very fortunate to have an excellent guide with us throughout our stay. Irosha was clearly passionate about her country and culture, imparting so much of her deep knowledge to our students and opening their eyes to a very new and different environment. We are very excited to be able to offer this half term trip to Sri Lanka to our international students and we are already improving our excellent itinerary to include more adventure activities for our 2025 trip."
Academic Families works closely with over 450 top UK boarding schools, many of which offer an extensive and exciting range of summer short courses. These courses let students explore new subjects, build a variety of skills, and have the opportunity to experience British boarding school life.
In part one of this series, we discussed why summer courses at UK boarding schools are beneficial for children of all ages, providing a guide on selecting the right programme according to your child’s age. To help you choose the best experience for your child from the wide variety of academic options, we’ve spotlighted ten key subject areas for short courses. In this blog, we take a deep dive into the first five before completing the top ten in part three.
Short courses are an excellent opportunity for children to grow academically, socially, and personally. Whether your child is preparing for full enrolment at a UK boarding school or simply wants an exciting summer, short courses offer many benefits such as:
For more detailed information on the benefits of short courses, read part one of this series.
Every little child daydreams about what they want to be when they grow up. Some might choose early on and never waver, while others pick a new path each week. Either way, with so many academic subjects to explore and a never ending plethora of courses at universities around the world, determining what you want to study is no easy feat. Therefore, the sooner a child can “try a career path on for size”, the better!
Although you can search the web for UK short courses offering hundreds of academic subjects, we’ve taken the time to hand pick 10 of the most popular ones that lead to successful university course applications and ultimately, satisfying careers. The short course providers we work with in the UK have all been thoroughly vetted by our Admissions Team to ensure they offer quality, safety and fun.
Below are 5 of our 10 categories which offer a diverse range of subjects to suit your child's interests, whether academic, technical, or creative.
If your child wants to pursue a career as a doctor or biologist, medicine short courses offer an exciting and immersive introduction to the medical profession. Your child will participate in realistic simulations, learn from medical practitioners, and have exclusive access to hospitals and labs.
These courses also help students prepare for university applications, with personal statement guidance, interview training, and University Clinical Aptitude Test (UCAT) preparation. Beyond the classroom, cultural excursions allow students to experience life in the UK while developing their English and broadening their understanding of options within healthcare professions.
If your child is passionate about problem solving and innovation, an engineering themed short course will provide an in-depth exploration of key fields such as civil, mechanical, electrical, and chemical engineering. Through practical workshops, they’ll apply mathematical and physics concepts to fun engineering challenges.
Alongside lessons, students will develop soft skills like leadership, teamwork, and public speaking - preparing them for both university applications and their future careers. Students will also visit top engineering companies to witness industry standard technology and the daily life of an engineer, providing invaluable exposure to career opportunities.
For students interested in the fast paced world of technology, computer science, robotics, and AI courses offer a fascinating experience into the fields shaping our future.
Through a mix of projects and expert led lessons, your child will learn essential skills such as coding, Arduino, and designing robots from scratch. The courses cover a broad spectrum of topics including AI, machine learning, and wireless communication, making for a summer both challenging and rewarding.
By participating in practical workshops, students will also develop their critical thinking, teamwork, and communication skills. Through exclusive industry visits, your child will gain a deeper understanding of what they’re learning, setting them up for success in university applications and their career.
How do you equip students with the skills and mindset needed to succeed in business? Start early! By enrolling them in a British business or entrepreneurship course, your child will learn the fundamentals of commercial enterprise, from developing innovative ideas and business plans to managing budgets and understanding corporate responsibility.
Throughout these courses, students gain practical experience through workshops and group projects, refining their leadership and presentation skills. Exciting trips to leading British and international companies will deepen your child’s understanding of business operations, marketing, and strategies.
If your child has an artistic flair or gift, a structured short course in the UK will give them a precious opportunity to experiment with different artistic techniques and forms, allowing them to explore their creativity and refine their style.
Art and design short courses offer your child the chance to immerse themselves in a creative environment, developing artistic skills across various subjects including illustration, painting, typography, and colour theory.
Courses include visits to renowned British art galleries, where students will gain inspiration and learn about art history and its impact today. A key focus will be on building a professional portfolio, which is essential for applying to creative courses and higher education institutions or colleges. These courses will help your child take the next step towards their creative career in art and design.
We’re thrilled to be spotlighting these incredible courses in medicine, engineering, computer science, business, and art. These summer programmes will deepen your child’s knowledge, build essential skills, and give them invaluable experience in their chosen field. Whether your child is passionate about helping others through medicine or eager to explore their creativity, attending one of these brilliant summer courses will help set them up for future success.
If you would like to learn more about a specific programme or discuss choosing a course with our Admissions Team, contact us using the form below. In the third part of our series, we highlight the next five subjects, helping you decide which one is best for your child
Academic Families is connected with over 450 top UK boarding schools, many of which offer incredible short summer courses. With such a wide variety available, it can be difficult to choose the best one for your child. That’s why we’ve spotlighted ten key subject areas for short courses, reviewed in this three-part series.
Short courses offer excellent opportunities for children of all ages, helping them gain new experiences and skills. Depending on your child's age, certain courses may be more suitable.
When planning a short course abroad - whether to a prestigious place like Oxford, Cambridge and St. Andrews or to another top British boarding school - it’s important to choose the length of time that suits your child.
Short courses range from 2 to 8 weeks, allowing flexibility in planning around summer holidays. If you need advice on the best duration for your child’s summer experience, our team can help you make the right choice.
When exploring options for your child’s summer, it’s important to understand the difference between a short course and a summer camp. While summer camps - often popular in countries like the USA - focus on recreational activities and socialising, short courses in the UK offer a blend of academic learning, skills development, and cultural immersion.
If you're considering a summer course abroad, you might be looking at options in Switzerland, Ireland, Germany, or France. However, sending your child to a short course in England or Scotland offers a unique opportunity for them to experience the prestigious education of a UK boarding school. With a strong focus on academic and personal growth while providing exposure to British culture, a UK short course is a summer adventure that can’t be matched.
Enrolling your child in a short course in the UK offers a range of benefits, including:
In the next post of this three-part guide, we begin to focus on 10 subject areas that are extremely popular for short course admissions, helping you discover the best options for your child.
To begin your child’s short course application, fill in this short form below and one of our Education Experts will be in touch.
The 2024 Academic Families UK Boarding Schools Expos in East Africa provided families with an invaluable opportunity to connect with leading UK boarding schools and explore the unique experiences these schools offer. Building on the success of our 2023 events in Nairobi and Uganda, this year's expos continued to strengthen the bond between prospective students and UK schools, while our Admissions Team offered personalised guidance to help families navigate the options.
The UK has become an increasingly popular destination for East African students seeking a high-quality boarding school experience. Students from this region thrive in the well-rounded environment UK schools provide - where academic success is balanced with enriching extracurriculars. UK boarding schools offer a holistic education that equips students for life beyond the classroom, with hands-on learning opportunities, exposure to new cultures, and pathways to top UK universities.
One of our students, Flora, is from Kenya and has been excelling at Eastbourne College; an exhibitor who joined us at the expos. In a recent interview with us for Upmarket Magazines, Flora shared, "I enjoyed learning in Kenya, but I wanted to try studying in a different place. I had friends who spent Year 9 at UK boarding schools and enjoyed it – that inspired me to do the same. I’ve gained so much by experiencing other places and cultures firsthand.” Flora's story reflects the transformative power of a UK education, and we are proud to have helped her on this journey.
The expos took place over three days in Nairobi and one day in Kampala, where families keen on a British education gathered to meet representatives from 15 carefully selected UK boarding schools. These schools showcased the diversity among UK boarding schools - with a myriad of options in extracurricular specialisations, boarding styles and locations across the UK. Every family had the chance to engage directly with school representatives, and our Admissions Team were on hand to guide them through the process of selecting the best school to fit their child’s unique needs.
A key highlight of the expo was seeing how intently families were listened to, with meaningful conversations tailored to each child’s aspirations. One standout moment was introducing a talented young rugby player to schools known for their sports programmes. His excitement was clear as school representatives shared their state-of-the-art rugby facilities and the opportunities on offer. We’re looking forward to matching him to the best UK boarding school for him that will develop his sporting skills whilst receiving a world-class education.
Another memorable moment was when a family, whose child we placed at Royal Hospital School, returned to express their gratitude. Hearing how their child had thrived both academically and personally was incredibly rewarding, and we enjoyed introducing them to the Royal Hospital School staff representative so they could also share their thanks with the school.
Beyond the expos, we wanted to give school representatives a chance to experience the beauty of East Africa. We organised an early morning safari and ‘bush breakfast’ – an outdoor breakfast picnic - which was a memorable highlight for everyone and helped the UK school staff create even more meaningful connections with the families they met. Our team, several of whom lived in Kenya for many years, were delighted to share their love for the country with the school representatives.
The most significant takeaway from the expos was the shared understanding between families and schools about the incredible fit UK boarding schools are for East African students.
Lorna Clayton MBE, Academic Families’ Managing Director and Founder, summarised the success of the expos best -
“It’s always wonderful to see families’ excitement as they are directed to prospective schools that are a great match for their child and then when they engage with the school and become even more excited as they realise this could be their dream school!
Our personalised service ensures all families are heard and supported individually for each child. We support parents to understand what’s best for their child and then to confirm the best school to meet those needs.
Let my team support your child’s UK boarding school journey.”
If you’re considering a UK boarding school for your child, our Admissions Team is ready to help you. We can navigate you through the options and find the best school for your child’s future success. Arrange a video consultation with us today to start your child’s journey towards a world-class UK education.
How do you choose the best guardian for your child at UK boarding school?
UK boarding schools require international students under the age of 18 to have a local guardian to support them during their time at boarding school. Choosing the right guardian for your child whilst they are living abroad is crucial – you want to make the best choice in supporting your child. To help you decide, we’ve put together a quick list of criteria below.
To ensure your child is safe and receiving the highest quality support, most British boarding schools recommend you appoint an AEGIS or BSA accredited guardian. Choosing a guardianship organisation that is accredited by AEGIS (Association for the Education and Guardianship of International Students) or BSA (Boarding Schools’ Association) will give you peace of mind that safeguarding procedures and standards are being met.
Academic Families receives double accreditation from the BSA and we are fully AEGIS accredited to their highest Gold standard. In addition, our team are trained MHFA (Mental Health First Aiders) so we are qualified to support students with any wellbeing and mental health concerns.
You never know what’s around the corner, so it’s important to have a guardian who’s available whenever you need, in case of emergencies. Simple put: you need someone who can be there for your child when you can’t be. This is where a professional guardian wins over a friend or family. Professional guardians have the time and resources to support you no matter what, along with experience in tackling every situation… which can’t be guaranteed with a friend or family member!
We have local staff across the UK and we’re on hand 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. We can quickly fix any kind of problem – from health emergencies to getting stuck in the airport, or even simply running out of cash while in town or on a school trip.
Every term at boarding school, your child will have a half-term break and usually some exeat weekends too. You might be asking yourself, “What is an exeat weekend?” This is a much-used boarding school phrase and refers to weekends that occur a few times every term when the boarding house is closed and all students leave the school. When you’re looking for a guardian, it’s important to find someone who can help you make arrangements for your child during these school breaks.
What happens during these breaks? You have a few choices, such as:
While your child is in the UK, you need to know that they will be able to travel safely between the school, a host family, and the airport. Professional guardians can organise all your child’s travel arrangements to ensure your child gets wherever they need to be, reliably and efficiently.
Rather than risk a driver from a mobile app such as Uber or Lyft, we can organise transfers to and from your child’s school with security-screened taxi drivers. And we will make sure that even if travel plans don’t go smoothly (such as flight disruptions or cancellations), your child will have help at whatever time of the day or night.
The guardian you choose for your child should be someone you can trust to support your child and ensure they are safe, happy and successful at school. You need to know that you can rely on your child’s guardian to be there for them.
Our team has personal and professional experience with boarding schools. Many of our staff attended boarding schools themselves when they were young or have worked in them. We have all lived overseas and many of us are mothers, so we understand the importance of choosing the right guardian for your child. We offer the same level of support that we would expect for our own family.
The best guardians go above and beyond to make sure that your child is not only safe, but also successful at school. When choosing a guardian, look for someone who will support your child to make the most of their British education and achieve their best.
Academic Families is also here to make sure your child settles well into boarding school life and adjusts academically. From attending parent meetings to acquiring tutors, as your appointed guardian we can take care of everything and anything your child needs.
In addition, we can offer advice and enrolment assistance for a number of short courses throughout the UK to give your child a bit of extra help before or during their boarding school experience. For example, language classes, exam preparations, private tutoring, extra sports training, learning a new skill, etc.
Now that you know what to look for when appointing a professional guardian for your child, your next steps are easy! To register your interest in our Guardianship services, please tell us more about your child. If you have any questions, our highly experienced team would be pleased to answer them for you.
The King, Queen and the Royal Family are one of the unique aspects of the United Kingdom. In 2022 the Queen celebrated her Platinum Jubilee and passed away on 8 September that seem year at Balmoral Castle. Her son King Charles III was officially proclaimed King on the Saturday following the Queen's death. The Coronation of His Majesty King Charles III took place on Saturday 6 May, 2023. We wanted to explain what a Jubilee and Coronation is and highlight some UK boarding schools that have been popular amongst the Royal Family.
The coronation is the official event and physical crowning of a British monarch in front of thousands of guests. It is the formal inauguration of a monarch with their regal powers and is a grand, celebratory event in which the monarch is presented with royal ceremonial objects, such as the Crown Jewels.
The Coronation of King Charles III was watched by millions of people across the world.
A jubilee is an event to celebrate the life or the reign of a monarch (a King or Queen). In 2022, Queen Elizabeth II celebrated her Platinum Jubilee - she had been the Queen for 70 years! Queen Elizabeth II is the first monarch in British history to celebrate 70 years on the throne. This momentous occasion was celebrated across Britain with a Jubilee Weekend from the 2nd to the 5th of June.
Activities and celebrations took place across all corners of the UK including street parties, concerts, Jubilee lunches and beacon lighting. In London, thousands of people gathered to watch the official Trooping the Colour parade. Trooping the Colour starts at Buckingham Palace and involves more than 1400 soldiers, 200 horses and 400 musicians. Find out more about the Platinum Jubilee celebrations.
If you're thinking about coming to the UK for a boarding school education, you might be curious about which boarding schools the Royal Family have previously attended! The Queen herself didn't actually go to school but was homeschooled throughout her childhood. However, most other members of the Royal Family have attended school in the UK. We've put together a list of some UK boarding schools that have proved popular amongst the Royals.
Eton College is one of the most prestigious and well-known boarding schools in the United Kingdom. An all-boys school in Berkshire, England, Eton was the boarding school of choice for both Prince William and Prince Harry. The school has also educated 20 British Prime Ministers and a number of famous actors, such as Eddie Redmayne and Tom Hiddleston.
Before she became the Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Middleton attended Marlborough College - a co-educational independent day and boarding school in Wiltshire, England. Marlborough College welcomes boys and girls between the ages of 13 and 18. Kate is not the only member of the Royal Family who is a Marlborough former pupil. Princess Eugenie, one of the Queen's granddaughters, attended this school too.
Gordonstoun School is a co-educational independent school for boarding and day pupils in Moray, Scotland. The school lies within a 150-acre campus and has been a very popular choice for members of the Royal Family. The late Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Philip, attended Gordonstoun, as did his three sons - the Princes Charles, Edward and Andrew. Two of the Queen's grandchildren, Peter and Zara Phillips, also went to Gordonstoun. This means that three generations of British Royalty were educated at the school. Gordonstoun School is less than two hours away from the Queen's Scottish estate at Balmoral Castle.
Princess Anne, daughter of the Queen and Prince Philip, went to Benenden School - an independent school for girls in Kent, England. Princess Anne is still involved in the Benenden community and occasionally attends events in her role as President of the Benenden Society.
One important contribution that the Royal Family has made to life at boarding school is The Duke of Edinburgh Award. What is the Duke of Edinburgh Award? It is a youth programme that Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, set up in 1956. The award is available in 130 countries as well as most UK boarding schools. The Duke of Edinburgh (DofE) Award is a personal challenge that empowers young people to develop valuable skills, overcome obstacles and build confidence and resilience. It is a great inclusion on your CV!
Whether you want to go to a school attended by the Royal Family or not, Academic Families can help you choose the best boarding school for you.
Choosing the best education for your child is one of your most important decisions as a parent.
We've put together a few things to consider along the way.
Which environment would best suit your child? With over 450 boarding schools across the UK, you can find almost anything! There are schools that:
Where would your child be happiest and thrive? It's a tough decision, but we're here to help you in any way we can.
Check how the school scores on pastoral care. You want your child to be happy and feel free to turn to staff for help on all matters personal and academic.
As a parent, you should feel free to call the school staff should you have any concerns. Pastoral care does not only mean the school matron but a whole array of staff overseen by the head or deputy head.
Many boarding schools have "day pupils" in addition to their boarders, but it is worth checking how many of the boarders are full boarders as opposed to weekly boarders. If there are not many then your child could find themselves with limited company at the weekend and few organised activities to enjoy.
Also, ask what are the arrangements for full boarders to go out at the weekend and how many of them do.
If you are able to visit a boarding school in the UK, then you will be taken around all their outstanding facilities and beautiful grounds. Make sure to ask to see the actual boarding houses, as this is where your child will spend a lot of their time. We help arrange school visits and transfers for parents who want to see a few schools in person before making the final decision.
We understand your family might not have time to visit the UK for school visits. Our Admissions team regularly meet with schools across the UK and understand the differences and details that make each school special. This extensive knowledge and personalised advice will help you make the best decision for your child, whether you're able to physically meet the schools beforehand or not.
Make sure to choose a school which is within reasonable driving distance of the airport. We recommend trying to find a school which is no more than 1.5 hours away.
Also, it is worth thinking about whether a city or more rural location would best suit your child.
Many parents send their children to UK boarding schools to learn or improve their English. It’s important that there is a good mix of nationalities at the school because this will help to ensure English is spoken by all the children in and out of the classroom.
Your child might benefit from some extra tuition in English, check that the school offers English language lessons, or contact us to discuss how we can help arrange for language classes before a school term or during breaks.
Most UK boarding schools offer a huge array of extra-curricular activities and sports so your child should never have an excuse for being bored!
However, some schools tend to specialise in different sports and activities. If your child is very talented at a particular activity, try to choose a school that offers the best facilities to nurture this talent and ask if the school offers any relevant scholarships.
You can also explore our "Best of" blog series that reviews the top boarding schools throughout the UK for football, art, dance, music, rugby and so much more!
If your child needs additional support in the classroom, be sure you share this with the Admissions team so they can confirm the school’s ability to best support your child.
There will be a school that can support your child, whatever their needs or academic ability. We can help you find the best school that will ensure their safety, happiness and success.
That's what we're here for! Get in touch today and we'll schedule a free, private consultation via a phone or video call.
UK boarding schools offer fantastic opportunities for those passionate about dancing, with industry-standard facilities and ideal environments for aspiring dancers to improve their skills. To help you in your search, we’ve put together a list of the 10 best UK boarding schools for dance. All these schools have excellent facilities and exceptional dance programmes, but it is important to find the best school for you that aligns with your individual needs and preferences. Finding the best UK boarding school for you is our top priority – contact us to find out more about what the schools have to offer.
Bede’s School is a co-educational school in East Sussex, England. Bede’s is renowned for its outstanding dance facilities. The school has its own Legat Dance Academy where students are taught by world-class dance professionals. Students are given intensive training in the core subjects of Ballet, Contemporary and Jazz, with supplementary training in Creative, Strength and Conditioning, Tap and Musical Theatre. There are regular opportunities to perform at academy showcases or Bede’s Cabaret show.
Take the stage at Bede’s School.
Badminton School is an all-girls school located in Bristol, England. The school is known for its impressive arts programme that sees students going on to top music and art schools – such as Slade School of Fine Art and the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama. Furthermore, they have an extensive GCSE and A Level Dance programme which allows students to develop their technical skills in a range of styles and performances. A weekly Dance Club is held and covers a wide range of genres. The facilities in the school are very impressive and well-equipped to support all performing arts.
Unleash your inner dancer at Badminton School.
Culford School is a co-educational school in Suffolk, England. It’s one of the best schools in the UK for sports, excelling particularly in dance. Students are taught a variety of genres, along with classes on artistry, performance, creativity and choreography. Classes are held in Culford Hall – which has beautiful and impressive Georgian architecture, but with all the modern facilities any dance student could need.
Choreograph your success at Culford School.
Eastbourne College is a co-educational school in East Sussex, England. With a recent £33 million development, the school has new first-class facilities including a fantastic dance studio. Alongside the GCSE and A Level dance course that students can take, there are also plenty of opportunities to connect with renowned dance companies during workshops and external projects. Eastbourne also offers Arts Awards as a qualification for Sixth formers looking to pursue a professional career in dance – where students are supported by an advisor and creative mentor.
Find your rhythm at Eastbourne College.
Mayfield School is an all-girls school in East Sussex, England. Mayfield has the reputation of being one of the best Catholic independent boarding schools for girls, and students have extensive opportunities in dance, music and drama. These opportunities include the school’s Dance Programme, which provides girls with the opportunity to learn and practise various dance styles including Ballet, Jazz, Contemporary and Classical. Extra-curricular dance classes take place several times a week and girls can participate in the yearly dance show, as well as represent the school in local festivals and compete nationally.
Perfect your moves at Mayfield School.
Queen Anne’s School is an all-girls school in Berkshire, England. Queen Anne’s has a strong reputation for its performing arts, particularly in dance. The school has as many as 9 dance clubs, 3 dance spaces and also successfully prepares girls for LAMDA exams. Queen Anne’s even has its own successful dance company – Twilight Dance Company. Members rehearse weekly and perform at multiple shows and competitions a year. Annual masterclasses with industry professionals are held each year – with Strictly Come Dancing dancers as some of the teachers.
Refine your technique at Queen Anne’s School.
Queenswood School is an all-girls school in Hertfordshire, England. Dance is very popular at Queenswood, and the school holds around eight productions per year for dance and drama students to partake in. Lessons take place in the school’s in-house Dance Studio and are arranged around individual girls’ timetables. There are five contemporary dance clubs for girls of all ages. Visits to the Royal Ballet Company, The Royal Opera House and West End shows are also regularly arranged.
Step into the spotlight at Queenswood School.
The Royal Ballet School is a co-educational school in London, England. The school is one of the world’s best dance schools, and its international reputation ensures students receive an unparalleled dance education. The school offers state-of-the-art rehearsal and performance spaces including six dance studios, changing and shower rooms, a common room, a healthcare suite and gym, a Pilates studio and a physiotherapy treatment space. Students have multiple opportunities to perform in some of the UK's best dance venues, such as Opera Holland Park and the Royal Opera House. The school offers a Healthy Dancer Programme to ensure resilient, strong and nourished students. Students are also provided career planning for a future career in dance in partnership with Dancers’ Career Development.
Elevate your performance at Royal Ballet School.
Strathallan School is a co-educational school in Perthshire, Scotland. The school has a newly built drama and dance studio. Dancers are taught by a Royal Academy of Dance (RAD) qualified teacher and pupils can pursue lessons in a great variety of dancing styles – Highland, Scottish Country, Ballet, Jazz and Commercial. Strathallan caters to students whatever their level of interest in dance is – with excellent facilities for both students who want to pursue dance professionally and for those who want an enjoyable extracurricular.
Discover your potential at Strathallan School.
Tring Park School is a co-educational school in Hertfordshire, England. The school has a reputation for providing a high-quality specialised education which combines the performing arts with more traditional academic subjects. This coaching gives aspiring and talented young performers an advantage when auditioning for performing arts roles at a professional level after school. From Year 7 onwards, the school allows students to specialise in a Performance Foundation course before being given the option to take Dance in Sixth Form. Their facilities include an onsite theatre and five large studios – which are available for students to practise in their own free time.
They have several well-known and highly successful alumni, one example being the actress Lily James who recently received a nomination for an Emmy Award in 2022.
Dance your way to excellence at Tring Park School.
Keep an eye out for the next blog post in our ‘Best UK boarding schools for…’ series!
We're happy to say that the Academic Families cultural and activity trips are fully back up and running. This May half-term we went to sunny Greece with 35 international students from boarding schools across the UK.
The night before we flew to Greece, some of our students came together in Edinburgh with the team and we all had a great evening. Firstly, everyone went out for pizza and then we walked along to the bowling alley and had two rounds of bowling. It got quite competitive in some teams! After a good night's sleep catching up on end of term exhaustion and we were ready to fly to the sun!
Stunning weather and stunning scenery - brilliant blues everywhere! We stayed in a beautiful hotel with an outdoor pool and its own private beach. Throughout the trip, we ate excellent meals and enjoyed a great selection of different food - Greek and international - and there were lots of choices so everyone was happy and full. Ice cream desserts were very popul
ar with everyone!
Whilst staying in such a beautiful and historical country, we made sure to take in as much of the culture as we could. We visited Ancient Nemea - an ancient site in present-day Corinthia where we visited the Temple of Zeus and the ancient stadium. We also visited Athens and saw some incredible ancient landmarks including the Acropolis and the Panathenaic Stadium - the only stadium in the world built entirely of marble - no we hadn't known that either!
At ancient Corinth, our tour guide explained the fascinating history of the area. We learnt that ancient Corinth used to be the
greatest port in the Greek classical world. We saw the astonishing Corinth Canal - a man-made canal that is only 70ft wide at its base.
The half-term trip to Greece was the perfect combination of cultural sightseeing, watersports and relaxation. Boarders are always kept very busy at UK boarding schools so everyone needed some downtime during their May half-term. And what better way to relax than to visit a stunning blue Lake Lagoon and snorkel, swim, sunbathe, kayak and paddle board? The more adventurous members of the group even went water skiing and wakeboarding!
No trip is complete without a birthday and we had a 15th during half-term. To celebrate, we organised a lovely personalised birthday cake and we ensured we held the disco party that night.
Towards the end of the trip, we took a boat trip to the picturesque Greek islands of Aegina and Agistri. Aegina is widely recognised as the home of pistachios and holds an annual Pistachio Festival in September. We were too early for the festival but we tasted some amazing pistachio ice cream and bought lots of pistachios.
We love that our students always share their thoughts and feedback with us ...
"The May half-term trip to Greece has been absolutely amazing. I've had a really great time, mostly because I got to learn about the culture of the people who live here. We got to visit cultural sites and we've also had time to relax and have fun like going to the beaches, the Lagoon, water sports...everything has been amazing!"
Juan Pablo, 15, Greece 2022 half-term trip
"The Greece trip has been my favourite because we've been able to hang out with our friends and also get to know Greece really well."
Yuri, 14, Greece 2022 half-term trip
"This May half-term in Greece has been amazing because I've learnt a lot of new things and I've made new friends. We've been to lots of different places and it's been really nice."
Anto, 15, Greece 2022 half-term trip
Find out more about the exciting trips we offer to students at half-terms throughout the year.
British independent and state boarding schools are two options for parents contemplating a UK boarding school education for their child. While both share some characteristics, they can differ significantly in governance, funding, admissions, education, extracurriculars and facilities. Therefore, parents need to understand and carefully consider the differences between the two, so they can decide on the best option for their child.
It’s important to note that students wishing to apply to British state boarding schools must have one of the following –
British independent boarding schools are privately funded institutions that provide a high level of education and often have a long-standing history of academic excellence. These schools have more flexibility in their curriculum, teaching methods, and overall approach to education as they are not government-owned. They generally offer a wider range of subjects and extracurricular activities, allowing students to explore their interests and talents. Independent boarding schools also tend to have smaller class sizes, allowing for more personalised attention and support for students.
British state boarding schools are funded and managed by the government. These schools follow the national curriculum set by the government, ensuring that all students in the UK receive a standardised education. State boarding schools may have larger class sizes and fewer resources compared to independent schools. However, they often have a great mix of students, including local students who live at home and international students who live in school boarding houses.
Independent schools have the capacity to offer a wider curriculum which can be highly beneficial for students, allowing for a more flexible and diverse range of subjects. They usually offer additional music, arts, drama and sports courses alongside the primary subjects.
State boarding schools, on the other hand, offer a quality education within the guidelines of the curriculum set by the government, focusing on core subjects such as English, Mathematics, Science, and Humanities. While they may offer some practical subjects, such as Design and Technology, the range of choices may be influenced by government policies and budgetary constraints.
In terms of teaching methods, independent boarding schools emphasise a more student-centred and interactive approach, encouraging critical thinking, creativity, and independent learning. State boarding schools follow a more traditional teaching approach, focusing on structured classroom learning and exam preparation.
Both independent and state boarding schools may have limited availability, especially for certain year groups or popular programmes. We advise starting the admissions process around 18 months before the desired start date and thoroughly research the requirements for each school you’re considering.
Independent schools often have a competitive admissions process, which may include entrance exams, interviews, and assessments. They will also consider the student’s academic achievements, extracurricular involvement, and personal qualities.
State boarding schools have a more straightforward admissions process, but some still require entrance exams or interviews. They also often have very limited places for boarders.
The social environment and extracurricular activities offered by British independent boarding schools and British state boarding schools can significantly impact a student’s overall experience.
Independent schools have a strong focus on providing a supportive and nurturing community, fostering close relationships between students, teachers, and staff. Regarding extracurricular activities, independent schools offer an extensive range of options for students to explore their interests and strongly encourage students to participate. Their facilities are often very impressive and modern, with some schools even having academies for specific activities.
While state boarding schools still offer extracurricular activities, their offerings will sometimes be influenced by a lower budget, making for a more limited choice compared to independent boarding schools.
Independent schools usually have modern and well-equipped boarding facilities, providing a comfortable and supportive living environment for students – including single or shared bedrooms, communal areas, and recreational amenities. They have dedicated staff members – House Parents – who oversee the welfare and pastoral care of the students, offering guidance, support, and a sense of belonging.
State boarding schools often have pleasant boarding facilities too, but these schools might have a smaller number of staff members dedicated to pastoral care – despite this, they still strive to create a safe and nurturing environment for students.
It’s crucial to remember that independent and state boarding schools have varying boarding facilities – often due to budget constraints or historical infrastructure – and to do research when considering schools if you have preferences for your child. With over 450+ boarding schools to choose from in the UK, it can be difficult to know where to begin your search. As BSA Certified Agents and British Council Certified Agents, Academic Families has extensive knowledge of UK boarding schools and can help you find the best matched school for your child. Enquire to be contacted by one of our Admissions staff and learn more about the UK boarding school admissions process.
Both British independent boarding schools and British state boarding schools often have a diverse community of international students. However, the proportion of international students differs between schools and locations within the UK. Additionally, due to the stricter guidelines for international admissions to state schools, state schools will usually have lower numbers of international students than independent schools.
Independent schools tend to attract a higher number of international students, offering a multicultural and globally diverse learning environment. This can provide valuable opportunities for cultural exchange, language learning, and the development of a global mindset. This diversity also enhances social skills, exposing students to different cultures, customs, and perspectives.
State boarding schools also welcome international students who fit their admissions criteria but focus more on enrolling students in the local communities. If schools are in large cities like Birmingham or London, the local students will be a wide range of nationalities too, contributing to the school’s diverse population. Wherever the school is situated, state boarding schools still provide a rich cultural experience and opportunities for international students to integrate with local students and learn about the British education system and culture.
Independent boarding schools have tuition fees of varying amounts. However, they may also offer a very limited number of scholarships, bursaries, or financial aid programmes to support students who require it. In addition to tuition fees, parents should also consider other costs such as boarding fees, uniform expenses, and extracurricular activity fees.
State boarding schools are funded by the government, and therefore parents must pay the boarding fees alone – no tuition fees. However, eligibility for some state boarding schools may be limited due to specific residency requirements or other eligibility criteria set by the government.
It’s essential to research the financial options available and consider your budget and financial circumstances when deciding between independent and state boarding schools.
Choosing the right British boarding school for your child is a crucial decision that will impact their education and overall development. Ultimately, the best British boarding school for your child depends on their individual needs, preferences, and circumstances. It’s important to visit different schools, talk to current students and staff, and consider all aspects of the education and boarding experience before making a final decision.
By considering the differences between British independent boarding schools and British state boarding schools, parents can make an informed choice that will provide their child with a high-quality education and a positive educational experience.
Academic Families understands all the details that must be considered when deciding which school your child will attend. Our Admissions Team places international students at independent and state boarding schools throughout the UK every year – and can advise on which school will best suit your child’s needs. Enquire to have one of our Admissions Team contact you to begin your child’s exciting UK education journey.
With the Masters Tournament finishing last month, you might be thinking about how to develop your golf game to the best of your abilities. The UK is home to many boarding schools with excellent golf facilities and impressive state-of-the-art technology so you too can improve every aspect of your game. Here is a list of 10 of the best UK boarding schools for golf.
Bedford School is an all-boys school located in Bedfordshire, England. The school is partnered with Woburn Golf Club, which is home to three championship courses. Bedford also provides several golf scholarships in partnership with the club, regular professional coaching and access to advanced golf courses. Bedford golfers compete at the highest national level competitions and are among the best in the country.
Perfect your swing at Bedford School.
Culford School is a co-educational school in Suffolk, England. It has exceptional golf facilities, including a golf studio, driving range and short course practice area set in the picturesque countryside. The Golf Academy offers professional coaching and training opportunities, providing students with access to industry-standard facilities to develop their skills and compete at the highest levels. With a rich history of producing talented golfers – and ex-PGA European tour professional, Lawrence Dodd as Head of Gold - Culford School is an ideal choice for aspiring young golf enthusiasts.
Tee off at Culford School.
Ellesmere College is a co-educational school in Shropshire, England. The Golf Academy benefits from outstanding facilities, professional coaching, regular training and academic support. It is open to both boys and girls, and students will have the opportunity to compete in national tournaments. Facilities include a CONGU-certified nine-hole golf course, an indoor SkyTrak facility, an artificial putting green and access to strength, conditioning, fitness and cardiovascular gyms on campus, supervised by a fitness coach.
Hit a hole-in-one at Ellesmere College.
Glenalmond College is a co-educational school in Perthshire, Scotland and boasts fantastic golf facilities. The school has a 9-hole golf course which was designed by James Braid (a Scottish professional golfer and a renowned golf course architect). Glenalmond has also recently built an Indoor Golf Hub and runs its own ‘Glenalmond Golf School’ – a golf programme which makes this sport accessible to all. Glenalmond College runs an annual golf tour for pupils to the Scottish Highlands.
Master the green at Glenalmond College.
Loretto School is a co-educational school located just outside of Edinburgh, Scotland. It’s renowned for its excellence in golf and has some of Scotland's most impressive indoor training facilities. The Golf Academy was established in 2002 and is one of the leading golf academies in Europe. Loretto’s location makes it ideal for golf lovers – being very close to the oldest golf course in the world, with other incredible links courses in the surrounding area. Their Golf Academy opened a cutting-edge indoor golf centre in 2015, and the school attracts international young golfers from all over the world. Loretto runs golf camps throughout the year and arranges golf tours to various destinations around the world.
Refine your golf skills at Loretto School.
Malvern College offers fantastic golf facilities, including a SkyTrak Launch Monitor and net system that was installed in 2018. Golf is played by both girls and boys and is the only sport at Malvern College that is played competitively in all three terms, with the school playing over 20 matches per year. The Golf Centre is under cover which allows for training in any weather throughout the year.
Excel in training at Malvern College.
Merchiston Castle School's Golf Academy consistently ranks in the Top 10 at ISGA tournaments. The academy creates a personalised performance programme for each student that sits alongside the holistic education Merchiston provides. Students will benefit from tailored coaching aligned with their goals, a thorough match and tournament schedule, and customised conditioning and performance training provided by the acclaimed 'Golf Fit' team, renowned for their expertise in working with elite professionals worldwide. Students also have access to the first-class partner club - Swanston Golf Club.
Play a round at Merchiston Castle School.
Millfield is a co-educational school in Worcestershire and has been named the top sports school in the country for the 10th time in 11 years by School Sport Magazine, holding a reputation for being one of the best boarding schools for sports in the UK, including golf. The onsite outdoor facilities are phenomenal, featuring two putting greens, a nine-hole pitch and putt course, a specialist short game area, a 350-yard long driving range, and the recently inaugurated John Graveney Golf Centre. This includes an 81 square metre Huxley putting green, two teaching bays with the option for outdoor practice, and an additional 6 practice bays. Students further benefit from coaching using V1 video analysis to enhance their skills and have access to GC Quad and SkyTrak for comprehensive club and ball data analysis, including putting.
Unlock your potential at Millfield School.
Strathallan School is a co-educational school in Perthshire, Scotland. Strathallan offers outstanding golf facilities, including a beautiful 9-hole golf course on campus that opened in 2022. In addition to this, Strathallan launched a golf simulator in 2023 for training throughout the year. The high-end simulator features a TrackMan system which delivers meticulous precision measurement of club & ball data, impact location, full ball flight numbers, video analysis and data reports tailored to each individual student.
Advance your techniques at Strathallan School.
St Leonards is a co-educational school located in St Andrews, Scotland - the home of golf. Students train at the St Andrews Links Academy, benefitting from some of the finest facilities and tracking technology in the world - including Top Tracer, Digital V1 Pro, Trackman and SAMPuttLab systems, as well as a BodiTrak BalanceLab to evaluate balance and weight transfer during a golf swing. St Leonards is also well known for its six-tier Golf Programme. Pupils of all ages and abilities have the opportunity to participate, from beginner to elite level. With access to seven golf courses in the town, St Leonards offers a very unique opportunity and attracts students from all over the world.
Sharpen your game at St Leonards School.
Keep an eye out for the next blog post in our 'Best UK boarding schools for...' series!
Adventure, action, exciting new experiences, learning new skills, improving languages and academics – we have it all here in the UK, the home of world-class education. Learn more about summer courses at UK boarding schools and discover which one will be best for you.
A short course in the UK is ideal for international students who are preparing to attend a UK boarding school, as well as those who simply want a fantastic summer experience in the UK.
It's a great opportunity to experience a taste of life in a British boarding school – you'll stay in a boarding house with other international students and be looked after by experienced pastoral staff.
There are so many short courses to choose from – each one usually focuses on a specific subject, sport or activity – so you can find the perfect course to suit your interests and ambitions. These courses also provide plenty of opportunities for sightseeing and making new friends from around the world.
If you're considering coming to the UK for a short course and feel overwhelmed by all the different choices, Academic Families can help find the best short course for you.
Summer in the UK is a very exciting time for international students to visit. Whether this is your first time in the UK, or you have been here before, there is so much to do and see.
Participating in summer programmes at UK boarding schools offers numerous benefits for international students –
Overall, participating in a summer course at a UK boarding school offers a unique and enriching educational experience that combines academic learning with personal growth and enjoyment.
UK boarding schools offer a wide range of summer school subjects. Some examples include –
If you would rather participate in a more activity-based short course, UK boarding schools offer a wide variety of courses focusing on popular activities too –
These are just a few examples – there are many more available if you have other interests you wish to pursue. Enquire with us now to discover the full list for this coming summer.
Choosing the right summer short course in the UK is a big decision and it's important to consider all the factors.
Contact Academic Families with your dates and your top priorities for what may turn out to be the best summer of your life so far.
British universities are recognised internationally for their excellent standards of education. With cutting-edge research facilities and faculty members at the forefront of their fields, it’s no surprise that places at UK universities are highly in-demand. But what can you do to increase your chances of getting a place at the university of your choice? Attend a UK boarding school!
UK boarding schools see a fantastic acceptance rate for students applying to the best global universities including those in the UK, the rest of Europe and the United States. Whether you want to study at one of the many prestigious universities in the UK or at a top university elsewhere in the world, a British boarding school education will set you up for success.
In fact, recent statistics show that,
Learn more about life at a UK boarding school and how we can support you while you’re in the UK.
Attending a UK boarding school is the clearest pathway for international students to attend university in the UK. Going to a British boarding school will allow you the opportunity to:
By attending a UK boarding school, you will gain qualifications that UK universities know and recognise. Having recognised qualifications makes the admissions process much smoother. You will also be better prepared for the British university system than those who are coming to the UK for the first time for university. Find out more about the different exams at UK boarding schools.
During your time at boarding school in the UK, you will also make valuable connections with other students and alumni. These connections often prove paramount in creating opportunities for you later in life. Furthermore, you will have a support network of friends in the UK before even beginning your university studies.
There is also the added benefit of acclimatising to British culture before attending a UK university. Attending boarding school offers a nurturing environment, where you can ease into British life with the support of boarding school staff and your peers. By the time you get to university, you’ll have learnt how to do all the basics like navigate public transport or buy something in a shop.
Boarding schools allow students to gain a sense of independence which can help them prepare for life at university. At school, you’ll have more responsibility than children who live at home, so by the time you get to university you’ll have a great head start when it comes to living independently!
For international students who want to attend university in the UK or another English-speaking country, being confident in understanding and using English is important. Coming to boarding school will surround you with native English speakers. You will also have opportunities to benefit from additional English language lessons at school. Generally, students find that attending boarding school significantly improves their English language skills. You’ll also learn some boarding school lingo which will be relevant to your time at university too. This way, you will be well-prepared and able to reach your full potential at university. Furthermore, most universities require a pre-entrance English language exam, so the better your English, the more chance you have of being accepted.
You can also take advantage of the two-year post-study work visa after you graduate university. This allows you to cement your life and career in the UK. The visa allows any international student who has completed a course of study at undergraduate level or above to work or look for work for two years after finishing their studies.
It's not just British universities that are internationally recognised - read 10 reasons why British boarding schools remain among the best in the world.
Give yourself the best chance of succeeding at university by enrolling in a UK boarding school. Get in touch to discover how we can help you find the best boarding school for you.
One of the most important decisions a parent can make is where to send their child to study. There are lots of areas to consider and the outcome of your choice will help to build your child's future.
Parents regularly compare South African and UK boarding schools as an option for their children. We are here to help you understand the differences between the two and assist you in making your decision.
● Boarding houses in South Africa typically use a vertical boarding style as opposed to horizontal boarding.
● In comparison, schools across the UK vary in boarding styles, allowing you to select the best fit for your child.
Pastoral care at British boarding schools is unrivaled, giving you peace of mind about sending your child abroad.
● The UK has a long history of boarding experience and with such a diverse set of students, the pastoral system has been set up well.
The UK continues to grow in terms of cultural diversity. This is reflected in UK boarding schools, where placements feature students from all over the world and benefit from close links to Europe.
If you choose to study in the UK, you are choosing internationally respected qualifications for your child. With GCSEs, A-levels and International Baccalaureate, your child can gain access to universities and jobs across the world.
● There are international bodies in South Africa that offer GCSEs and A levels, but the ‘matric’ system is not equivalent to British qualifications.
● Your child may have to do a foundational year at a British university if you choose a boarding school in South Africa.
Learning English should be a key priority for your child and there is no better place to do this than in the UK. Your child will be fully immersed in the language and vastly improve their conversational as well as written English.
Academic Families understands the weight of the decision surrounding where to send your child to school. We hope that this article has aided in understanding some key points. As part of our services we offer expert advice in selecting the right boarding for your child.
Academic Families is delighted to announce our feature in King Charles III coronation and 75th birthday commemorative album. The feature highlights our professionalism and competence as international education experts and as a guardianship provider.
King Charles III: The Leadership and Vision of a Modern Monarch is an expertly researched, wonderfully written and beautifully illustrated hardback book by royal biographer Robert Jobson. It also features the work of royal photographer Arthur Edwards. The book follows Charles’ life from his early years through to his coronation as king, and his intentions for his new position.
Additionally, the book highlights specific examples of achievement across social, cultural, technological, and commercial spheres. This is where Academic Families comes in, as we are one of the few companies showcased in the book for our achievements as international education experts, in student admissions and guardianship.
To celebrate this exciting feature, two of our staff were invited to the launch night of the book in central London. Lorna Clayton MBE (Managing Director and Founder) and Catriona Murphy (Digital Marketing Manager) attended the book launch which was held at Claridge's in Mayfair. The event took place on King Charles III's 75th birthday and was a fitting celebration of both His Majesty's birthday as well as the publication of the fully illustrated commemorative book in honour of His Majesty. It was very interesting hearing from Robert Jobson about the making of the book and his insight into King Charles III's life.
Our staff were very pleased to see Academic Families' feature in King Charles III: The Leadership and Vision of a Modern Monarch, which also features a fantastic variety of other innovative and exciting companies and brands.
"We’re very proud to be featured in this fantastic book with so many other interesting organisations aligned with King Charles’ vision." - Lorna Clayton MBE
King Charles III: The Leadership and Vision of a Modern Monarch is available to order from the St James's House website and is forecast to become another treasured collector's item from St James's House.
If you are interested in finding out more about our international student admissions and guardianship services, please contact us.
Our Founder and Managing Director, Lorna Clayton has been recognised by King Charles in his first Birthday Honours list with the award of MBE (Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire).
The tradition of bestowing honours by the monarch has a long-standing history, symbolising royal recognition and appreciation. The King's Honours system, which includes the Order of the British Empire, was established in 1917 by King George V during World War I.
This order acknowledges exceptional contributions across various fields, including arts, sciences, sports, philanthropy, and public service. Today, the Honours system is still considered to be a prestigious recognition of exceptional individuals who have made significant contributions to society.
Want to know more about the monarchy and their connections to UK Boarding Schools? See our post to learn which boarding schools the Royal Family attended.
One of the most widely recognised accolades within the Order of the British Empire is the MBE. Awarded to individuals who have rendered noteworthy service to their communities or have made a significant impact in their respective fields, the MBE holds immense prestige and carries with it the post-nominal letters MBE.
Other awards within the Order of the British Empire include OBE, CBE and DBE – Officer, Commander and Dame respectively.
The MBE is typically awarded through the recommendations of various institutions, such as government departments, professional bodies, or members of the public. A thorough vetting process is undertaken by advisory committees, which assess the nominee's achievements, impact, and contribution to society. Their recommendations are then reviewed by higher authorities, culminating in the final selection process by the monarch.
To be considered for an MBE, individuals must demonstrate exceptional achievement or service that brings notable benefit or distinction to the community or nation.
Honourees can come from diverse backgrounds, encompassing fields like business, education, healthcare, charity work, and more. It is essential to showcase long-term dedication, innovation, and a positive influence in their respective areas of expertise.
For many years, Lorna has focussed on transforming lives through education and cultural exchange. When she lived in Kenya in the 1990s, she founded Assist a Child To School, an education charity operating in Kenya and the UK. The organisation focuses on funding education for underprivileged children, enabling them to access quality learning opportunities and break the cycle of poverty.
Lorna's commitment to education extends beyond her charitable work. She played a pivotal role in Kenya by training guide leaders - empowering them with the skills needed to guide and support young people in their educational journeys.
What does Lorna and Academic Families do?
For more than ten years, Lorna has expanded the educational services her company offers, and these achievements continue to be acknowledged by many of Lorna's peers. In fact, just recently, Academic Families was included in Fortune’s Top 25 Boarding School Advisors.
Lorna's efforts in advancing education and cultural exchange have had a profound impact. By funding education for the needy, she has provided opportunities for countless children to access education and fulfil their potential. Through her work with guide leaders in East Africa, she has contributed to the personal and educational development of young people in Kenya. Furthermore, her establishment of Academic Families has enabled international students from around the world to access the best boarding school education available. She has facilitated cultural exchange and fostered understanding among young students from diverse backgrounds, which also helps support local school populations with their own internationalisation efforts.
The exceptional contributions made by Lorna Clayton in the field of education and cultural exchange have garnered significant recognition. Her tireless dedication and transformative impact have now been recognised by King Charles with her MBE award for Services to Young People.
The honours process acknowledged her outstanding achievements, the positive influence she has had on the lives of countless individuals, and her unwavering commitment to improving educational opportunities for all.
Lorna Clayton's remarkable journey, marked by her philanthropic efforts in education and cultural exchange, exemplifies the essence of the MBE award. Her unwavering commitment to empowering children through education and facilitating cultural understanding makes her a deserving recipient of this prestigious award. She looks forward to receiving her MBE at Windsor Castle in December 2023.
"I am proud and humbled to have been recognised in the King’s Birthday Honours list with an MBE for services to young people." - Lorna Clayton MBE
Sending your child to a boarding school in a completely different culture from what they’re used to may be a daunting idea, and we understand this fully at Academic Families. We provide services of Admissions, Guardianship, and Hosting – meaning we’ll help find your child the best-fit boarding school for them, look after them while they’re here to ensure they’re happy and successful, and provide safe accommodation for them when they need it.
Academic Families launched in 2012 and we have been offering our educational consultancy services in the East African market since 2016. However, our personal ties to East Africa began over three decades ago…
Lorna Clayton, our Managing Director and Founder, first visited Kenya in 1988 for a fun three-week holiday when she was just 25 years old. She travelled with her boyfriend who later became her husband. They both fell in love - with each other and with the country! Through her husband’s work, in 1993 they were given the opportunity to relocate from South America (where they were living at the time) to Mombasa.
With a six-month-old baby when she moved and another one on the way soon, Lorna knows and loves Kenya for its loving and sociable community, remembering it as a great time in her life as a young mother (little did she know that her six-month-old baby would end up working alongside her and leading our Guardianship Team!).
While there, Lorna co-founded a charity called ACTS (Assist a Child To School), which she later extended to a UK branch in 2001. ACTS Kenya focuses on funding education for children in poverty. They set up nurseries and primary schools, organised projects that helped unemployed mothers get work, and had a medical programme for children who were too unwell for school. ACTS Kenya now primarily focuses on the sponsorship of children to go to school, and Academic Families has made a commitment that our future Kenya holiday trips will include visiting these children and their schools. We come away from these visits emotionally touched and motivated to make a difference, and we love now bringing our Academic Families' children with us to experience the same thing.
In 2002, Lorna and her family moved back to the UK after her husband had a change of career and both he and Lorna wanted to be near extended family again. When asked what she misses most about Kenya, Lorna reminisced on the great lifestyle, solid families with polite children who were very sociable and resilient even at a young age. She also misses the hot weather, something that can be quite rare in her home of Scotland.
Lorna’s not the only Academic Families staff member with strong ties to Kenya. Roni Jennings, our Head of International Admissions, also lived in Mombasa – initially moving for a two-year teaching contract in 1993 but ended up staying for 18 years (where she also taught Lorna’s two children how to swim!).
Roni came from an overseas background, as her parents had lived abroad for many years in countries such as Oman and Guyana. She also attended international schools before returning to the UK for boarding school at St Margaret’s in Edinburgh, Scotland.
Both of Roni’s children were born and educated at school in Mombasa before returning for their secondary education in the UK. Roni has fond memories of her family life in Mombasa, where she enjoyed weekends socialising with friends and soaking up all the coastal town of Mombasa has to offer.
As Head of International Admissions, Roni’s extensive knowledge of the Kenyan schooling system helps greatly when meeting Kenyan families and understanding where they are coming from. In addition, her personal experience of UK boarding schools ensures she knows what to look for when a child or parent has specific criteria for a school.
Academic Families have also committed to visiting Kenya regularly over the past five years, attending various educational fairs and meeting up with families interested in UK education.
In 2023, Academic Families added Kenya to one of the holiday trips offered to international students studying at British boarding schools. This once-in-a-lifetime trip was a great experience for our group of 16 teenagers where they took part in charity and environmental projects in Nairobi, Amboseli and the coast.
What started out as a one-off holiday trip has now become a regular feature in the full selection of escorted trips we take boarding school students on throughout the year. We can’t wait to go back next term!
Both Lorna and Roni are very integral to Academic Families and enjoy meeting new students who come to the UK for boarding school. As two friends who met in Kenya in the 90s, to becoming colleagues at Academic Families when Roni moved back to the UK, they both have endless amounts of information and experience. They would love to chat with any parent who is considering placing their child in a UK school so that they can advise the best possible fit for the child. Send us an email at hello@academicfamilies.com to find out more or request a call.
Football, sometimes known as soccer in other countries, is a favourite national sport in the UK. The country has produced some of the world's greatest football players. Many of these world-class football players have attended boarding schools in the UK. Here they can fine-tuned their skills and developed a passion for the sport. Lots of schools offer football academies and some of the best UK boarding schools offering football academies include:
This school is known for excelling across multiple disciplines, notably football. Their world-class sporting facilities include a water-based astro pitch and seven full-size grass pitches, providing many pupils with the opportunity to pursue their sporting dreams. Bede's School Football Academy runs throughout the year, with a new Girls Football Academy launching in September 2023. Both Michael Keane (Everton) and Solly March (Brighton and Hove Albion) were students at this school.
Known for the excellent education that it provides; this school boasts impressive exam results and one of the best IB experiences in the UK. On top of this, their range of facilities allows their students to participate in sports, such as football, at a high level, often competing at national level. Frank Lampard, ex Chelsea midfielder and manager, graduated from Brentwood School.
A prestigious school with a rich history, that has an excellent sports programme, providing an outstanding programme of specialist coaching for their elite sports students. Their sporting facilities include a full-sized astroturf complex with floodlights, a Sports Hall, and over 50 acres of well-maintained grass pitches. England international and Newcastle United goalkeeper, Nick Pope, attended King's School, Ely.
Holds a reputation for being one of the best boarding schools for sports in the UK with an academy-level development pathway. They have excellent facilities (11 full sized pitches and three training areas) and a team of 19 coaches (2 UEFA A and 3 UEFA B licenced coaches). Notable alumni including England and Aston Villa Centre Half, Tyrone Mings.
Repton has a very strong national reputation for football and in recent years a number of players have start professional careers. Most notable of these is Premier League footballer, Will Hughes, at Derby County, Watford and Crystal Palace. Their football programme develop students to progress to train with the youth teams at professional clubs as well as coaching students who enjoy the keenly contested internal House league rather than
These UK boarding schools provide a world-class education and a supportive environment for aspiring football to develop their skills and pursue their dreams. International students can benefit from attending UK boarding schools, as they provide an opportunity to experience a new culture and make new friends from around the world. The UK is home to some of the best boarding schools in the world.
It is important to research different boarding schools and their football programmes if you are an international student interested in studying and playing football in the UK. You should also consider factors such as location, academic reputation, and extracurricular activities when making your decision.
UK boarding schools have played a significant role in the development of great world-class football players. Brentwood School, Repton School, Millfield School, Bede's School and King's School, Ely are amongst the most prestigious UK boarding schools with programmes in place to develop outstanding football players. These schools also welcome international students so are ideal choices for aspiring football players who also want to study at a world class boarding school. However, each school has different strengths and is looking for specific students to meet their entrance requirements so specialist support to short list and apply is always recommended to maximise each student’s chance of success.
This Easter holiday Academic Families took a group of motivated teenagers on an unforgettable journey through Kenya. We supported several amazing projects on land and sea, connecting with wonderful people along the way.
The adventure began in Nairobi, Kenya's vibrant capital, where we settled into a comfortable hotel. Our first day was hands-on, starting with a visit to a baby elephant orphanage. We fed and learned about these incredible animals, understanding the challenges they face from climate change and poaching. Next, we fed giraffes from a tall platform, marvelling at their long tongues which curled around our hands - resulting in many squeals of shock!
The first of our volunteering projects was our visit to Alive and Kicking, the world’s only not-for-profit football manufacturer. Here we saw all the steps of the process of manufacturing footballs by hand – only one of two projects worldwide doing this.
This charity organisation employs people who have never previously been employed, creating jobs and life-changing opportunities for their staff. Each person is trained to hand-make footballs by sewing hexagonal patches – all 32 of them - into full-sized leather footballs. We tried our hand at stitching footballs, realising it's harder than it looks!
Luckily, the staff at Alive and Kicking had already made a big batch of balls for us, so we set off for our football match marathon around Kenya.
As we drove and saw groups of young people, we stopped to donate footballs, often playing a short game too. Nearly every local team that challenged us won!
When not playing, our young international students mixed with the lovely locals – usually through singing and dancing. We felt extremely welcomed by everyone.
Donating our Academic Families balls opened many doors – or rather Kenyan school gates - and opportunities for us to connect to children we would never have met otherwise. Using football as a global language, our international students were able to form instant bonds with local Kenyan children, parents and teachers.
From Nairobi, we travelled to Elenai Camp, a Maasai project which is owned and run by the local community. Here with iconic views of Mount Kilimanjaro as the background, Elenai was basecamp for the next four days.
Maasai definition: an Indigenous Nilotic ethnic group living in northern, central and southern Kenya.
We spent one day in a Maasai camp learning their traditional skills including fire lighting and spear throwing. Our students also took a turn at African dancing, cooking and craftwork and even pitched in to help build houses.
Our next project focused on sustainability and reducing the conflict between humans and wildlife. With local Kenyan support, we designed and built a waterhole pan to increase its capacity and reduce evaporation. This helped to ensure the local wildlife would have a steady supply of water even during the droughts.
As a group, we learned to track animal footprints and identify signs of animal activity. Now trained by the locals, we set off on safari in the first of our national parks - Amboseli.
Our safari transport varied each day - Land Cruisers, bikes, and even on foot! We ticked off many animals on our wildlife bucket list including -
We also spotted two cheetahs, hippos, zebras, giraffes, gazelles, and lots of birds including flamingos, fish eagles and weaver birds.
As we travelled through national parks and reserves towards the Kenyan coast, one particularly special experience was spending the night on the Tsavo National Park’s Ngulia Rhino Viewing Platform - a raised area beside a busy waterhole.
Throughout the night, the animal sounds became louder and clearer - including the padding of elephant and rhino feet, elephant trumpets, giraffes drinking and even some lion roars! We also managed some sleep, but it was a surreal experience.
Academic Families' main coastal project was helping rejuvenate the Kenyan coastline, ensuring the continuity of fishing communities.
We continued to work with the local community via the Kuruwitu Conservation and Welfare Association (KCWA). This marine conservation project taught our students about the importance of the coral, the reasons why it's under threat, and how to plant replacement coral beds. It was amazing to see different fish species swimming around the recently planted coral!
Through their interesting talks and demonstrations, our students were able to understand that the stunning small fish are the start of the food chain, which eventually leads to the fishermen’s catch and the overall livelihood of the entire community.
While on the coast, we enjoyed several more football matches played against a very strong local girls’ team from the Moving the Goalposts charity, to which we donated training kit and footballs.
Our last day was spent on the water - water-skiing, windsurfing and sailing, while a traditional dhow boat up the Kilifi Creek ended a very memorable day. Everyone took the opportunity for a last chance to swim and catch some sun - the perfect end to a once-in-a-lifetime trip for our international students in Kenya!
At Academic Families, we also have lots of ideas for how next year’s trip can make an even bigger impact, and we look forward to continuing to make a difference on both a local and global level.
When reflecting on the experience, one of our students said it best -
“During these 3 weeks in Kenya, we've done a lot of different activities that will stay with me for the rest of my life. The trip is not just a vacation. I learned a lot, for example, how these amazing people who live in Kenya are very happy and grateful for what they have. It's made me realise that we don’t need materialistic things to have a happy life. It has made me change as a person.”
Academic Families included in Fortune's Top 25 Boarding School Advisors.
Deciding to send your child to a boarding school in the UK can be a daunting prospect. The UK has many boarding schools and different educational options to choose from. A professional within the UK can share their knowledge and experience when it comes to choosing the best school in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Being a recommended boarding school advisor on the Fortune Top 25 list recognises the knowledge and dedication that each advisor exhibits.
Advisors mentioned in this unranked list are considered positively recognized, based on recommendations from administered surveys. The list of 25 advisors was also curated by a circle of experts who gave additional recommendations. The survey collection period was from June 30, 2022, to November 15, 2022. In this time, Statista received hundreds of recommendations for boarding school advisors. Self-recommendations were prohibited and these recommendations were not included in the evaluation.
Besides advising on the intricacies of the UK educational system, Academic Families are BSA (Boarding Schools' Association) and AEGIS (Association for the Education and Guardianship of International Students) accredited. This accreditation provides peace of mind to international parents. This ensures that companies offering guardianship services to students meet the very highest standards of care. Guardianship extends across the UK so that every child has full support.
All children are unique and there is no 'one size fits all' approach when it comes to the school selection. Each child has their own special talent and individual interest and certain schools will fulfil their promise and talents. You may want to have a look at our Academic Support at UK Boarding Schools post which highlights the manner in which we are here to help ensure your child achieves their best.
While the Easter holidays are a great time to relax, recharge and spend time with friends outside the UK boarding school environment, there’s also the ever present thought at the back of your mind that exams are on the horizon too. Without even realising it, it’s also a time where feelings of stress may be building, even during the holiday. It’s an important time to look after your wellbeing during the Easter holidays. We understand that, as an international student studying at a UK boarding school, there is some additional stress and anxiety.
It’s important to take in account how we are feeling physically so that we can deal with the mental and emotional side. Research has shown that school-related stress can impact you physically, reduce your motivation to work and limit academic potential.
Take a quick self-look at yourself during the holidays and ask the following questions:
If you are answering ‘Yes’ to some of these questions you could try out some of these ideas to help with your wellbeing:
Exercise is probably one of the best therapies for mind and body. Getting out into the fresh air can clear your mind. No matter the exercise or duration, it will have a positive impact.
A simple exercise that you can do at any time is to find a quiet space and practice square breathing. Breathe in deeply for 4 seconds, hold your breath for 4 seconds, breathe out for 4 seconds and hold your breath for 4 seconds. Repeat this process a few times.
Set clear start and finish study or work time and add in regular breaks every 20 to 30 minutes. Plan and know what you will do in each session. Then enjoy the time outside of study knowing that you are organised for the next day. There are lots of things you can do to get the most from your revision time. We’ve put together our top tips for studying at your British boarding school, as well as pointers to ensure you do as well as possible on the day of the exam.
Make lists of what needs to be done and by when they need to be completed. Focus only on that task at hand but be careful not to try a cram too many things into a single session. Spread them out and cross them off when you have completed them – it will feel good with a sense of achievement knowing that a task is complete. This can assist with your wellbeing during the Easter holidays.
Staying connected with friends and family is a great way to see that you are not the only person that is being affected with stress during the Easter holidays.
A balanced and healthy diet over the Easter holidays can provide the necessary energy to cope with the effects of stress. Eat regularly and try eating fruit, more meals at home with vegetables and less fast foods.
Sleep is probably one of the most factors for your wellbeing. Aim to sleep between 8 and 10 hours every night. Try slowing down and using your phone less for 30 minutes before going to bed. Better sleep can lead to less stress and anxiety.
By applying some or even all these tips will assist you with studies and play over the Easter holidays. Take care of yourself and treat yourself to some Easter eggs every now and then. We hope that you have an incredible Easter holiday and go back to boarding school refreshed and ready to achieve your best.
Continue your wellbeing journey and have a look at some top tips on how to succeed in your exams.
Our annual February half-term ski trip once again took us to fabulous Verbier in Switzerland. It was brilliant to see our international students reuniting and catching up since their October half-term trips to Dubai.
Almost 70 students flew into Geneva from boarding schools throughout the UK for their alpine experience, continue reading to discover how they found their first Academic Families ski trip.
Verbier is famous as one of the largest ski resorts in Europe with its varied ski slopes catering to all levels of skiing proficiency. It is a great choice for our students with their wide range of skiing abilities, especially with lots of complete beginners. The town is also famous for celebrity spotting, with regular visitors including the Beckhams, Leonardo DiCaprio and even Prince William and Princess Kate!
On arrival at our camp Les Elfes, we unpacked in our cosy chalets before heading straight for the slopes. Our boarding school students were allocated to ski classes based on their ability, making sure everyone had as much fun as possible whilst being safe.
Over the next few days, everyone quickly fell into the routine that can only come about on the snow-filled mountains of Switzerland. On waking, we enjoyed a hearty breakfast and bonded over discussions of who would be skiing on which slopes that day. Our students and their ski instructors met the bus at 9 am sharp and skied all day, only stopping for lunch and the occasional hot chocolate to warm them up. It felt like we were living in a postcard, especially when eating lunch and looking over the beautiful snow-capped mountains.
After skiing, it was time to shake off the snow and relax. Some students stayed in their chalet while others explored Verbier, catching up on the boarding school news from the semester so far.
Dinner was enjoyed back at camp including a traditional Swiss fondue one evening. Evening activities were also a source of constant fun including bonfires, disco and quiz games.
We took Wednesday off skiing to explore the region and visited cheese and chocolate factories. Learning how world-famous Swiss chocolate is produced was especially popular – this may have had something to do with all the samples we enjoyed!
After our week in the mountains, we enjoyed the weekend in Geneva before flying back to the UK and returning to each boarding school.
It was incredible to see how quickly our students’ skiing progressed and with their increased confidence, they pushed themselves to improve even more. The experienced ski instructors were great role models who bonded well with our international students. Our young learners enjoyed bonding again after their October trips and lots of new friendships were made in Switzerland.
Our annual February half-term ski trip may have ended, but the memories made with friends will last a lifetime. We had lots of hugs and a few tears at the airport before everyone returned to their boarding school, all looking forward to reuniting at another Academic Families trip in Kenya or Greece.
Our last trip of this school year is the May half-term trip to Greece where many of our students will meet once more to enjoy culture, fun and sun!
Find out more about the exciting trips we offer to international boarding students throughout the year and how to get involved.
It’s well known that UK boarding schools and universities offer international students some of the best tuition in the world. But it’s not only tuition where these institutions excel; it’s the extracurricular activities on offer to students. Access and participation in these school extracurriculars and facilities have the additional benefit of setting potential university candidates apart during initial selection. UK boarding schools are often the perfect springboard for international students to attend a UK university.
It's an exciting and possibly slightly intimidating time for any prospective international student studying in the UK. As you embark on your investigations into the best institution to study at, we'll highlight some differences between Scottish and English universities, making your investigative journey into the UK education system a little easier.
You may know that you will be studying for at least three years, but this depends on where in the UK your studies will take you. In Scotland, undergrad courses are four years, accepting qualified students from 17, as opposed to the three years in the rest of the UK. This can be an alternative route to the international donation course route for international students without the required Universities and Colleges Admissions Service in the UK (UCAS), points.
The practicality of this difference is that Scottish universities are more inclusive and flexible, while English universities take a deeper approach. This often requires English students to select their speciality at the beginning of the course. Scottish students can change course direction as they have more exposure to different subjects, while the three-year English course can be inflexible.
Naming conventions will differ too, as a Master of Arts Scotland (MA) course is not the same as an MA course in England. Again, this goes back to the different lengths of courses. A Scottish MA (four years) is roughly equivalent to an English BA (three years).
Each possible UK university that you are considering will need to be investigated, as there are no standard costs for international students applying for university entrance in the UK. The cost of living will also be different, with cities like Edinburgh and London being expensive places to live, but Scotland is generally accepted to have a lower cost of living.
It’s also best to investigate the strengths of each university being considered, as many universities have their own specialities. There are exceptional universities in both countries, but significantly more in England as a result of having the biggest populace in the UK.
Life and culture in the UK can vary dramatically. Are you looking for a rural or more urban setting? Scotland is home to fewer people and it can be colder, however, the cost of living is better. Culturally the two countries differ, and this even extends to some of the bank (public) holidays. Words, syntax, and grammar can be vastly different too, changing from country to country and will even change within different parts of the same country.
It's all about choice and all these choices may need some clarity. Need some help in matching the right British boarding school or advice on the best UK university for your child? That’s what we’re here for! Get in touch today, and we’ll schedule a free, private consultation via a phone or video call.
Contact us or request a callback to get started.
From impressive facilities to Football Academies, ex-professional footballer coaches and partnerships with local clubs, the top boarding schools for football have it all. Here is a list we've put together of some of the best UK boarding schools for football. Join a team now!
Bede's School is found in East Sussex, England and is a co-educational Senior and Prep boarding school that offers GCSE, A Level and BTEC qualifications. The school has excellent sports facilities and offers a number of sporting academies including its successful Football Academy. The football programme for all pupils runs year-round, and Bede's has 14 teams for students to join. Score a goal at Bede's School.
Also situated in East Sussex, Claremont School offers GCSE, A Level and BTEC exams. The co-educational school’s excellent football facilities include more than 50 acres of grass pitches and pupils participate in strength, conditioning and fitness sessions, alongside their football training. Football coaching never coincides with teaching, so students are able to train without having to miss lessons. The Director of Claremont’s Football Academy is a Premier League scout and has contacts with the England team and in other countries. This provides an excellent and exciting opportunity for pupils demonstrating talent and promise. Get your football boots on at Claremont School.
Culford School is one of the best UK boarding schools for sports and has excellent facilities for aspiring footballers. The co-educational Senior and Prep boarding school is set in 480 acres of countryside in Suffolk, England. For passionate young footballers, Culford's Football Academy offers individual coaching and development plans, floodlit football pitches and coaching sessions in partnership with local football clubs. Ignite your passion for football at Culford School.
Ellesmere College is a co-educational Senior and Prep boarding school in Shropshire, England. The school has a varied curriculum and offers GCSE, A Level, International Baccalaureate and BTEC qualifications. Ellesmere runs a number of sports academies, such as its impressive Football Academy. All pupils that attend one of these academies can benefit from outstanding facilities, excellent coaching, regular training and academic support. Join the team at Ellesmere College.
FCV International Football Academy is an all boys school in Leicestershire, England. It is the UK's very first private football academy and has top class football facilities with UEFA-qualified coaches. The school's age range is 16-23, with students offered A Level and BTEC exams - and even university degrees in partnership with Loughborough College. Start your football career at FCV International Football Academy.
Millfield School is a co-educational Senior and Prep boarding school in Somerset, England. It is one of the UK’s largest boarding schools and offers pupils GCSE, A Level and BTEC qualifications. The school has a reputation for being one of the best sporting schools in the country – football is no exception! As many as 400 pupils play football at Millfield and the 11 full-sized football pitches provide the opportunity for pupils of any skill level to participate. Learn from one of the 19 football coaches at Millfield School.
Milton Abbey is a co-educational Senior school in Dorset, England, offering GCSE, A Level and BTEC exams. The school has its own football programme within which students have access to coaches accredited by the Football Association. They can also play football alongside studying for a BTEC sports course so that their education is adapted to their specific requirements as an athlete. Kick off your football training at Milton Abbey School.
Oswestry School is a co-educational Senior and Prep boarding school in England. Situated in Shropshire, it follows the GCSE and A Level curriculum. Oswestry is known for the quality of its sports teams – 22 of which are dedicated to football. In fact, more than 170 pupils, both boys and girls, play football at Oswestry School. The school also organises exciting football tours to destinations such as California and Holland. Get your football kit on at Oswestry School.
Repton School is situated in Derbyshire, England and is a co-educational Senior and Prep school. Football is one of the school's 'focus' sports and is open to both boys and girls. Repton's excellent provisions for footballers have produced a number of professional players in recent years, such as Will Hughes who now plays for Premier League club Crystal Palace. Start your football training at Repton School.
Rossall School is a co-educational Senior and Prep school that is found in the north of England in Lancashire. The school offers outstanding facilities for sports. Rossall's partnership with Fleetwood Town Football Academy, a professional English Football League Club, ensures that young talent at the school is recognised. This gives aspiring young footballers the chance to train in one of the best sports complexes in the Northwest of England. Make the most of the football opportunities at Rossall School.
Keep an eye out for the next blog post in our 'Best UK boarding schools for...' series!
Are you a young aspiring professional musician? Music is an important part of British culture and the UK has countless musical opportunities - from prestigious institutions like the Royal College and the Royal Academy of Music to world-class ensembles such as the London Symphony Orchestra and the Westminster Abbey Choir. International musical events take place across the genres - including the BBC Proms and the Glyndebourne Festival of Opera, as well as popular contemporary festivals such as Glastonbury. Whether you're interested in classical, pop or rock, UK boarding schools have the resources to support every music student. We've put together a list of just some of the top boarding schools for music in the UK.
Chetham's School of Music was founded in 1653 and became a co-educational specialist music school in 1969. The school is situated in Manchester and is the largest school specialising in music in the UK. With more than a third of the weekly school timetable dedicated to music and more than 300 chances to perform throughout the year, students at Chetham's are not short of musical opportunities. The school follows the GCSE and A Level curriculum. Join a band at Chetham's School of Music.
Situated in Cheltenham on a 50-acre campus, Dean Close School is a co-educational school offering GCSE and A Level exams. The school is known for nurturing ambitious, well-rounded pupils and has a reputation for excellence within the creative arts, including music. Students are offered the chance to learn any orchestral instrument, electric guitar, bass, drum kit, or have individual singing lessons. Dean Close organises 50-60 concerts every year, from lunchtime recitals to larger solo and ensemble performances. Learn a new instrument at Dean Close School.
Durham School forms part of the Durham Cathedral Schools Foundation, founded in 1414 in the beautiful historic city of Durham. The Foundation is made up of the Chorister School (for pupils aged 3-11) and Durham School (for pupils aged 11-18), which are located a short distance apart. The schools provide excellent opportunities within music and have one of the largest cathedral choirs in the country, who regularly perform in the prestigious Durham Cathedral. The school offers GCSE and A Level exams, as well as other qualifications in design technology and business. Join a choir at Durham School.
King’s Ely is a co-educational school founded in 970 AD, making it one of the oldest schools in the world. It follows the GCSE and A Level curriculum and is located in Ely next to the River Ouse, only 15 minutes away from Cambridge. Over a third of students at King's Ely receive individual musical tuition, whether it be instrumental or vocal lessons. There are also regular opportunities for performance. The school also has a particularly successful Chapel Choir who perform regularly and tour alongside other choral groups. After studying at King's Ely, aspiring musicians often continue on to prestigious musical conservatoires across the country. Begin your musical career at King's Ely.
Located less than an hour away from London, the 65-acre Leighton Park School is widely recognised for its impressive exam results and its excellent music programme that offers a wide range of styles and instruments, giving students the opportunity to explore their musical interests. The school has an outstanding collection of instruments and is a Yamaha Music Education Partner. They have a total of 19 Yamaha pianos available to play at the school, including a flagship concert grand. Leighton Park has 27 music teachers, and more than half of students study a musical instrument. The school also offers a varied curriculum of GCSE, A Level, IB or BTEC qualifications. Play a world-class instrument at Leighton Park School.
Loretto School is located just 6 miles from Edinburgh and was founded in 1827 making it Scotland's first boarding school. The school has a very strong reputation for music, with extensive opportunities available from the Early Years all the way through to Sixth Form. The school’s excellent music facilities include a concert hall, recording studio, chapel and impressive collection of instruments (including Bösendorfer and Yamaha pianos), offering students the chance to thrive. Loretto follows the GCSE and A Level curriculum. Sing in the chapel at Loretto School.
Oswestry School is a co-educational school founded in 1407, that offers GCSE and A Level qualifications. Comprised of 50 acres of land near the English/Welsh border, the school has a history of giving students a world-class education. The provisions for musicians are excellent, and Oswestry School places emphasis on music being accessible to every pupil at the school. All students at the school are encouraged to participate in music at any level. Discover a love for music at Oswestry School.
Purcell School for Young Musicians is a co-educational specialist music school that was founded in 1962 in Hertfordshire. The school provides a world-class education and is one of the best schools for music in the UK. The school welcomes young instrumentalists, singers and composers, and admission to the school is based on a pupil’s musical ability and potential. Additional activities outside of school hours focus heavily on music and students are encouraged to participate in the multitude of orchestras, choirs, bands and ensembles at Purcell to further hone their musical skills outside of class. Pupils study towards GCSE and A Level exams. Immerse yourself in music at Purcell School for Young Musicians.
St Mary’s Music School is one of very few specialist schools for music in the UK and the only one located in Scotland. Offering some of the best music training in the UK, they accept a limited number of talented and aspiring musicians. St Mary's is situated in Edinburgh and offers pupils the chance to attend a concert, opera or ballet performance weekly. Most pupils at St Mary’s Music School go on to study music at conservatoires across the UK. With music as the only exception, all other subjects are studied within the Scottish curriculum of Highers and Advanced Highers. Start your specialist music education at St Mary's Music School.
Wells Cathedral School is a co-educational day and boarding school for pupils between the ages of 2 and 18. The school was founded in the year 909, making it one of the 10 oldest schools in the United Kingdom. Approximately 30% of pupils at Wells Cathedral are specialist musicians and the specialist music scheme is perfect for pupils wishing to pursue a career in music. For those interested in choral singing, the Cathedral Choir is regarded as one of the best cathedral choirs in the world. Join a choir at Wells Cathedral School.
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UK boarding schools have outstanding facilities for the performing arts – whether it be on or off the stage. In fact, pupils at some of the best drama boarding schools in the UK perform at this world-famous festival. In years to come, it could be you! Backstage participants are also crucial to any theatre performance, and UK boarding schools nurture pupils who want to pursue these roles. There is something for everyone whether it be playing the lead role or getting involved in stage management, set design, lighting or sound. We’ve put together a list of 10 of the top drama boarding schools in the UK.
Drama is an important aspect of life at Bedales School and is available from Prep School through to Sixth Form. Pupils can choose between a multitude of qualifications on offer, including the school's unique 'Bedales Assessed Courses' (BACs) which they believe go beyond the scope of GCSE exams. Furthermore, students can choose to participate in training from professional bodies such as LAMDA and RADA. Start your acting career at Bedales School.
Bedales is a co-educational UK boarding school that offers GCSEs, 'Bedales Assessed Courses' (BACs) and A Level qualifications.
Drama is open to every pupil at Clifton College, whether pupils choose to study it for exams, or whether they just enjoy the art of performing. Its 320-seat Redgrave Theatre is named after, and was opened by, former pupil Sir Michael Redgrave - an Academy Award and BAFTA nominated actor. Clifton College's theatre was the first purpose-built school theatre in the UK and is a popular theatre venue in Bristol. The school enjoys partnerships with a number of established theatres such as the Bristol Old Vic, the Bath Theatre Royal, RADA and Shakespeare’s Globe in London. Join the drama club at Clifton College.
Clifton College is a co-educational UK boarding school that offers GCSE, A Level and BTEC qualifications.
Eastbourne College has a reputation for providing a complete and well-rounded education including performing arts. Drama is very popular at Eastbourne, with most drama productions involving pupils from every year group and boarding house. The performance facilities are excellent at Eastbourne and include three indoor drama spaces as well as their outdoor theatre which seats 90 people. In previous years, Eastbourne College has taken pupil productions to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Grow your confidence at Eastbourne College.
Eastbourne College is a co-educational UK boarding school offering GCSE and A Level qualifications.
Gresham's promotes drama at all levels - as a creative and rewarding co-curricular activity, and as part of their academic curriculum. Pupils interested in drama can choose to study for a GCSE or A Level in drama, or an IB in theatre. The Auden Theatre at Gresham's is a 300-seat professional-standard venue, and is a wonderful space for students to grow their confidence and creativity, both on stage and behind the scenes. Gresham's School has a number of highly successful former pupils within the acting world. For instance, the Academy Award winner Olivia Colman claims that her education at Gresham's kickstarted her acting career. Become an aspiring actor at Gresham's.
Gresham's is a co-educational UK boarding school that provides GCSEs, A Levels, the IB diploma and a number of BTEC qualifications.
King's Ely is one of the oldest schools in the world - and theatre has long been a part of this rich history. As one of the top drama boarding schools in the UK, the school has a busy and thriving theatre community with regular plays and performances, giving all pupils the chance to participate. The King's Ely drama department was nominated in 2020 for the 'Outstanding Drama Department' award at the Music and Drama Education Awards. In addition, 100% of the pupils sitting the A Level in drama and theatre have achieved A* - B over the past five years. Pupils at King's Ely have previously performed at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Become a star performer at King's Ely.
King's Ely is a co-educational UK boarding school that follows the GCSE and A Level curriculum.
Drama is a highly popular subject and co-curricular activity at Oakham School. Pupils regularly perform in the Queen Elizabeth Theatre and Oakham brings a biennial performance to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Talented and experienced staff members also support pupils through drama auditions and have seen students attend further education at Trinity Laban Conservatoire, Guildhall School of Music and Drama, RADA and LAMDA. Perform in a play at Oakham School.
Oakham is a co-educational UK boarding school that offers GCSE, A Level, IB and BTEC qualifications.
St Edmund's Canterbury has a highly successful drama department and believes that drama is crucial to pupils growing their creativity and confidence. Students achieve very highly in drama exams and are supported by excellent teaching staff, many of whom are former professional actors or performers. Furthermore, theatrical excursions are important at St Edmund's - some going as far as Broadway or LA. As a result, pupils gain an understanding of professional performing life. Learn from a professional actor at St Edmund's Canterbury.
St Edmund's Canterbury is a co-educational UK boarding school that offers GCSE and A Level exams.
Tring Park School is a specialist school for the performing arts. It welcomes pupils from across the world and offers a traditional academic education alongside specialist performance training. Class sizes are small, and students are taught by highly experienced and qualified teachers. Similarly, pupils progress to pursue professional performing careers, and there is a multitude of well-known alumni. For example, Lily James, who recently received an Emmy Award nomination, is a former pupil from Tring Park School. Begin your professional acting career at Tring Park School.
Tring Park School is a co-educational UK boarding school which offers GCSE and A Level exams, alongside their specialist performance training.
Uppingham School is known for its all-round excellent facilities and opportunities, and drama is no exception. For example, their drama facilities include a 300-seat arch theatre and a 160-seat black box drama studio. Uppingham School considers drama to be a crucial part of the school's identity, and therefore pupils have the opportunity to participate in several plays or musicals each year. Start performing at Uppingham School.
Uppingham School is a co-educational UK boarding school that offers GCSE, A Level and BTEC.
Wells Cathedral is one of the oldest schools in the UK and has excellent opportunities for pupils interested in drama. Their outstanding drama facilities and opportunities for young actors were recognised when the school received the Gold Artsmark of the Arts Council of England – the Council’s highest recognition. Get on stage at Wells Cathedral.
Wells Cathedral is a co-educational UK boarding school offering GCSE and A Level qualifications.
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If you're looking for help with admissions to a UK boarding school, contact Academic Families.
The best British boarding schools have high university acceptance rates. Independent schools generally achieve top grades across the country allowing pupils to attend the best universities. In fact, 91% of pupils from independent schools in the UK will go on to Higher Education, with 54% continuing to a Top 25 University. International pupils at UK boarding schools find that their journey to Higher Education is much smoother having experienced the British school system for a few years prior.
Many of the best British boarding schools have been around for centuries and as a result they come with years of prestigious traditions for students to experience. Boarding schools have however, shifted a lot in more recent years, developing and adapting to make the most of new teaching methods and technology. Their unique combination of the traditional and the modern means that students get the best of both worlds.
UK boarding schools have access to exceptional facilities and lots of open space, particularly due to the size of the school grounds. Sports pitches, swimming pools and tennis courts are common on most campuses. Millfield School's sport facilities are particularly impressive, including dance studios with sprung floors, a climbing wall and three world class water based hockey AstroTurfs. Schools also cater for students interested in music and drama, and many have dedicated rehearsal rooms and recording studios as well as their own on-campus theatres for student performances. The facilities at British boarding schools allow students the opportunity to fully explore and develop their interests and skills.
From our list of reasons so far, it's understandable that boarding schools are so popular with international students coming to school in the UK. As a result, boarding schools boast a real international community both in the classroom and in the boarding houses. International students often make up a large percentage of a school's boarding community. This helps pupils develop mutual respect and cultural understanding.
No matter where in the country your child wants to go to school, there are stunning campuses in every corner. From old, traditional buildings in the British countryside to more modern city campuses, there are options to suit every student.
Hopefully our list of the 10 reasons British boarding schools remain among the best in the world has shown you the quality that is available in the UK. The standard of all UK boarding schools is extremely high, yet they are all unique. So, with all these reputable and prestigious schools, how do you know which is the best for your child? Our experts have longstanding relationships with schools all over the UK and believe in giving advice that is tailored to you. With 10+ years of experience when it comes to UK boarding school placement, you can rely on our services to find the right school and ensure your child's successful application and enrolment.
Rugby fans will be enjoying the 2022 Six Nations games that began a few weeks ago. The Six Nations Championship is an annual international men's rugby tournament. This year, the competition runs from 5th Feb to 19th March. The competing teams are England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland, France and Italy. Wales won the championship in 2021, so they are the current title holders.
To mark this year's Six Nations competition, we're taking a look at some of the best UK boarding schools for rugby. Boarding schools offer excellent sporting facilities and rugby is a popular sport that many international students like to take up whilst at school in the UK. The 10 schools we listed below are in alphabetical order - we like to play fair!
Bedford has a great deal of success when it comes to their ruby teams. The school regularly plays against other top teams across the UK. Rugby is the major game for the autumn term and the school employs professional coaches to assist with training. Students also have the opportunity to take part in rugby tours - the school's most recent tour took them to Australia.
This College has a strong rugby tradition with 20 teams for players of all abilities. Top England player Marcus Smith attended Brighton College and credits the supportive environment of the school and its coaches for his success. Smith was also shortlisted for young sportsperson of the year and notes that the experiences at Brighton College "gave me a massive opportunity to succeed in professional sport and beyond."
Located in the UK capital city of London, Dulwich College has a longstanding history of producing professional rugby players. The all-boys school has a packed programme, with 400 fixtures every year against top rugby playing schools. Their first international rugby tour took place over 100 years ago in Paris, and now the College ventures as far as South America and Australia to play against the best rugby teams.
Merchiston Castle School in Edinburgh has fantastic opportunities for students who want to get involved in rugby. The school has a host of alumni who have had great professional success. For example, England rugby player Zach Mercer attended the Scottish school and said that Merchiston "instilled the perfect ethos and culture in preparing me for a professional rugby career. The standard of coaching on the field and the support in video analysis, and strength and conditioning in the classroom allowed me to shape my game to a different level and provided me with the pathway to professional sport."
A number of Millfield School alumni have gone on to play for international rugby teams, giving Millfield its reputation as one of the best rugby schools in the UK. Beyond rugby, Millfield holds a reputation as the number one school in the UK for sport more widely. Students receive elite coaching from top rugby players - the current Director of Rugby is former Bath and England player John Millet who is supported by a team of no less than 18 coaches. Millfield School offers talented players the opportunity to develop their skills and uncover their full potential.
Oakham School offers students of all abilities the opportunity to get involved in a rugby programme that fits their skill level. Talented students may undertake more intensive and specialised coaching, including strength and conditioning sessions, athlete performance monitoring and video analysis. As one of the best schools for rugby in the UK, Oakham's teams often play against many of the other schools on this list. Over 400 boys at Oakham take part in rugby across 22 teams. Current 6 Nations Scotland player Hamish Watson was a student at Oakham School. A number of other alumni have also gone on to play professionally.
This one couldn't be missed out, as it's generally thought that this school is where the sport originated in 1823. It's believed that during a game of football, one pupil decided to change the rules and run with the ball! To this day, rugby remains one of the school's five major sports. The school has close links with professional teams, inspiring students to progress to the next level. The year 2020 saw three students awarded professional contracts with premiership rugby clubs.
Sedbergh School has an impressive success rate for producing professional rugby players. Most famously, former England stars Will Greenwoodand and Will Carling attended Sedbergh. A number of alumni are still playing professional rugby, most notably England internationals Phil Dowson, Carl Fearns and James Simpson Daniel. Sedbergh’s rugby success is a testament to their intensive and comprehensive development programme. They pride themselves on top level coaching from staff who have vast amounts of playing and coaching experience. Their rugby programme also takes them all over the UK to allow them to play against talented teams from other schools.
Strathallan's Rugby Academy provides students with the best coaching, facilities and support. Pupils in the Academy can also benefit from access to physiotherapists, nutritionists and sports psychologists. The school also has a fantastic partnership with Scottish Rugby. Many former pupils have gone on to play internationally in recent years. The current Scotland 6 Nations team includes many Strathallan alumni. The professional athletes produced are a testament to the time and effort the school dedicates to nurturing young talent.
With 16 rugby and football pitches, Wellington College has exceptional sports facilities. Indeed, the school has a reputation as one of the best schools for sport in the UK. Furthermore, in recent years, Wellington College teams have achieved national renown and titles not only in rugby but in a variety of other sports including hockey, golf, squash and triathlon.
Are you motivated to join a girls' football team? The England Women's Football team winning the 2022 Euro championship marked a turning point for women's football. As a female-founded and female-led company, we recognise the significance of this incredible and historic achievement.
The team has inspired thousands of girls around the UK, but this is just the beginning. The Lionesses (as the team are referred to) believe that every girl should be able to play football at school - and educational institutions around the UK are gradually starting to make this a reality.
At this incredibly exciting moment, we've put together a list of some of the top UK boarding schools for girls' football. Now is the time to join the team at a UK boarding school and be part of the change!
Bede's School is a co-educational Senior and Prep boarding school in East Sussex, England, offering a top quality education up to exam levels of GCSE, A Level and BTEC. Football is a popular sport at the school, with approximately one third of the student population regularly representing the school. The Girls Football programme runs year-round, with training sessions taking place once a week in the Autumn and Winter terms. In the Summer term, sessions take place twice a week with a former professional footballer.
Some current female students at Bede's play for the nearby Brighton and Hove Ladies semi-professional team. Furthermore, the girls' teams at Bede's compete in the ISFA cup. They achieved ultimate success by winning the cup in 2017/18. Join the team at Bede's School.
Claremont School is situated in East Sussex, England and is a co-educational Senior and Prep boarding school. The school offers GCSE, A Level and BTEC exams. Claremont believes that football should be accessible to everyone and their Football Academy coaches young footballers from around the globe. The school's excellent sporting facilities include more than 50 acres of grass pitches and pupils participate in strength, conditioning and fitness sessions, alongside their football training. Football coaching never coincides with teaching, so students are able to train without having to miss lessons and fall behind in class.
Girls who participate in Claremont's Girls Football Academy train for approximately 6-7 hours each week, and as the number of participants grows, these hours are likely to increase. The Director of Claremont's Football Academy is a Premier League scout and has contacts with the England team and in other countries. This provides an excellent and exciting opportunity for pupils demonstrating talent and promise. Get your football boots on at Claremont School.
Millfield School is a co-educational Senior and Prep boarding school in Somerset, England. It is one of the UK's largest boarding schools and offers pupils GCSE, A Level and BTEC qualifications. The school has a reputation for being one of the best sporting schools in the country - football is no exception! Young female footballers at Millfield have the chance to train 6 times a week - more than most female football clubs. Pupils on the Girls Football programme learn from an experienced full-time girls' football coach, with both individual and team coaching sessions available.
Facilities include 11 full-sized pitches and 3 training areas, and students also have access to physiotherapists. Girls' teams enter cup competitions and more than 100 girls in the Senior school play football. This is in stark contrast to the 6 girls who played football at Millfield in 2018. Millfield has made great progress for female football and the school sets an example for others to follow. Start your football career at Millfield School.
Queen Ethelburga's is a co-educational Senior and Prep boarding school in England. Situated in York, it offers pupils the GCSE, A Level and BTEC qualifications. The school is known for its fantastic academic results, winning Times Top 10 school for A Level performance and Times Top Independent School of the Year for Academic Excellence North for four consecutive years.
QE is also known for its state of the art football facilities - 30 acres of professional grass and 3G artificial pitches. In 2023, the Sports Department split the boys' and girls' football Performance Sport Pathways, providing girls with a dedicated coach. The girls each benefit from an Individual Development Plan - tailored programme focusing on their nutrition, strength and conditioning, sports massage, physical training and mental training. QE welcomes external coaches from scouts and industry professionals for sessions. Kick off your football training at Queen Ethelburga's.
You can find Repton School in Derbyshire, England. This is a co-educational Senior and Prep boarding school offering GCSEs and A Levels. The school is best known for its excellent football, tennis and hockey academies, boasting two floodlit water-based astroturf pitches.
Football is a "focus sport" at Repton during the Winter term, and is open to both boys and girls. Repton School has a highly experienced football coach for girls, who currently plays for Stoke City Women's Football Club. Developing and increasing the provision of girls' football at Repton remains one of the school's top priorities. Learn from a female football professional at Repton School.
Contact us now if you are interested in starting your football career at a UK boarding school.
With the prestigious Wimbledon Championships just finishing, we've been thinking about the UK boarding schools that excel in tennis and could be nurturing the next Andy Murray or Emma Raducanu. UK boarding schools have an excellent reputation when it comes to sports, with tennis being one of the most popular sports at school. There are so many great schools that offer tennis, it's no easy task to choose which is best. We've put together a list of just some of the top boarding schools for tennis in the UK to help you begin your search.
To start your British boarding school journey, contact us now.
Tennis at Bede's School has a longstanding reputation of success. Participation is equally as important to the school as performance, so there are plenty of opportunities for all students to get involved. Pupils will have the chance to attend tennis tournament tours to Eastbourne, Wimbledon and the World Tour Finals. For elite pupils aiming to continue with tennis at a competitive level after school, Bede's has a high success rate in securing scholarships to American universities including many 'full ride' scholarships. Read more about Bede's School.
Culford is widely known as one of the best tennis schools in the UK. In fact, the LTA (Lawn Tennis Association) regularly ranks Culford in the top three British schools for tennis. Tennis at Culford is open to all pupils regardless of their ability and all students are actively encouraged to participate in recreational games. Pupils have the opportunity to travel abroad for tournaments and take part in an annual training event at the prestigious Spanish La Manga club. Talented players who train with county squads, school also offers a High-Performance Tennis Programme. Read more about Culford School.
The tennis success of Eastbourne College places it firmly amongst the UK's best tennis schools. Tennis opportunities are available to all, whilst the school’s year-round programme for elite senior players is very successful. The programme features individual and group strength and conditioning sessions, player-led sessions and one-to-one sessions with top coaches. The time and resources dedicated to tennis produces excellent results with Eastbourne's boys, girls and mixed school teams performing very highly at national tournaments. Read more about Eastbourne College.
Ellesmere College's dedicated tennis academy marks the school as one of the top UK boarding schools for tennis. The school's academy enables players of all abilities, from recreational to elite, to reach their full potential. Their fully qualified expert coaches run a structured programme which aims to nurture student talent in a safe and supportive environment. High Performance players may be selected to take part in a separate elite tennis programme which includes personal fitness sessions, individual and group sessions, nutrition and competitive matches. Read more about Ellesmere College.
Merchiston Castle is a boys' school that offers excellent tennis coaching at their prestigious tennis academy. In 2020, the LTA (Lawn Tennis Association) named Merchiston as the best school in the UK for tennis. The school grounds feature three all-weather floodlit tennis courts which are available to all students. However, Merchiston's specialist tennis academy provides elite one-to-one coaching to their top level players to improve their performance and match success. Read more about Merchiston Castle School.
Millfield School has a reputation as one of the best UK boarding schools for sports, and tennis is no exception. The school has an outstanding track record for producing professional athletes, and regularly sees former pupils competing at the Olympic games. Millfield's individualised tennis programmes are tailored to the strengths, weaknesses and needs of each individual. This allows every player to achieve their full potential. Balance is important at Millfield, so pupils have full support to ensure they find a good balance between academics, sport, and free time. Read more about Millfield School.
Queenswood School is largely regarded as the top school for girls’ tennis in the UK, with ex-pupils representing Great Britain in the sport. The school holds a strong ‘tennis for all’ ethos, whilst also offering high quality coaching and facilities for top-level players. Read more about Queenswood School.
Since Reptonian student Herbert Lawford won Wimbledon in 1887, Repton has had continued success in the sport and consistently produces national level players. To date, Repton has won the Independent Schools' Championship an incredible 11 times! In 2021, Which Schools placed Repton in the top six tennis schools in the UK. Repton has excellent partnerships with American universities, enabling students to study in the USA on tennis scholarships. Read more about Repton School.
Stonyhurst College is home to some of the best sports facilities of any boarding school. Tennis players can take advantage of the seven outdoor tennis courts and world-class tennis dome. Combined with the school’s top-quality training programme, Stonyhurst College aims to develop the next generation of elite players. In addition, students have the opportunity to become school ‘Tennis Leaders’. These carefully selected pupils receive mentoring from the Director of Tennis and help coach younger players through the academy programme. Read more about Stonyhurst College.
Taunton offers tennis for all students as well as a Senior Tennis Academy for players looking to play competitively. Students can take advantage of one-to-one and group coaching which includes video analysis. The course covers health and fitness, and game strategy. Every year Taunton enters teams into competitions and plays against some of the best UK tennis clubs. A number of Taunton players currently represent Somerset County. Read more about Taunton School.
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We understand that moving to a new school in a new country can make you feel nervous. We also appreciate that English may not be your mother tongue. Even if it is, boarding schools tend to have their own words so we’ve created a guide to boarding school terms for students to help you understand the common ‘boarding school’ lingo you may come across:
This is where you are going to be sleeping! You will either be sharing a room or may have your own room if you are an older student. It is rare to have en-suite facilities and you will more than likely be sharing facilities with a group of fellow students. A large shared bedroom may be called a Dormitory. The boarding house may be a separate building from the school and will also have a lounge and sometimes a dining area, otherwise you will take your meals in the main dining room of the school. Your House Parent will also live in the boarding house.
This is when there is a holiday at the weekend, and means there is no school on Saturday for you! These weekends sometimes extend over to the Monday. Some schools make it compulsory for you to leave the school premises over an exeat weekend, and so this is one of the times you will stay with your host family.
A short holiday halfway through the school term when you will normally return home to see your friends and family. There are three throughout the year usually in the months of October, February, and May. The October half-term is the longest half-term and can be up to two weeks long. During these holidays Academic Families organise fun-filled trips which you may like to join.
This is the adult or married couple who are in charge of your boarding house. They live in the house or in a section at the side of the boarding house with their own family. Many House Parents have a pet, such as a friendly dog, which you will most likely fall in love with!
Your parents can give your Housemaster money which he will keep for you and you can ask him for it when you need to buy anything such as ‘tuck’ or when you want to go to the shops.
This person will be responsible for your health and well-being when you are at school. They ensure the smooth running of the domestic side of your boarding school house, such as making sure you actually get your clothes to the laundry on the correct day!
Pastoral care refers to your wellbeing and ensuring that you feel happy, safe, involved and able to perform to your best. If you feel lonely or worried about anything always talk to your Houseparent, Tutor or the person in charge of Pastoral.
This is the time in the day that is set aside for you to do your homework. It usually takes place after dinner. Everyone will be doing Prep at the same time but the older students may finish later.
This is the medical centre so if you are not feeling very well you will be sent to see the nurse in the sick-bay.
Sweets or Candy…. Tuck is a boarding school term which refers to food treats such as sweets which you can bring from home. They can also buy tuck once a week at school, usually from the ‘tuck shop’ run by the housemaster, so it is controlled.
You will be allocated a ‘Tutor’. This person will support you with your academic studies and provide pastoral care. They will discuss any problems you are having with your studies and help to resolve them. When you are older, this is the person that will help and guide you with your university choices and applications.
Studying for exams can be stressful, but don’t panic! There are lots of things you can do to get the most from your revision time. We’ve put together our top tips for studying at your British boarding school, as well as pointers to ensure you do as well as possible on the day of the exam, whichever UK qualification you are studying for – A level, GCSE, IB, BTEC, Higher or Advanced Higher. It’s important to do your best in your exams because success at a British boarding school can help you get into university in the UK.
When you have exams coming up it’s easy to panic and think that you need to study for hours on end every day. In reality, studying for the full day without taking breaks will just make you tired and more stressed! Create your study schedule with regular breaks – whether 20 minutes to eat a snack or a few hours to meet your friends in the boarding school common room, having some time away from the textbooks will benefit you in the long run.
Everyone learns differently and understanding how you learn will help you when revising. You may be a visual, auditory or physical learner. Perhaps you learn best by working in a group, or maybe you prefer solo study. If you choose to study with others, read our blog about how to get the most out of group revision at boarding school. If you aren’t sure what kind of learner you are, you can speak to your Tutor or another teacher at boarding school and they can help you understand the different methods of studying. You should focus your revision plan on your most effective ways of learning. If you’re a visual learner you might find it helpful to colour code your notes, or draw diagrams and images to help you remember important information. Highlighting key facts and figures can help you identify the most crucial information and stop you feeling overwhelmed by large sections of text. If you are an auditory learner, a good way to revise is by reciting short pieces of information – you could even make up some songs to help you remember things!
Flash cards are excellent when you’re trying to learn and remember information for exams. On one side of your card write a prompt or question on one side of the card and the answer or more detailed information on the other side. Now you can test yourself to see how much you can remember when you don’t have the information in front of you. Flash card revision can be fun with a friend, taking turns to quiz each other.
One of the best ways to prepare for exams is by completing exam papers from previous years. All the UK exam boards (such as the SQA, AQA and IB exam boards) publish the exam papers from previous years so you are able to practise before your first UK exam. This will give you a good idea of how the exam will be structured and what kind of questions might be asked. It can also be helpful to do these papers under exam conditions – set yourself a time limit like you would have in the real exam and turn your phone off to make sure you won’t have any interruptions or distractions. Doing this will help you feel well prepared and calm on exam day.
Setting goals is a fantastic way of keeping yourself accountable and working towards targets. However, it’s important to make sure your goals are SMART goals. This means they should be Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Timed. For example, setting a goal to complete one past paper before lunch is a better goal than aiming to memorise months of information in one day.
Do you work better in a silent environment or do you like a bit of background noise? Another top tip for studying and exams is to study in your preferred environment and ideally separate from where you relax and socialise. Make sure your space is organised and not too messy – you want to feel as calm as possible and working in a disorganised space can be stressful! In your boarding school, this might mean revising at your desk and relaxing in your boarding house common room. Some UK boarding schools have large libraries or designated study spaces as well as other facilities such as sports pitches or spacious grounds where you can spend time with friends.
It might sound odd, but teaching someone else the information that you’re trying to learn can be very helpful. It means that you’ll have to understand it fully and be able to explain it clearly and concisely. It’s also a great way to figure out what you don’t know well enough yet.
Hopefully, you will feel calm and prepared and can apply the knowledge you have gained during your revision time. We’ve got some top tips to make sure all your studying pays off on exam day at your boarding school.
Don’t rush into the exam paper thinking you might run out of time. Write down the exam end time so you don’t lose track then read all the questions taking note of the marks for each question. Now prioritise the questions you are confident about and also those that carry lots of marks. Nobody said you have to answer the questions in the order they are written but score them off so you can be sure you do answer them all! When you’ve finished each question check you’ve written enough points for all the marks. Don’t spend too long on questions with fewer marks just because you know lots on the topic – remember only to answer the question! If you have time at the end read over your answers checking you’ve made enough points for the marks.
When you’re sitting in a big exam hall with lots of other students, it’s easy to get distracted by what others are doing. Some students will finish before others – not everyone works at the same pace. This neither means anything nor affects you – stay focused on answering your exam and ignore everyone else.
If you come across a question that you don’t know the answer to, don’t panic. Stay calm and find a question that you can answer. You can always come back to the tricky ones at the end.
If you find it all a bit much then close your eyes and focus on your breathing until you feel calm again then return to your paper and start on a question you can answer. When you’re calm and positive the questions don’t look so challenging!
Make the most of our top tips for studying and exams this exam season. Good luck.
Are you worried about your exams? We know that exam season can be a very stressful time for students which is why we’ve put together some helpful advice to help you to look after yourself and your mental wellbeing during your exams. Use these top tips to succeed in your exams without burning out.
During exam season, it’s important to remember that you’re not alone! Thousands of students all across the country are in the same position (including all your friends). Keep in touch with your friends and support each other through this time. Friends can also help you see something from a different point of view if you’re stuck on a problem or struggling to understand something. In fact, it’s quite likely that you’ll be able to help each other out – read our blog about how to get the most out of group revision to learn more about revising with a friend.
When you’re studying, it can be helpful to take short regular study breaks as this has been shown to improve your performance as you don’t get too tired and can focus better. Some people use the Pomodoro Technique which involves working for 25 minutes and then having a 5 minute break. Different techniques work for different people and you might prefer to work for 50 minutes and have a 10 minute break. During these study breaks, you should move away from your study area to give your brain a rest which will refresh your concentration when you restart. You can go for a short walk to get some fresh air, do some stretches or yoga to give your body a break too!
Sometimes it can seem like exam revision is more important than everything else, but you must remember to eat 3 full, healthy meals every day during your exams. Eating nutritious meals will fuel your brain and give you the energy you need to study. There are even some ‘brain foods’ include berries, green, leafy vegetables, fish and nuts foods which are linked to better brainpower.
Your brain makes strong associations with different locations and what you usually do in those places. For example, your brain probably associates your common room with relaxing and chatting with friends, and your bed with sleeping. This is why it’s important to study in a separate space from where you relax. Your ‘study zone’ should be a quiet and tidy place where you can focus on your revision without distractions.
To prevent you feeling overwhelmed during your exams, we recommend setting achievable goals each day. Aim for between 3 and 5 goals each day. Don’t set a lot of goals as you are unlikely to achieve them all which will prevent you feeling you’re making progress. When deciding your daily objectives, be specific and realistic about what you want to achieve. It’s best to write your goals for tomorrow at the end of each day so you can start the day fresh and focussed.
Keep organised notes and use highlighters and post-it notes to focus on key points – you might even be able to visualise your revision notes when that question comes up. The BBC Bitesize website has more information about revision tips.
Although it might be tempting to stay up late and do that extra little bit of revision, this can be counterproductive. Getting enough sleep during exam season is crucial. Try and get at least 8 hours of sleep every night and, if you can, avoid electronic screens for an hour before bedtime. Prioritising your sleep will help you stay focused, improve your concentration and improve your mood.
The key to looking after your mental wellbeing during exams is to ask for help if you are struggling. Talk to your support network – family, friends, your Houseparents, teachers or tutor, and of course Academic Families! Share how you are feeling so they can help you. Remember a problem shared is a problem halved.
Make sure you know where and when each exam is and how much time you have. It’s important to be calm as you go into each exam and manage your time ensuring you have time to answer all the questions. Read our top tips for exam day.
Whether your child is already at a UK boarding school or is hoping to attend one in the future, we’re sure you want them to get the best out of their British education. One important aspect of their school experience is academia – and we are here to help ensure your child achieves their best! There are lots of academic support options available at British boarding schools. Academic Families can recommend and organise these services to support your child’s success.
The first step to helping your child succeed is finding the right boarding school for them. Children learn in different ways and schools reflect this. There are hundreds of boarding schools in the UK, many of which use different teaching methods to engage with different ways of learning.
When looking at UK boarding schools, we understand the importance of finding the right match for your child. If you’re worried that your child might struggle academically, then contact Academic Families and let us know! Academic Families is partnered with more than 450 schools in the UK, so our experts can help you choose the best boarding school for your child.
There are many different forms of academic support that are available at boarding schools in the UK. Here are just a few examples:
If a student is finding a specific subject difficult at school, then we recommend speaking to their subject teacher. Teachers want students to do well so will do everything they can to help students who are struggling.
If a student still needs a bit of extra help with a subject, Academic Families can arrange a personal tutor for one-on-one academic support. Tutoring generally takes place outside of school hours and students can choose between online tutoring and in-person tutoring.
We understand that it can be difficult trying to understand everything in a language that isn’t your own. International students don’t need to worry if they are struggling with their English! Many UK boarding schools have English as an Additional Language (EAL) classes to help students get up to speed. Academic Families can also recommend English language courses to strengthen your child’s language skills and help them build their confidence.
UK boarding schools generally have Learning Support departments or staff members who assist students with additional learning needs. These departments offer a supportive environment for students with specific learning difficulties, but often they also have lots of great resources which are useful to everyone – study tips and exam techniques are particularly helpful!
When a new student starts boarding school, they are often paired up with a buddy. A buddy is another student who has been at the school for longer. Your child’s buddy can help show them around their new school, answer any questions they might have and can also point them in the right direction if they are struggling with their school work.
When exam season is approaching, many boarding schools run exam revision courses during the Easter holidays which focus on exam techniques and prepare students for British school exams.
If you choose Academic Families as your child’s guardian, we can attend parents’ meetings on your behalf and manage your child’s feedback and reports. We can follow up on any issues that arise, and help ensure your child’s success.
There are also pre-enrollment or prep courses that take place just before the start of the school year – these are ideal for students who want to get a taste of boarding school life before beginning in September. There are a variety of prep courses available – some focusing on academia or English language – but Academic Families can talk you through the options and recommend the best course for your child.
Find out more about how Academic Families can help your child succeed at school by organising academic support.
At February half-term, we headed off on our annual ski trip! This year, we travelled to Verbier in Switzerland with 38 students from UK boarding schools.
Before we headed to the airport on the Saturday, some of our students spent a fun evening with our team. We went out for dinner and then headed to the bowling alley for two games of bowling. The students also enjoyed spending some time playing games at the arcade. We stayed overnight in a hotel before getting picked up and taken to the airport the next morning.
We had a smooth flight to Geneva and were met by a Les Elfes representative on arrival. We jumped on the bus to take us to our chalets. Boys were in one chalet and girls were in another. We arrived in Verbier to perfect sunny weather which luckily stayed for the whole week! Once we arrived, everyone was keen to put their ski boots on and get onto the slopes. Amongst our 38 students, we had some beginners and some more confident skiers so the students split up into different groups of ability so that everyone could benefit from the great ski instructors at the resort.
Each morning there was a buffet of bread, jams, fruit, cereals, yogurt and also a hot option. We shared a dining room with another school and the students came down between 7.30 – 8am. All students were encouraged to attend breakfast even just for a quick croissant and juice!
After breakfast each day, students had to be ready at the buses by 9am. Students then skied all day with their group and instructor, stopping only for lunch. For lunch some of the beginner groups came back to the chalet in the first couple of days. However, as the days went on all Academic Families students would meet up on the slopes to have a hot lunch together. The more advanced skiers were on the slopes for lunch every day.
Once back from the slopes around 4pm, there was tea and snacks on offer. Students were allowed to go to the village, although they had to go in groups and needed to sign in and out with their group leader of the day from Les Elfes.
During our time in Switzerland, we noticed everyone improve their skills on the slopes! The students who had never skied before started out on a baby slope and by the end of the trip had built their confidence and were skiing down the mountains. After a few days in Verbier, our more advanced skiers were doing some crazy tricks! We made the most of being in such a beautiful ski destination and had full days of skiing in the mornings and afternoons. Some afternoons, we stopped for some delicious hot chocolates before getting back out onto the slopes.
At the end of our first day, we all put our skis away and went to a big sports hall to play some team sports. We had lots of fun activities planned and other evenings involved all sitting around a campfire together, a disco, quiz nights, and some very tasty meals out. One night we did an Evening Torch Walk through the ski resort. All students joined in and again our group joined up with another Spanish-speaking group. Our students got to meet lots of new people and got on well with everyone.
Another highlight of the ski trip was getting the chance to zipline off Mont Blanc – the highest mountain in the Alps and Western Europe. Some of our students were even brave enough to try something called speed-riding which involves paragliding with skis on! On our last night in Switzerland, the resort held a prize-giving and lots of our students won prizes.
“The best part about this trip was getting to know other people and also going to one of the world’s most beautiful places!” – Juan Carlos, student on the 2022 half-term ski trip.
Find out more about the exciting trips we offer to students throughout the year.
It’s a question we get asked a lot – by parents, students and hosts! We understand the importance of getting a match that works well both for you as hosts, and for the student. Our team have a great deal of experience when it comes to matching students and host families. We take time to find good matches and often get to see life-long bonds being formed.
We take time getting to know our hosts and students so that we are able to pair them well. When you sign up as a host we’ll either have a chat over the phone to get to know you, or we’ll ask you to tell us about you on our registration form. Things we like to find out about include your
The more details you can give us, the better! We take all information into consideration – for example, if you tell us you’ve got pets, we’ll know it’s a good idea to pair you with an animal lover and not a student who is going to be afraid of them!
Just as we ask you to tell us about you, we also ask our students to do the same. It’s not a one sided matching process – it’s important that you’re both going to be happy with the match.
One of the most important questions we ask our students is about the level of family involvement they would like to have whilst staying with a host. We’ll ask you this too and get you to rank on a scale from 1 (little to no involvement with family life) to 10 (full involvement with family life). This way, we know not to pair a student who wants level 1 involvement with a host family who wants level 10! It means that you and your student will be on the same page when they come to stay.
Once we think we’ve got a good match we’ll send you the student’s profile. Their profile includes a photo and a little bit about them, including any important information such as allergies. We’ll also create a host profile for you based off the information you’ve given us, so that they can familiarise themselves with you before they arrive.
We’re sure that you’ll have a great time with the student we pair you with, but in an event where you aren’t getting on as well as you’d hoped, get in touch with us. We’ll try to resolve any issues first, but if either you or the student are unhappy, we’ll switch host families and students around until we find everyone’s perfect match.
Find out more about becoming a host for international students.
2022 marks 10 years of Academic Families. We’ve learnt a lot since beginning in 2012 and we’re incredibly proud of everything we’ve achieved. To celebrate our anniversary, we’re sharing our top 10 achievements from the last decade.
When we started out, we had only a handful of nationalities under our guardianship. 10 years on we have hosted students from 65 countries and we’re proud to have built such a large international community. Currently our students span Europe, North and South America, Asia and Africa. We’re looking forward to welcome more nationalities as we continue to grow.
Starting out in 2012, our team was our founder, Lorna, and an Administrator. Now we are a team of 17 including our Edinburgh head office and our friendly and supportive local coordinators in their offices close to schools throughout the UK. We’re UK wide and local, and fully support our students with fun things like birthday celebrations as well any emergencies.
Covid-19 turned the world upside down, and it definitely gave us a challenge when schools suddenly closed and we were tasked with getting students home safely. With a monumental team effort, we made sure everybody got to the airport safely and made it home. Some students wanted to stay in the UK during lockdown too, so our host families stepped up and we were able to match our remaining students with caring host families. We’re very proud of how we continue to overcome challenges posed by Covid-19 and support our students during these very challenging times.
Next on our top 10 achievements list is flying the flag for top British boarding school education around the world. We recruit students from around the world and match the best British boarding schools to their requirements. We’ve actively promoted our services at education fairs on three continents and run webinars across the world. Being able to meet and talk to students and parents about our British school placement and guardianship services is always a highlight.
Receiving AEGIS’ prestigious Gold Standard Award in 2016 was a definite highlight. AEGIS requires inspections to be carried out every four years to ensure exceptional guardianship and business standards are maintained and 2021 saw us retain our Gold accreditation. We remain very proud of the feedback from AEGIS’ inspectors:
‘Academic Families Ltd is a highly professional guardianship organisation. The very knowledgeable and experienced staff team share the strong vision to always put each child first and to provide a service they ‘would want for their own family’. Academic Families takes its safeguarding and child protection responsibilities very seriously and has forged strong working relationships with the schools it works with.’
We are also certified by the Boarding Schools Association for both our guardianship and placement services as well as holding the British Council Global Agent qualification and status – two achievements of which we are equally proud. In fact, we were the first guardianship company to have double AEGIS and BSA accreditation and the only education company to hold these top 4 accreditations – AEGIS Gold, BSA Guardian and Agent, and British Council Global Agent.
We also take the mental well-being of our students seriously and know how important it is especially with Covid interruptions. Our staff completed the 2 day training from Mental Health First Aid England and are certified and able to look out for signs that a student may be dealing with mental health issues. The award shows that we know how to take appropriate action and support students who may be struggling. Extra knowledge like this allows us to go the extra mile and provide the best care for our students.
Establishing our community of welcoming and caring hosts is definitely one of our greatest achievements. Our host families care for our students as much as their own children and form lifelong bonds. Some of our favourite stories include students who have joined in fully with family life and who then remain in contact with their hosts for many years, including inviting their ‘British parents’ to their wedding! Our success stories are a testament to how supportive and caring our families across the UK are.
Our half-term trips must be the very best guardian trips available and we’re very proud of them so they are a must in our top 10 achievements. Our international students love coming on our trips, and they’re always a highlight of our year too! In October we visit Dubai and our itinerary includes visiting the Burj Khalifa, exploring the desert, visiting waterparks and theme parks and we even fit in some shopping too. During February half-term we visit Switzerland for an exciting ski trip and see the sights of Geneva and in May we visit Athens in Greece. The Academic Families holidays are always action packed, so they take a lot of planning, but it’s always worth it when we see our students having the time of their lives and looking forward to meeting their new friends on the next trip.
We have a strong digital performance and use technology to enhance the experience of our students, parents and hosts alike. Launching our bespoke guardianship management system has enabled immediate online access to current information and our state of the art cloud based guardianship management system enables users to see all the relevant information, including transportation, hosting arrangements and student finance.
We’re invested in the success and happiness of each of our international students, so when they succeed, we know we have succeeded too! Some of our favourite celebrations are when our students accept to their prefered course at top UK universities such as Oxford and Cambridge. A large number of our students have also excelled in sport and music and we’re proud to be part of their success in UK education.
We know we’re doing a lot right when parents and students give us great feedback but even more than their feedback, we value their referrals. We continue to grow our referrals from international families and UK host families alike. Schools appreciate our professionalism and child-centred approach when matching students and agents are confident they can work with us to provide professional guardianship for their students. Our hosts often tell us how well we support them and better than other guardians they may have experience of. Our drivers and transfer partners also enjoy working with us and appreciate our business practice. We are proud of the exceptional service we provide all our clients and also the great relationships we have with our partners.
With such a busy decade it was difficult to narrow down our achievements to just 10. However, we do know that our highest achievement of our 10 years has to be that we proudly ensure our international students are Safe, Happy and Successful.
We couldn’t ask for more.
Preparing to welcome an international Boarding School student into your home is an exciting time. You’ll be playing an important role in helping an international student adapt to life in the UK. We’ve put together the most important things for you to remember to help you to be a great host family for an international student.
Hosting is a rewarding experience, and you’ll get out of it what you put in! It’s a great opportunity to learn new things and form unique and valuable relationships. Many of our students have such a great time with their host families that they stay in contact for years after leaving.
For example, a number of previous international students send Christmas cards every year to their old host families. Last year, one of our hosts was invited to the wedding of a student she hosted almost 10 years ago! The relationships formed between host families and international students truly are lifelong and you are guaranteed to make some special memories.
One of the most rewarding things about hosting a foreign student is the opportunity to learn from each other. Hosting an international student allows you to embrace cultures that are different to yours. Whilst it’s important for your student to learn about life in the UK, you’ll be learning about life elsewhere too!
Some of our students from abroad like to cook their favourite meals from home for their host families to try – if you’re lucky you might get a taste of authentic Chinese, Mexican or French cuisine! By embracing your differences and trying new things, the experience will be rewarding for both you and your student.
Having an international student stay with you is a great excuse for you to get out and try something new or go somewhere you wouldn’t usually go. You could visit that café you walk past every day, or the museum you’ve been meaning to go to for ages. International students coming to the UK will be naturally keen to explore and visit many new places, so there’s no reason that you can’t enjoy new experiences too!
Your international boarding school student wants to gain a sense of life in the UK, so do involve them in regular family life. This can include baking or cooking with them, watching TV together, or taking the dog for a walk. If you’re stuck for ideas, check out our guide which covers the best activities for hosts to do with international students.
When you welcome an international student into your home, it’s important to remember that they may not have been abroad on their own before.
Put yourself in the student’s shoes and imagine how you would feel if you went to stay with a host family in Japan. Even if you knew the language, there would be local customs, sayings, and different accents which you might not be used to, so don’t be surprised if the student doesn’t understand absolutely everything. Lots of our hosts have great fun showing off their local customs and explaining British slang to international students! As long as you are happy to answer their questions, they’ll quickly get the hang of things.
Now that we’ve covered all the exciting parts of hosting that you can look forward to, we’ve got some tips for when it comes to keeping everybody safe and happy.
Having fun is a central part of hosting, but ensuring that your foreign student is safe is the most important. If you are a current host or are going through the application process, you will know that we carry out background checks on our hosts. We do this to ensure that we are providing a safe environment for our international students.
We recommend that you set reasonable rules to help keep everyone safe. These might include having lights off by a certain time at night. Rules around curfews can also be helpful for older students. For example, students over 16 are likely to want some independence, so setting curfews around 10pm is an effective way to make sure everyone is safe and can get a good night’s rest.
Our international students come from all over the world, and their customs are therefore often different from the UK. What they may think of as perfectly normal may come across as rude, or vice versa. For example, most people in the UK have similar table manners, but foreign students might have different customs in their countries. Whilst we eat with cutlery, people in many countries, particularly in Asia and Africa, eat with their hands. Meanwhile, most families in Asia never wear their shoes in the house, but you might not mind that at all.
Etiquette differences don’t mean your student is trying to be rude, but this is why it’s important to establish rules from day one. This way the student will know what is and isn’t acceptable in your home. Being on the same page results in a positive experience for everyone.
Learn more about becoming a host family, or use our callback form to schedule a call and begin the process!
Spring term at British boarding schools is also sometimes called ‘Lent’ term. The term will welcome children to snowy pitches and in March they will wave goodbye to a school covered in Spring flowers. If your child was new to the school in September they will be feeling much more confident about this term. They will be familiar with the school campus and routine as well as having a friendship group to return to.
What should your child expect in Spring term at British boarding school?
Students in exam years (Year 11 & 13) will be sitting their ‘Mock’ exams. These exams will serve as a practice for future exams and also reveal areas your child needs some extra revision in. Sometimes the results of these exams can be used in the final mark e.g. if you child is unable to sit the final exam because of illness. In 2020 and 2021, due to Covid, schools used these results as a guide with teacher assessment to give the final mark. For more information about mock exams, read our blog that covers everything you need to know about mock exams and why they’re important.
An integral part of a boarding school’s weekly timetable are the activities. Throughout your child’s time at school they will develop qualities, skills and values that stay with them for life. Activities will change each term and students will have the opportunity to try new things. Spring term will see the introduction of some new sports that your child can try their hand at such as:
In March as the weather gets warmer, students taking part in the Duke of Edinburgh Award may do their practice expedition in the nearby countryside.
British boarding schools have exceptionally strong Drama, Art and Music departments. Throughout the year students get to showcase their skills to fellow students and local community.
Spring term may also see school lectures with visiting guest speakers. Events like this will give your child the opportunity to hear stories from alumni, explorers and the world of business. These are often helpful for older students who are considering different career options.
Boarding schools also enjoy celebrating their international community. In Spring term many schools will celebrate events such as Chinese New Year and Burns Night.
If your child is going to boarding school in the UK you might have heard of 'mock exams' or 'mocks'. Mocks are a set of practice exams that usually take place in January before the final ones in Spring. They are normally taken by pupils in Year 11 and Year 13 who are studying for their GCSE or A level qualifications. They function as a practice test that allows students to see what grade they can expect in the final exam.
Sitting at home doing test papers is different to doing them in an exam hall under timed conditions. Mock exams allow students to understand how the real exam will feel. They're especially important for international students at UK boarding schools, as the exam may be very different from what they're used to. Students will get an idea of the kind of questions that can be expected on the day. They'll also have a better sense of how much time they have and are likely to feel less nervous on the official exam day.
As well as highlighting a student's strengths, mock exams also allow students to identify the areas that they need to improve on before the final exam. What students do after the mocks is just as important as actually sitting them. There are several months before the final exams, so students should aim to spend this time revising areas where they may have struggled in the mocks. Teachers will also be able to see whether there are areas where many pupils performed poorly and can dedicate more classroom time to revising these areas.
UK boarding schools are a fantastic option for parents who want their children to have a holistic education and excel academically. With over 450 brilliant UK boarding schools on offer, it can be overwhelming trying to choose the best one for your child. Our Education Experts have connections with these schools and understand their different offerings and specialities - and will guide you to the right decision. Contact us now to begin your child's UK boarding school journey.
Christmas is quickly approaching, and people across the world are getting ready to celebrate. To put you in a festive mood, we'll be sharing our favourite British Christmas traditions. Some of these are specific to the UK, and some are also common in other countries, but they're all great fun! We encourage our international students to get involved with as many as possible if they're spending Christmas in the UK with a host family.
You might have already been taking part in this tradition for the past few weeks. Advent calendars are used as a way to count the days of Advent in the count down the days to Christmas. They start on the 1st of December and finish on Christmas Eve. Advent calendars usually have doors or windows that you open each day of the count down to reveal an image, a poem or more popularly nowadays, a small chocolate.
The pantomime, or "panto" is very popular every year across the UK and is one of the best British Christmas traditions. It is a type of comedy stage show for family entertainment in theatres up and down the country. Pantomimes usually include lots of songs, dances, jokes and dressing up. The panto usually runs over the entire Christmas and New Year period. If there's a show on in a theatre near you, we definitely recommend experiencing the fun for yourself!
This one isn't specifically British - but it is an important part of Christmas in the UK. Christmas trees date back to Eastern Europe and began to become associated with Christmas as early as the 1500s. Christmas trees are symbolic of Christmas and originally people decorated them with candles, but now usually use lights, tinsel and tree decorations. Lots of families enjoy going to pick out their Christmas tree and decorating it together in the run up to Christmas.
This one is a staple British Christmas tradition. Every year the King presents a speech on Christmas Day. Lots of families gather together around the television to watch the broadcast. In 2020, over 8 million people watched the broadcast when the late Queen Elizabeth II addressed the nation to wish everybody a Merry Christmas.
Christmas crackers are a Christmas favourite in the UK. They're cardboard tubes that are wrapped in festive paper. Two people pull an end of the cracker and it pops open with a bang. Inside they contain a small toy, a Christmas paper crown and a piece of paper with a joke. They were first created in London in around 1845 and today people pull them around the table at Christmas dinner.
Boxing Day refers to the day after Christmas Day - the 26th of December. The term Boxing Day comes from the 1800s when the rich gave boxes of gifts to the poor. Boxing Day is now a public holiday in the UK and in some European countries people celebrate the day as a second Christmas Day. It's the perfect day to eat all the leftovers from Christmas!
Many young flyers are experienced enough to fly on their own but parents still worry about them navigating airports especially security, getting to their departure gate on time, clearing immigration, finding their bags and spending hours on their own in ther airport. Heathrow can be a particular challenge especially if transferring to or from a UK regional airport. We know how stressful it can be especially when flights aren’t on time. We can offer you piece of mind with our Airport Assistance service which includes airside assistance as well as the usual checkin and meet and greet service.
If your child isn’t flying as an Unaccompanied Minor (UM) then Airport Assistance is ideal as they can be escorted airside through the airport so they aren’t on their own. Our experienced Airport Assistance chaperones deal directly with airlines and drivers. Their support is critical if the best made plans go wrong. You can book the service for departure, transfer and arrival flights and Heathrow Airport Assistance is very popular with parents ensuring their child’s airport experience is safe, smooth and stress-free. We can also support landside with check-in and meet and greet if that’s all you want.
Airport Assistance can help your child throughout their airport journey – both landside and airside. Landside refers to the areas of the airport that the public have access to, even if they are not flying. Airside refers to the areas of the airport like security and passport control that can only be accessed by flying passengers. Our Airport Assistance team have the highest airside security clearance so can support passengers through the airport.
Departures:
Arrivals:
In the airport:
Let us help you ensure your child is safe and supported whatever happens at the airport. Choose the level of support you require and confirm with our guardianship team so we can conifrm availability as soon as possible.
Make sure your child is prepared for the journey by reading our blog for tips on travelling safely to the UK.
The UK is full of diversity, and its multicultural nature makes it an exciting and welcoming place to live. As well as being home to many immigrant communities, the UK sees millions of tourists, business visitors and international students from all over the world. International pupils typically make up about 50% of the student body at UK boarding schools, and British higher education see more than half a million international students enrolled each year.
Over the last 70 years in particular, the UK has welcomed people from across the globe. In fact, migration statistics published by the UK House of Commons reveal that in 2021, there were around 6 million people with non-British nationality living in the UK. That's about 9% of the population! On top of that, there were 9.6 million people living in the UK who were born abroad. Even within the United Kingdom, there are multiple different cultures. Each of the four countries (England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales) has its own culture, languages, and traditions.
So what exactly is it that makes the UK so multicultural? We've outlined some of the things that contribute to the UK's multiculturalism.
Whilst English is the official language of the UK, there is a vast range of other languages spoken all over the country. For example, the UK's capital city, London, is home to around 300 different languages! The variety of languages spoken in the UK means that you're not alone if you come to the UK speaking another language. You'll feel at home in such a multilingual and multicultural society.
The UK is home to many traditional restaurants run by people who have immigrated here. In fact, there are thousands of restaurants which offer Chinese, Indian or Italian cuisine, but you will also have the opportunity to try food from almost any country in the world. From Nigerian to Cuban to Nepalese - the options to try something new are endless. The UK welcomes these different cuisines so much so that the adopted national dish of Britain is often said to be chicken tikka masala! This symbol of a multicultural Britain shows that we hold these different dishes close to our hearts. If you come to a UK boarding school, you will still be able to find comfort in your home foods whilst also trying new things.
Living in our multicultural UK means exposure to different ideas. Engaging with a diverse mix of people is much more interesting than having everybody be exactly the same! Entertainment, fashion, music and art are different all over the world. We feel lucky to have learnt so much from different nationalities bringing their ideas and cultures with them.
When you get to boarding school, other students will be excited to give you a warm welcome to the UK and learn more about your culture. In fact, most boarding schools welcome students from dozens of countries around the world, so you'll be able to learn more about their cultures and feel comforted that there are other people in the same situation as you.
Our multicultural society will welcome you with open arms to the UK. You will still be able to access home comforts, whilst learning all about different cultures from around the globe. You'll learn that people hold different religious or political beliefs from you. In turn, you will become much more open-minded and able to work well with a range of people in the future. What are you waiting for?
Do you want to study in the UK and benefit from all it has to offer? Contact us to find out how we can help you find a UK boarding school.
There is no doubt about it – trying to choose the perfect boarding school for your child is hard.
Decisions, decisions!
When you come across terminology that sounds like it belongs in a Maths exam, the choice can be even harder.
Below are two basic terms to start off with which describe how boarding houses are organised.
This is when a boarding house caters for students who are all in the same year group.
Vertical Boarding is when a boarding house caters for students from different year groups.
Many schools have a mix of both Horizontal and Vertical Boarding, offering horizontal for younger boarders (for example, in the Prep years – ages 8 to 13) and again for Sixth Form (ages 16-18). And then they switch to Vertical Boarding from ages 13-16.
For more advice on which boarding style and school will best suit your child, talk to our Admissions team who will discuss all the pros and cons.
Now that travel restrictions have been relaxed the Academic Families trips are up and running! October half term saw the return of our annual trip to Dubai – this year with 29 students from boarding schools throughout the UK. After 29 negative PCR tests we were finally ready to board the flight to Dubai International Airport.
We arrived early morning so had a lazy start to the day beachside and all met for a group lunch to discuss the week ahead. That evening we headed off to Dubai Mall for dinner before taking in the views from the world’s tallest building Burj Khalifa and enjoying the dancing fountains.
Next day all were all ready towels in hand and excited to spend a day at Aquaventure Water Park where we spent the day sliding down record-breaking slides and through raging rapids. As we left the water park we visited the Middle-East’s largest aquarium – The Lost Chambers Aquarium. We saw their amazing variety of aquatic creatures. We were all very hungry after this busy day and enjoyed a delicious meal at a local Lebanese restaurant.
On Wednesday we had a welcome lie in. After a leisurely breakfast we went to IMG Worlds of Adventure – an indoor entertainment park where the students spent a fun time on rides and rollercoasters. In the evening we had a nice dinner at the hotel.
We had many golf enthusiasts on tour so on Thursday 12 golfers played an enjoyable round of golf at Jebel Ali. Their skill and golf etiquette were commendable. Our other students enjoyed their time beach side and in the sea on paddle boards and kayaking. Then, in the evening we got the metro to the Dubai Expo which was a unique and memorable experience.
On our penultimate day we spent some time shopping and a few of our students were also keen to visit one of Dubai's mosques. In the evening we went to Top Golf – a driving range on three levels. All the students were fantastic and we had a great evening.
On our last day we spent some more time soaking up the last of the sun at the beach. Our students couldn’t believe how quickly our half-term trip had gone, and neither could we! In the afternoon everyone had lunch together, heading on our next activity - the desert safari.
Our desert trip was lead by the only eco-tourism desert safari company in Dubai who are committed to protecting the natural landscape and cultural heritage of Dubai's desert. In the desert we also spent time learning about Emerati culture and food. The desert safari was an amazing experience for everyone – although there was sand everywhere for the rest of the day!
After an exciting and busy week it was time to make our way to the airport to catch our flight. When we arrived in the UK our team were ready to meet us and transport the students back to school. Thank you to all of our students for making our half-term trip to Dubai so memorable and enjoyable!
We love hearing feedback from parents and students - especially when it's all positive!
"Everything was perfectly planned, the kids had a blast and the activities were very diverse. The most important thing was that we were always informed every step of the way." - Parent of Mexican student.
"The Dubai trip was incredible. I really enjoyed making new friends while getting to know a new country and its culture. From the visit to the Burj Khalifa to a couple of adventure parks and a mosque, everything was awesome. But what I enjoyed the most was having supper at the desert and stargazing after a marvellous sunset. I would definitely recommend this experience to other students who want to enjoy a break from school. It was fun, relaxing, and memorable." - Vale, Student on the 2021 trip.
Find out more about the exciting trips we offer to our students throughout the year.
Choosing to host an Academic Families student is a rewarding and enriching experience. You’ll form new valuable relationships with international students and have the opportunity to learn from each other.
We pride ourselves on having built an international community and our students come from all over the world. The student you host could come from any country, but to give you an idea, some of our students come from:
All of our students are aged between 10 and 18, so if you have an age preference simply let us know! Perhaps you have children of your own and would like the student to be a similar age. Lots of our host families find that students become good friends with their own children.
All of our students are at boarding school in the UK, so most of their time is spent at school. Throughout the term, boarding schools have half-term breaks and occasional holiday weekends called exeat weekends. Some students go home over these school breaks, but others like to stay in the UK and this is where host families come in! When you sign up we’ll ask for you to give us an idea of your availability, but we also know that plans can easily change so we are always flexible with arrangements.
As a host your job is to be the student’s home away from home whenever they’re not at school. For some of our students, coming to boarding school in the UK is their first time being away from home, so it’s important that our hosts can make them feel welcome. Responsibility of the student still lies with Academic Families as their guardian and we make all the arrangements so you don’t need to worry. Your job is simply to provide a warm and loving atmosphere for them and enjoy spending time together.
We always encourage our hosts to help their student engage as much as possible in family life. This could mean doing some sightseeing with them, or even simply cooking and eating together. There are lots of activities that hosts can do with students to bond. We also find that students like to teach hosts about their own countries and cultures too. It’s a fantastic learning experience for everybody!
We’ve worked with host families since 2012, so we know that you’re likely to have lots of questions. We pride ourselves on supporting host families as much as we support our students. No question is too big or too small! Academic Families is here to support you throughout the registration and student matching process and we’re always only a phone call away once your student has arrived too.
“Throughout, Academic Families have organised, supported, and been at the end of a phone for us. Our experiences with these youngsters have enriched us with details and culture of countries we have not visited – but with the knowledge that there is always back up should this be required.”
– Margaret – Host.
Contact us to become a host or find out more
When your child is new to boarding school it often takes half a term for them to feel settled. By the end of autumn term at boarding school, your child will have established a friendship group, know their way around school and be familiar with all the school rules and routines. The leaves on the trees in the school grounds will be turning a gorgeous orange, darkness falls around 4.30pm and the temperature is definitely getting cooler. The change of seasons and a British autumn may be a new and exciting experience for your child. Wrap up warm is always the best advice!
The second half of the Autumn term at boarding school also has lots of fun events to look forward to. These include Christmas celebrations and some events you may be less familiar with such as Guy Fawkes Night. It's also known as Bonfire Night. 'Remember, remember the 5th of November, Gunpowder, Treason and Plot' is a well-known British rhyme. Bonfire Night is not just an excuse to gather round a bonfire wrapped up in warm clothes, scarves, hats and eating marshmallows but is based on a historical event.
In 1605, Guy Fawkes led a plot to murder King James I and his government. Guy and his conspirators were Catholics, unhappy with the Protestant government. They planned to kill King James I and his ministers. Fawkes and his plotters laid 36 barrels of gunpowder in the Houses of Parliament cellars set for a massive explosion and massacre. However, their plot was discovered just in time and they were arrested and executed!
Today there is no religious or political significance to Guy Fawkes Night but families throughout the UK have a small bonfire and fireworks in their garden. Often there are community fireworks events organised too. Usually these bonfires will burn a stuffed clothes dummy on the top of the bonfire known as the ‘Guy’.
So, when you hear about school's Guy Fawkes Night you will be well informed!
Thinking about boarding school for your child? There are so many benefits of attending a UK boarding school. Time and time again we see students transformed by their boarding school experience. Our blog covers some of the biggest ways in which boarding school can help your child grow and succeed.
When your child attends boarding school they’ll be away from home, possibly for the first time without any of their family. They’ll have an team of experienced staff on hand to look after them, but they’ll also learn to be independent. Your child will learn to do things without requiring adult supervision, and be able to ask for help when they need it. By the time they finish school they’ll be capable of living and looking after themselves independently – a great headstart for those who want to attend university.
Living at boarding school helps students develop a sense of personal responsibility. For most students, boarding school is the first time they have lived away from home so they will have to learn to be self-sufficient. Of course all students are supported by a wide range of staff, but they will in charge of making sure their bedrooms are clean and tidy and that their homework is done on time. Being organised and responsible are skills that will set your child up for success in later life, and boarding school is a great way to allow them to develop these qualities at a young age.
Boarding school can help your child nurture their current hobbies and interests and encourage them to develop new ones. For lots of international students, boarding school introduces them to new sports and activities that they haven’t been able to play in their home countries. Our blog covers some of the most popular extracurricular activities for students at boarding school. Perhaps your child is already an excellent tennis player or a fantastic musician – boarding schools can help them develop their talents with specialised programmes and expert tuition.
If your child is keen to attend university in the UK or at a top university elsewhere in the world, then British boarding school functions as a fantastic stepping stone. The vast majority of students who attend boarding school in the UK apply to university and are accepted to their top choice. After boarding school many international students get into top universities like Oxford, Cambridge, Durham, St. Andrews and Edinburgh. Read our university blog to discover how coming to boarding school can set your child up for success at university.
Lots of students find that one of the best outcomes of boarding school is the new friends they make. As boarding students live at school, there is a real sense of community, so boarding can help international students make friends very easily. Schools will have boarders from all over the world, and your child will be able to from valuable relationships with different people. Connecting with people who may have different beliefs, values and religions than your child can help them be open-minded and respectful. Read more about how living in a multicultural society like the UK can benefit your child. Lots of students remain life long friends and like to visit each other in their own countries many years later!
Whilst it can be a little scary to have your child living so far away, it provides them with the fantastic opportunity to travel and see new places. Compared to many countries, the UK is quite small, which means that no matter where their school is based, there is always sightseeing to do nearby. The UK is full of busy and exciting cities to be explored, and the countryside offers stunning mountains, beaches and traditional villages. Being at boarding school will enable your child to see and learn about people and places that are different from your home country.
Where better to learn English than in the UK? Whilst it’s possible to learn languages in a classroom from a textbook, your child will learn much more from being in the UK. Being surrounded by native English speakers in class and in their boarding house will help your child’s language skills greatly. Learning English in the UK will present your child with many opportunities to put their language into practice every day. Whether it’s buying something from a shop or using public transport, they’ll be learning and practicing all the time without even realising it. Many boarding schools also provide extra lessons and 1:1 tuition for students who don’t speak English as their first language.
If you’re still unsure about boarding school, or think your child would benefit from experiencing a taste of boarding school life first, there are a range of short summer courses for international students. Whether you’re looking for an academic or English language course or a fun adventurous programme, there are lots of options for short taster courses. Check out our information on short courses and contact us for more details!
The Duke of Edinburgh Award is a programme available to 14–24-year-olds. It is undertaken by thousands each year, and in 130 countries. You might hear the award referred to as DofE for short. It is a personal challenge that empowers young people to develop valuable skills, overcome obstacles and build confidence and resilience.
There are three levels of DofE Awards – Bronze, Silver and Gold. Each level requires participation in a range of activities, which when successfully completed will lead to an award. Bronze and Silver involve four sections, whilst the Gold Award has five sections. You are required to participate in each section for a set amount of time – the time varies depending on which award you are working towards.
To gain a Duke of Edinburgh Award you are required to volunteer. Volunteering means that you spend some of your time helping other people, society, or animals without receiving payment – there are many options when it comes to voluntary work. Volunteering can be a great way to meet new people too!
The physical section of DofE requires you to participate regularly in a sport or other fitness activity. This could be anything you enjoy, from football to dance to hockey. Usually, you should play your chosen sport at least once per week.
To complete the skills section, you will need to choose an activity to improve in or learn about. It shouldn’t be a physical skill such as football as this would come under the Physical section. Your skill could be almost anything, but some of the most common DofE skills are playing an instrument, drawing, cooking, and photography.
The expedition section requires you to organise, train for and complete an expedition in a team.
For all expeditions you will need to stay overnight for at least one night. There are a range of travel modes you can choose from, including walking, cycling, and kayaking. For Silver and Gold awards, you must also complete a presentation following the expedition.
To receive a Gold award, you must complete an extra residential section. This involves five days (four nights) undertaking an activity or course in a setting away from home with people who you do not know. Popular places to stay include activity centres, campsites and boats. The residential section offers a great opportunity to try something different and meet new people.
Completing DofE is a huge personal achievement and there are so many benefits of undertaking the challenge.
DofE will improve your teamwork, communication, and leadership abilities. These qualities are valuable to have on your CV in the future. Having your award will tell potential employers or university admissions staff that you hold important life skills.
DofE is also a great way to make new friends. The expeditions and residential sections make for great bonding experiences. Many people who complete DofE together stay friends for life!
Last but not least, DofE is fun! You get to spend time with friends, take part in activities you enjoy and develop new interests too.
In the boarding school world, you will hear the term 'exeat weekend' used regularly. Exeat weekends are also known as leave weekends, leave-outs, or rec leave. There are lots of different terms, but they all mean the same thing.
An exeat is when there is a holiday at the weekend. Some UK boarding schools remain open over these weekends, whilst others shut completely. When a school does close over a weekend, students will usually have to leave the premises. Even though these breaks from school are short, they provide students with the perfect time to recharge before returning to school.
When a school closes for an exeat weekend, Academic Families will organise a welcoming host family for students to stay with until the school reopens. We like to pair students with the same host family so that they have a familiar place to call home whilst they are out of school. On their breaks, many students enjoy cooking, going to the cinema, or doing some local sightseeing with their hosts.
For longer holidays, such as half terms, Academic Families also offers escorted trips to exciting destinations like Dubai, Kenya and Greece. These trips provide students with the chance to experience new cultures, create lasting memories and make new friends.
Wherever your child goes when school is closed, Academic Families organises all the transport so you don’t need to worry. We manage all transfers and are always prepared to handle delays or cancellations to ensure a stress free journey for your child.
Find out more about how we can enrol your child in a UK boarding school and support them while they're here. For more definitions of common boarding school phrases, you can read our 'boarding school lingo' blog.
If you have an international student coming to stay you may be thinking about what kinds of things you can do together. Taking part in some fun activities together can help you get to know each other. Our blog covers the most popular activities for hosts and students.
Many of our students love to cook or bake and doing this together is the perfect way to get them involved in family life. Students often enjoy sharing their favourite recipes from home too! Some pupils however, are very new to cooking and can really benefit from a few lessons in the kitchen!
If your family have dogs, encourage your student to take them for a walk with you. It’s an easy way to get them involved in regular family life and it’s not uncommon for our students to fall in love with their host families’ pets!
Sometimes students forget to pack things they may need at boarding school, or simply don’t have enough room in their luggage to bring everything they need. Hosts often like to take students to the shops to help them buy the essentials that they don’t yet have. Doing this together also teaches students how to make purchases independently in UK shops.
Our international pupils are always excited to get to know their new surroundings and love spending a few days being a tourist in their new home. Showing a student the main visitor attractions is also great fun for hosts! Recently, our hosts in Scotland have enjoyed taking their students to see Edinburgh Castle and the Forth Bridges.
Getting out and about on a bike is a great way to show your student around a new area. If you don’t have a spare bike for the student to use, you could rent one for the day. Many cities have Uber bikes which are cheap to rent for a few hours. Lots of our students are very active and enjoy spending time outdoors – so cycling is a popular activity when they stay with host families.
Going bowling is a fun indoor activity and is also an effective ice-breaker if your student is feeling nervous in their new environment. The whole family can get involved in a game of bowling and lots of our students love a friendly competition!
For those who are hosting the more active students, going swimming is a popular activity. A trip to the local swimming pool always results in lots of fun for both the student and the host family – especially if you have other children. If you’re feeling particularly brave, you could also take a trip to the beach for a cold dip in the sea!
Lots of our students love going to the cinema. It’s the perfect activity for a rainy day in the UK and doesn’t take much organising either! You could let them pick a film that they want to see, or decide together! As a bonus, you can chat about the film afterwards too!
If you’re looking for a special activity to do whilst your student is staying, why not take them to the theatre? It’s an exciting experience for them but also an enjoyable one for you! Many of our students are passionate about music and dancing, so they love visiting the theatre.
Moving to boarding school in a new country is an immensely exciting experience. It provides the chance to immerse yourself in a new culture and experience a new way of life. If you were to ask a current or past international student what their favourite aspect of boarding school life was, it is more than likely they will mention the friends they made.
Yet, Academic Families understand that each child is unique. Where some children will make friends with ease, we know that for some this can be more challenging. We want to ensure that your child’s transition to their new school is as smooth as possible. That is why we have put together our top tips for making friends at boarding school.
Encourage your child to leave their dorm room door open when possible, as this will create an inviting atmosphere for others to come in and interact with them. It will show other boarders that they are friendly and willing to chat.
We also recommend that your child spend as much of their free time in communal areas as possible. This way they are in an environment where people are interacting and getting to know each other.
Connect with the house staff teamEach boarding house will be equipped with a brilliant team of adults who are there to look after your child. They will be experienced in dealing with the challenges of settling in and can make a huge difference in helping your child with those first steps when making new friends.
This one may sound a little strange but encouraging your child to limit their contact with people from home can be highly beneficial. Remind your child that they are at boarding school to meet new people and make new experiences. Always talking to people back home can make them feel more homesick and make it harder to settle in.
Remind your child that they are not aloneEveryone else in your child’s boarding house will either be in the same boat or will have been new themselves before and be keen to help newcomers settle in. Even though starting in a new place can feel lonely it’s helpful to remind your child that there are others feeling the same.
Encourage your child to join extra-curricular activitiesEach of the schools we work with offer an exciting range of extra-curriculars. Whether your child loves sports, music, art, drama or academia, you can be sure the school will have a club that is perfect for them. Schools will also offer a lot of social events, trips and fun activities, so encourage your child to participate in as many of these as possible.
They may seem obvious to us, but many children are not aware of the little actions that can help them to make friends. Here are some simple tricks that you can remind your child of that will help them make a good impression when meeting others.
If your child struggles with confidence issues, you can encourage them by setting smaller, more achievable goals first. This will help them gain confidence and show that it is not as scary as they might think. Here are some examples:
Life at boarding school offers so many incredible opportunities, yet the thought of entering a new environment can be daunting. This leaves many parents are left questioning: “will my child make friends at boarding school?”. That is where Academic Families step in. Through our guardianship services and 24/7 support, you can have peace of mind that your child will be well looked after during their time overseas. We hope these tips can help ease your concerns and assist your child in making friends and memories that will last a lifetime.
If you have a child starting boarding school soon, then you've probably already starting to think about their packing.
Schools typically send out their official uniform list, but it is often the items that are NOT on these lists which are the most useful to your child.
As guardian to many children throughout the UK, Academic Families are often asked to buy last minute items for students which they didn’t know that they needed to bring with them.
We have prepared two lists of the items that will help children settle into their new boarding school life. The first list details some of your favourite items we suggest you bring from home and the second list includes items which may be easier for your guardian to buy and have ready for you when you arrive in the UK.
That's exactly what we're here for! Get in touch today and we'll schedule a free, private consultation via a phone or video call.
We have an advanced packing list which includes everything your child could possibly need for their time at boarding school. Fill in our quick form and we'll email it over to you!
Starting the search for a UK Boarding School is an exciting time for you and your child. Years of experience mean that we can help your child find a school perfectly suited to them. There are however, some things that you should know when beginning your search. Our guide to the top 5 things you should know when searching for a boarding school will help you narrow down your search.
Surely all Boarding School pupils sit the same exams, right? Actually, wrong. The type of exams your child sits will depend on the school they go to, and where in the country it is located. For example, at most UK Boarding Schools, pupils will sit GCSEs and then A Levels. Some schools may also offer BTEC or IB (International Baccalaureate) qualifications, and a few schools in Scotland study for Highers. Write blog about all exams and link to this instead here.
A Level, IB or Scottish Highers all lead to UK and global university applications. A Levels will usually involve studying 3 or 4 subjects. IB includes 3 Higher and 3 Lower subjects, and Highers include 4 or 5 subjects. Although different exam systems can be confusing, having options is beneficial, as it allows you to decide which type of qualifications will be best for your child.
Boarding Schools are structured differently - some offer a horizontal boarding style, whilst others are structured based on vertical boarding. Horizontal boarding is where all students in a boarding house are in the same year group. Vertical boarding mixes up the age groups by having students from different year groups in the same house. There are pros and cons of vertical and horizontal boarding styles, so it's worth thinking about which style would best suit your child.
Many schools in the UK are co-ed which means they cater to both girls and boys. Other schools are single gendered. You may not have a preference, but knowing which schools are single sex and which are co-ed is important if you do have a preference.
Not all Boarding Schools in the UK cost the same amount, and it's worth taking this into consideration when beginning your search for a school. Some schools may have more funding to offer scholarships or bursaries too. It's worth checking the school website for their financial information, but you can also contact Academic Families for guidance.
When searching for a Boarding School, it's important to know that not all schools are the same size or have the same number of pupils. You should consider your child's needs and preferences to help you narrow down your search. Smaller schools can offer a closer knit community feel, but some students enjoy the busyness of a larger school. It's also worth considering the number of full boarders, weekly boarders and day pupils as well as the number of international and UK students. You want your child to have a selection of friends in class and in the boarding house who don't all go home at the end of the day or week.
Whilst all schools will offer a set of standard subjects including things like English, Maths, History and Sciences, there may be a more specific subject that your child is keen to study. For example, a more niche subject like Design and Technology or Media Studies may not be offered everywhere, so it's important to find out what subjects are available at each school. Similarly, Boarding Schools have a wide range of extracurricular activities, so if your child has an interest in a particular sport or musical instrument for example, find out what the school offers. Some schools specialise in certain areas and will therefore be better suited than others.
Hopefully that our top 5 things you need to know will help you understand the variety of options available. To find the perfect school for your child our experts can help with your Boarding School search.
Sport is an important part of the boarding school experience in the UK. With high-quality coaching and facilities, boarding schools produce many athletes who go on to have successful careers in professional sport. With the Tokyo games having come to an end, we take a look at the Olympic success of some of the UK’s boarding schools.
The Tokyo Olympics saw three of Repton’s former pupils competing. Repton has a history of excellent hockey players- the school currently holds a total of five Olympic medals for hockey. Ex-students Leah Wilkinson and Shona McCallin put in an impressive performance as part of the women’s hockey team this year. After a close final they won a Bronze medal for Team GB. Also representing Repton was swimmer Adam Peaty who became the first British swimmer to defend an Olympic title after winning the 100m breaststroke this year. Speaking of the success of their pupils, the Derbsyhire based school said that they are “proud to foster grounded individuals who are unbounded in their aspirations.”
Independent boarding school Plymouth College, is known to be a world-leading school for performance sport – particularly swimming and diving. This year, the school sent swimmer Laura Stephens to compete in the women’s 200m butterfly. Former Plymouth College pupil, Tom Daley also made the school proud after winning two medals this summer. Daley’s first appearance at the Olympics was at the London 2012 games. After winning a variety of Bronze and Silver medals, Tokyo saw him win his first well-deserved gold.
Millfield School is an independent school in Somerset, known for its excellent sport facilities. The boarding school is no stranger to Olympic success. Ex-pupils have been present at every Olympics since 1956, returning over the years with a variety of medals. In 1980, Duncan Goodhew brought home both Bronze and Gold medals for swimming. Hockey player Stephen Batchelor won Bronze in the 1984 games, and Gold in Seoul four years later. 2012 saw a rowing world record and Gold medal for Helen Glover, which she successfully defended at the 2016 games.
This summer’s Olympics in Tokyo allowed Millfield to continue their sporting success. The school sent an impressive 14 alumni to the games – the highest number of Millfield athletes at any one Olympics to date. Nine of the Millfield athletes joined Team GB, with others competing for Kenya, Denmark, Brunei and Hong Kong.
Millfield swimmer, James Guy won Gold in the pool. Both Helen Glover and Rory Gibbs came in fourth in their respective rowing events, narrowly missing out on medals. Swimmer Suzanna Hext is preparing for the Paralympics, which begin on the 24th of August.
Speaking of their Olympiads, Millfield School said,
“These individuals represent a very small proportion of young people who have benefited in different ways from their time at Millfield through sport. We are proud to have played a small role in their personal success whether through sport or through the other experiences they have through the school.”
All girls school Queenswood sent three of their ex-pupils to the Tokyo games this year. Sisters Jodie and Hannah Williams raced together in the 4 x 400m relay, finishing in 5th place. Rowan McKellar won a World Cup Silver in rowing before heading to the Tokyo Olympics.
Jo Wakeley, Queenswood’s Director of Sport said,
“Jodie, Hannah and Rowan are amazing, inspirational, talented young women and great models for Queenswood Sport Scholars. When we interview young athletes, every one of them has an ambition to represent GB at the Olympics. So to have three former pupils heading to Tokyo is just a dream come true.”
After spending seven years at Strathallan School in Scotland, Duncan Scott headed to university and then to the 2016 Rio Olympics. In Rio he claimed two silver medals, and this year made it to Tokyo to compete for Team GB. The swimmer made history at the Olympics this year, winning four medals in one summer – more than any other British competitor at a single Olympic games. Duncan has certainly set the bar high for our 14 students who are attending Strathallan this year!
Coming to university in the UK is full of exciting experiences but it can be nerve wracking too. There is a lot to learn about university life, so we’ve picked our top tips for new students to help you settle in quickly.
As a student in the UK, you are entitled to discounts in many shops and restaurants. Signing up to UNiDAYS online will give you discount codes to a whole range of products and services. It is always worth showing your student ID and asking whether a student discount is available even if it is not advertised – it could save you a few pounds!
This one is easy to forget in the busyness and excitement of student life, so we recommend registering at your university’s GP during your first week. Hopefully you won’t need to visit the doctor whilst at university, but registering early means you can access medical help easily if you ever require it.
If you plan to travel around the UK on your weekends or holidays whilst at university, buying a young persons railcard can save you a lot of money on transportation. Railcards are available for 16–25-year-olds. They cost £30 per year but will allow you to save a third of the ticket price every time you travel by rail. There is so much to see and do in the UK so you can definitely make good use of one!
Getting contents insurance will ensure that your belongings are safe during your time at university. Some students may already have contents insurance as part of their accommodation package, so it is worth checking this with your university. If insurance is not included, this guide to cheap contents insurance for students is a great place to find some.
Living in university accommodation provides a great opportunity to make friends with other students. One of the best ways to form new friendships in the first few days is simply to keep your door open! This will show other students in your accommodation that you are friendly, sociable, and willing to meet new people. Making friends at university will make your student experience much more enjoyable.
Being able to cook is an important life skill and starting university is the perfect time to get practicing. You don’t need to have loads of experience in the kitchen or fancy ingredients to start cooking. All you need are a few quick recipes that are easy to follow. Student cookbooks are full of simple, inexpensive meals and you can find lots of recipe ideas online too.
It’s a simple tip, but you never know when you’ll need it. Having your address saved in your phone means you will always have it on hand and can be useful if you’re getting a taxi home or if you ever need to fill out your personal details.
Beginning university can be daunting but remember that all new students are just as nervous as each other. If you are invited to a social event – just say yes! Nightclubs and parties are not for everybody but there are plenty of other opportunities for socialising at university. Organise a movie night with your flatmates or go for a walk to explore your new city together.
Managing money is an important part of university life. As an adult you are responsible for budgeting. Planning out how much you want to spend each week before you get to university can help you stay on track with spending. It will help you to ensure that you don’t run out of money before the end of each month. Bear in mind that some cities in the UK are more expensive than others – living costs in places such as London or Edinburgh are likely to be higher than if you are in a smaller town.
Before classes begin, it’s a great idea to buy a planner for the academic year. Between classes, assignments and social occasions, university life can get very busy, so writing everything down can help you stay organised and make sure you don’t miss any important deadlines.
Most universities have social media platforms which are great for keeping up to date with important information. You can also use them to find out about events that may be taking place on campus. Some universities have designated Facebook pages for new students which allow you to connect with your future classmates too.
If you don’t already have one, setting up a UK bank account will make life much easier when you’re starting university in the UK. Most banks will allow you to set up a student bank account which offer additional features. It is not compulsory to have a student account at university, but we definitely recommend that you do! Monzo is a great bank for international students – simply follow the link and download the Monzo app to get started. Alternatively, you can find out more information about how to set up a UK bank account here.
It is very normal to be worried or even a little overwhelmed when you’re starting university in the UK, but you don’t need to feel alone. There are lots of people who are here to support you. Your lecturers and tutors can help you if you are struggling with coursework or assignments, but you can also approach them with other issues you may be dealing with at university. Academic Families are also here to help with any concerns or worries you have. The team are always on standby, so don’t hesitate to get in touch!
Most independent schools will only offer an international student a place if they have a UK-based guardian. The guardian will act as your representative and support your child while they are in the UK.
Beyond the school requirement, there are plenty of reasons why international students need a guardian. We’ve put together ten below.
Students stay with host families during holidays and leave-out or exeat weekends when the student can’t go home.
The experienced team at Academic Families will find a host family to best suit your child and will provide a home away from home. Students benefit by spending time with a local family, learning and experiencing another cultural environment and joining in family life.
Your guardianship company will arrange all your child’s transportation within the UK.
This will include taxis to and from the airport with a taxi company whose drivers have gone through complete police checks.
Guardians are the vital point of contact for the school concerning the student’s non-school time in the UK. For example, during holidays, leave weekends and emergencies where the student is unable to return home.
Guardians take an interest in a student’s work and progress and monitor academic and social development. Guardians will have regular contact with the student throughout the year. Host families often notice if the child is not happy and tell the guardians who then liaise with the school.
Guardians can attend parent meetings and send a report back to parents.
Guardians can set up bank accounts, buy phone cards and help with uniform shopping prior to the student arriving in the UK.
A guardian can give help and advice over examination choices and university selection, including assistance with the completion of application forms. Some guardians, like Academic Families, also offer extra academic support like one-on-one tutors.
A guardian will be available to both students and parents 24 hours a day in case of emergency.
Guardian companies can arrange for international students to attend summer programmes and language schools during the holidays.
If a student is suspended from school for a few days or even weeks, guardianship companies will arrange for an emergency host family. In addition, they will attend meetings with the school to see how the school and student can move forward.
For more information on our guardianship services please contact us any time.
The UK Government’s commitment to support all students – international and UK – attending boarding schools is highlighted in the recent letter to international parents in which they recognise
We all continue to work hard to ensure the safety and welfare of our very welcome international students. If you have any questions then contact hello@academicfamilies.com for advice.
To continue reading click here
Daily life at a UK boarding school is exciting and varied. You'll have a wide range of lessons in diverse subjects, from Chemistry to Drama. You'll have lots of dedicated learning time, both in and out of the classroom, and plenty of opportunities for social time with your friends. Every day is different, but our blog outlines what you might get up to in an average day.
In a typical day at boarding school in the UK, you will wake up around 7am and then have breakfast in the dining hall with other boarding students before lessons begin for the day.
Most lessons will be between 45 minutes and an hour, but in some subjects you might occasionally have a longer double lesson. At lunchtime, you'll gather with other students in the dining room to eat together. This is a good time to chat and catch up with your friends. Most days after lunch you will have more lessons before the teaching day ends at around 3:30pm. Many boarding schools take one afternoon per week off from lessons, and dedicate the time to sports.
Sport is an important part of daily life at boarding school in the UK and after school, all students will have the opportunity to participate in sports activities. In winter, some of the most popular sports at boarding school are football, rugby, hockey and netball. In summer, sport options include cricket, tennis and athletics.
Following sports, you'll be able to shower and get changed. Having worked up an appetite, it's time for dinner, usually around 6pm.
UK boarding schools offer a huge range of extra-curricular activities outwith sports too, so if you get involved in music societies, or other clubs, you will often attend these in the evenings. In the evenings you will also have what is known as 'prep'. Prep is dedicated time each day for students to do their homework, usually with the supervision of houseparents. Depending on your age, prep generally lasts between one and two hours.
After a busy day you will have some free time to chat to friends, read, watch TV or play games. Lights out times depend on your age.
On Saturday mornings you will also have lessons. Saturday morning school is a new concept for many international students, but you'll quickly get into the swing of things!
The rest of your weekend schedule will vary depending on your school, but boarders find that weekends are full of fun activities. Lots of students like to explore their local area at the weekend, and schools often organise activities or day trips into nearby towns and cities. Organised activities might include things like going to the cinema, museum, bowling and climbing. Depending on your age you may go out for the day with a group of friends. Boarders also get to take part in activities in the boarding house - games nights and movie nights are a favourite!
Occasionally you'll also have 'exeat weekends' at school which will mean your weekend routine is a little different. Exeat weekends are when the boarding houses are closed over the weekend. They might also be known as 'leave out' weekends or 'rec-leave'. These weekends will give students an excellent opportunity to travel home to visit their parents if they're not too far away. Lots of students also like to stay with friends or a host family over these weekends.
If you’re an international student coming to a boarding school in the UK, you might be thinking about the activities on offer outside the classroom. Boarding schools place a lot of emphasis on extra curricular activities as they allow students to improve skills, teamwork and also have fun! The skills and lessons learned through extra curricular activities at UK boarding schools are often just as important as those learned in the classroom. We cover the most popular activities at boarding schools, but many schools offer over 75 clubs to choose from! No matter what your child’s interests, there will be an activity suited to them.
Sport is a big part of UK boarding school life, and schools are keen for students to get involved in sports teams. Boarding schools offer excellent facilities, with many having rugby and football pitches, tennis courts, squash courts and indoor swimming pools. The sport facilities and staff expertise at UK boarding schools see a number of pupils go on to achieve at professional level. Click here to read our blog about the recent Olympic success of some of the UK’s boarding schools.
The most popular sports at boarding school include hockey, rugby, football, lacrosse, netball, basketball… the list goes on!
Whether you have lots of sports experience or are a beginner, Boarding school sports are for everybody and are a great way to get involved with school life. There may be sports that international students coming to boarding school are not familiar with yet, but playing sport at school can help improve confidence, teamwork and leadership. Sports teams also have the opportunity to compete against other schools and travel abroad for tournaments and competitions.
Just like sports, music makes up an important part of boarding school life for many students. Boarding schools offer a range of music groups including orchestras, choirs and bands. Some popular bands at boarding schools include Jazz Band, Pipe Band and Ceilidh Band. Students will often have the opportunity to receive 1:1 music tuition for a specific instrument too.
The Duke of Edinburgh Award (also known as DofE) is a personal challenge that many boarding school students will undertake. Students can work towards Bronze, Silver or Gold by completing activities in sections including volunteering, physical and skills. They will also complete an expedition section which requires several days of walking and camping with a team. At Gold level students also undertake a residential section which runs for a week. DofE is a great opportunity for students to improve their independence, resilience and teamwork.
Also known as CCF, Combined Cadet Force offers young people a range of exciting, adventurous and challenging activities. CCF aims to enable the development of students’ responsibility and self-discipline. CCF training includes weekend camps and courses, summer camps and field days. Students will have change to gain qualifications in first aid too.
Many UK boarding schools have fantastic Arts programme where students go on trips to watch plays, musicals, orchestras, operas. Schools may also produce their own shows, allowing students the opportunity to perform with their peers or work backstage. Students can gain experience in lighting and sound, directing, costume and publicity.
Remember that these activities are only a very small selection of the vast number of activity choices that students will have. One of the best things about coming to boarding school in the UK as an international student is having the opportunity to try new things!
You may think that you need a lot of equipment to scan documents, and that it can be confusing and time consuming. As it turns out, if you have an iPhone or an iPad, you actually have an inbuilt portable scanner. You can scan documents easily using the Notes app – perfect for scanning any documents we require! Follow our simple steps to scanning documents on your iPhone or iPad.
1 – Open your Notes app and select a note or create a new one.
2 – Tap the camera button 
, then tap the Scan Documents option.
– If your phone currently operates with an older iOS version, instead tap the add button 
, then tap the Scan Documents option.
3 – Your iPhone camera should automatically scan the document or you may need to press the shutter button. 
.
4 – Drag the corners to adjust the scan so that it fits the full page.
5 – Press the Keep Scan option
6 – Tap Save or continue to scan additional documents.
7 – When you are ready to send your scans then click on them and use the forward function 
to email or WhatsApp them to us.
It really couldn’t be easier to scan documents on your iPhone!
Here we go again… Lockdown Two and a return to online learning; however, this time things are different. Most Boarding Schools in the UK received excellent feedback during their summer term online learning. Schools have had time to fix any issues that arose in Lockdown One with many adding new activities they didn’t have last time such as music lessons and clubs. As most students will now have experienced virtual learning, we hope the change back to online learning will be a little easier.
Instead of spending most of your learning time face to face engaging with your teacher and classmates, you will now have blocks of work to complete in your time – which means you can work through it at your own pace. Depending on the platform your school is using, you may have lots of online quizzes so your teacher knows the areas to teach in greater detail during face to face teaching time. So the live classes will be more focussed on explaining the concepts you and your classmates might be struggling with.
If you’re lucky, school will be organised with some extra curricular activities too – group fitness workouts, music lessons and choir practice, debating and maybe even cooking! We’re looking forward to hearing about the most imaginative online clubs during lockdown!
The challenges faced by international students are even greater as that 8:30 am school start may be when you’re going to bed, so you and school will need to be flexible. Of course, your country may not be in lockdown and so you will be able to go outside and exercise regularly – no excuses!
Ideally a separate room, space or desk that you only set up during your school time – this will help your brain separate work from free time especially as you’re not actually going to school.
Adjust your chair or laptop so that your screen is at eye level and your arms make a comfortable L shape resting on the desk. Your feet should touch the floor. Most office chairs will be set for adults but you can find some boxes to prop up your laptop or feet, and raise your chair – play around with this as it is really important to have everything at the right height for YOU. Once your learning space is ready, set up your laptop, go to the loo or fetch a drink and then come back, sit down and start learning!
Make sure you have good headphones so you can hear and be heard by your teacher – and the rest of your family doesn’t have to hear all about Macbeth’s witches, calculus or French verbs!
Create and keep a routine when you’re distance learning – even if it’s very different from when you were at school. Try to keep the structure of your boarding school daily routine – wake up, shower, have breakfast and most importantly get dressed. You might not be leaving your house but getting out of your pyjamas in the morning will help you to start the day right and get you ready to focus on your schoolwork.
If you are hours away from the UK, create your own timetable and suggest to your teachers when you can study independently and when you can join their online lessons. The important thing is to make sure you allocate sufficient time for your independent study in advance of the online lessons so you are as well prepared as your pals.
You can’t follow your pal into the next classroom or discuss over tea what the homework is. Make sure you check into your school portal and message your teachers if you’re struggling to understand what you’re supposed to be doing and when.
Ignore all those distractions at home – it’s not easy if your parents are working from home and on the phone when you’re trying to work through a maths problem. If your headphones have a noise cancellation function then all the better or maybe you work better with some LOW background music. Now’s the time to find the best way that you study independently before you go to university and have to do it for years. Structure and routine will really help.
No, there isn’t! Remember your teachers didn’t allow phones in your classroom so it’s no different when you’re distance learning. Research shows that UK teenagers spend an average of 7 hours a day on their phones! That’s a lot of ‘just checking’. Give your phone to someone else – or at least in a different room on silent – while you’re ‘in class’. You can catch up during your breaks – and I guarantee those TikTok videos will still be there!
Yes, all your life your parents have been telling you how important it is to rest your eyes – nothing’s changed except now you have to spend more time online – officially. So, it’s even more important to look after your body. Take regular breaks to rest your eyes, do your fitness session at lunchtime or go for a walk. Remember your body is used to lots of exercise walking across campus never mind your sports lessons. Even just standing up, stretching your legs, arms and neck will really help. If you are struggling to concentrate, then stop the clock and get some fresh air if you can – it will work wonders.
Boarding school life was 24/7 so life with your family all together all of the time might be driving you mad! Remember it’s just as challenging for everyone else so try to find a way to stay sane. Arrange some time to catch up with your pals – and try to arrange group video calls – so you can ‘just chat’ and compare notes. Don’t gloat too much if you can go out and about when some of your pals are still in lockdown. Now’s the time when you need your friends to keep you laughing and sane while we all adapt to the new world.
Are you a student hoping to enroll at a UK boarding school?
Government guidance and regulations regarding travel during Covid-19 can be confusing. The government announced the most recent changes to covid guidance on the 21st of March. The summary is here but you can also contact your local British Embassy, High Commission or consulate if you require further advice.
From Friday 18th March, travellers are no longer required to take any covid-19 tests or fill in a passenger locator form when travelling to the UK from abroad. This applies regardless of vaccination status.
Currently there are no red list countries, but bear in mind that this can change at short notice.
The rules you must follow depend on which countries or territories you’ve been in during the 10 days before arriving in the UK. If you are travelling from a country not on the red list but have been in a red list country in the 10 days before you arrive, then you must follow rules for red list countries.
Face coverings are no longer legally required in England but remain in place in Scotland.
Positive cases in Scotland must self-isolate. The Department of Education has confirmed its position on the self-isolation of Covid positive pupils in boarding schools. If a pupil in a boarding school is positive or shows symptoms, they should usually self-isolate in their boarding schools. Only in exceptional circumstances where there is an overriding health or safeguarding issue, should a pupil self-isolate away from school. The UK Health Security Agency have confirmed this position to minimise the public health risk. It is no longer the law to self-isolate in England following a positive test but individual schools may have their own rules and regulations. Find more specific guidance on isolating in Scotland.
Each student has their own unique set of predispositions with respect to mental health, so it is only natural that some will have to work harder than others to resist tendencies towards anxiety, depression and other mental health issues. Mental health issues impact all aspects of life. However, from an educational perspective students struggling with their mental health might experience:
1. reduced ability to concentrate
2. reduced ability to retain information
3. reduced ability to maintain a study routine
4. significant loss of motivation
5. withdrawal from classes
‘Academic tuition is well-established for improving a child’s attainment at school, and yet mental well-being support is much less commonly explored’ says Wesley Sanders from Athena Tuition. So, in this blog post, we’ll explore why this might be the case and consider the help that is available. First, we need to highlight some key statistics to provide some background and context:
According to a US study with nearly 10,000 participants, half of mental health problems have emerged by the age of 14. Of these, the most common is anxiety, closely followed by mood disorders. Furthermore, in a meta-analysis of 101 studies, published in The Journal of Special Education, 89% of the studies found that a group of children suffering from a mental health condition performed worse in their academic studies than the control group.
Studies like these reveal the huge importance of mental well-being on a student’s academic success. Yet, despite this, the Children’s Society finds that 75% of children and adolescents suffering from a mental health problem do not receive treatment. This is largely to do with a lingering stigma that surrounds mental health issues.
The history of mental illness goes back thousands of years, to periods where human understanding of science was much more basic. At that time, knowledge of the function of the brain was almost non-existent. Instead, anything to do with the mind and personality was attributed to supernatural forces, and thought to be entirely separate from the physical body. Mental illnesses were seen as a punishment by a God, and as something for which the sufferer was responsible.
It was only after the enlightenment people began to address mental illness in a more scientific manner. However, stigma still lingers today. Significant humanitarian work in the 20th Century brought mental health to the attention of the public. Since then the stigma associated with mental illness has been gradually receding.
Mentoring, counselling and therapy are all strategies that can provide students with outlets to talk through their challenges. An experienced professional can work with the student to develop techniques and tools to help them. With the right support, the student can improve their quality of life and their academic performance. These tools are useful during school but can also go on to be of great use throughout one’s entire life. If your child requires support, reach out to Sophie or their local coordinator who will always be happy to help.
Article written by:
Boarding schools in the UK offer many different types of qualifications depending on the individual school and it’s location. One of the best things about coming to school in the UK is that the different exam systems give students many options to choose from. For every student there is an exam system that is best suited to them and our experts can help you start your search for the perfect UK boarding school. In our guide we’ll share what you need to know about exams at UK boarding schools and the options that are available.
The General Certificate of Secondary Education exams (GCSEs) are usually sat in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and are the first set of important exams for students. Don’t panic! Students have lots of time to prepare for GCSEs as they will choose their subjects in Year 9. Studies start in Year 10 and the final exams are not until Year 11. Students will study a wide variety of topics at GCSE, usually 9 or 10 subjects. GCSE grades range from 9-1, with 1 being the top grade.
If students have the required grades from their GCSE exams, they can move on to study A levels. A levels are very popular in UK boarding schools and students will normally study at least three over a period of two years. Choosing which A levels to study is an important decision as some university courses require specific subjects and grades. It’s also important that students consider the subjects they enjoy and are passionate about. Even if a student is unsure about attending university, taking A levels is a great way to keep options open.
The IB is a two-year pre-university course that is a good alternative to A levels as it aims to equip students with the skills required for university. As well as being a rigorous academic programme, the IB also focuses on developing compassion and intercultural understanding and respect. There are six subject groups in the curriculum; students will study three at Higher Level and three at Standard Level. In addition, students will complete compulsory studies in theory of knowledge, CAS (Creativity, Activity and Service) and complete an extended essay. Assessment is by exams at the end of the second year as well as continuous coursework throughout. As of October 2021, the IB is available in 145 countries and the qualification is highly sought after by universities around the world.
The BTEC is a vocational qualification and will offer students a unique pathway towards university or a selected career path. Studying for the BTEC qualification is a good choice for students who prefer a practical approach to learning. BTEC courses are available in a number of schools across the UK and students can choose from a range of subjects including business, healthcare, and sport. Rather than final exams at the end of the course like most qualifications, students will sit smaller more regular assessments and projects. BTEC qualifications will allow a student to attend university or enter the workforce.
In some schools in Scotland, Higher qualifications replace A level exams. Students usually sit Highers around the age of 16 or 17. Students can take up to 5 subjects for their Higher exams. Similarly to A levels, universities usually ask for certain Higher entry grades and may ask for specific subjects, depending on the university course. Higher qualifications are less common in Boarding Schools, even in Scotland schools may still opt for A levels instead.
If you’ve chosen to attend a British Boarding School then it is likely you will have the choice of studying either A levels or the IB. A few boarding schools will offer both. Making the choice between the two isn’t easy and will shape the rest of your life. However, both are great for International Students and will make it easy for you to get into a British University.
Advanced level qualifications (A levels) are subject-based qualifications that lead to university, further study, training or work. Most students in UK education opt to study three A levels but there is an option to study more. They take two years to complete and include a series of exams and coursework.
A levels are the most popular form of qualification for secondary students in the United Kingdom, as opposed to the IB and BTEC. They give the student a high level of freedom when it comes to subject choice, only limited by what your school can offer. The IB on the other hand requires certain subjects to be studied at varying levels of difficulty.
A levels allow students in the UK to take the first step towards specialisation. British secondary school students usually choose A levels after getting their GCSEs. The sixth form leads to more independence and responsibility in a student’s subject choice; this allows students to move towards studying subjects that will be relevant for their University experience.
If you’ve always dreamed of becoming a doctor and can’t wait to drop English and History then this set of exams will allow you to put your life on the path you have chosen. Top British Boarding schools will help with this decision and get you on the best path toward your University Career.
Like the IB, employers look for students who have taken a levels. Good A level results can help a candidate stand out and increase their chances of getting a job.
Firstly, the university admissions system is designed with A levels in mind. Whilst universities accept qualifications from many other bodies, the A level system is the best understood. As a result,, having A levels may help your child when going through the UCAS application process. If you are committed to studying at a university in the UK then these qualifications will make this process extremely simple and easy. Furthermore, you will find the transition from school to university easier if you have studied a levels.
They are also global qualifications. Universities and institutes of further study across the world are familiar with how they work and those who hold these qualifications rarely require further courses to prepare them for future study. This contrasts with the qualification attained in South Africa which requires a foundation course before attending university in the UK.
Whether your child is entering the UK for the first time or is a student returning after a school holiday, our guide will help them with travelling safely to the UK. As your child’s guardian we are committed to ensuring our students get to the UK safely.
All students should have a mobile for use in the UK. You must confirm your mobile number when sending travel information. Make sure that this is your own number rather than the number of your parent or agent. If you have requested a UK mobile, this will be provided after you have arrived. Please ensure your mobile phone:
The following items and documents are very important for safe travel to the UK and should be kept in your hand luggage:
Once you have arrived at the airport, please:
There are three points in the airport where you may be delayed:
If you are delayed at any of these points for more than 15 minutes please phone your Academic Families contact to update us.
Immigration officers are checking all arrangements for under 18s travelling alone, so please be prepared to answer questions from immigration about your school and who is meeting you at the airport.
Being a Houseparent is one of the most rewarding jobs in education. The nature of the role allows us to be heavily involved in the upbringing and maturing of boarding school pupils. So what is it like being in the this position? It is such a privilege and honour to witness at close hand young people develop. It places a huge weight of pressure on to the Houseparent and their team as small actions or decisions can have lasting effect. I love this pressure and using my experience of being a Housemaster in two schools and a Houseparent in another create what I feel is the best environment for today’s boarding pupils to thrive.
So where do you start? Schools designate the title ‘House’ to their places of boarding yet, all of us want to create a home. There should be a clear distinction between the normal school day and the boarding day. This ensures that boarders have the ability to switch off, relax and feel confident and comfortable. Watching boarders return from a full day of school and seeing the weight of the day lift off their shoulders is lovely. Helping them further by having positive and happy staff allows a greater feeling of home. Equally that interaction is important if things aren’t going well. Offering reassurance and consistency of message can alleviate even the biggest problems. As a leader within sporting environments, playing and schools, has given me the experience and confidence to show staff how to differentiate between the classroom and the boarding environment. I will never forget being a boarder and getting a better understanding of teachers if they performed duties and how they were able to relax and enjoy themselves.
Boarding school life is always varied. Whilst the routine of the day is important, it is equally important to add variety. There are daily routines that help to shape their academic work and allow time for socialising but these are only as good as the House is at adhering to them. It is great to see the boarders working quietly in their rooms and then piling downstairs for some toast, a game of table tennis or head out for some exercise. Boarding school life offers this with several friends to aid with the experience. It is the journey and the experiences along the way that makes boarding such a brilliant option, not just for overseas pupils but for all.
Written by
Richard Pineo
Head of Boarding
Woodbridge School
We have all become quite used to lockdown but that doesn’t mean it isn’t a challenge – especially missing friends, exercise and school’s busy routine. Staying happy and positive can sometimes be a challenge so, as half term gives us a break of sorts, it is a good time to reassess our own personal well being. Remember that your Academic Families team continues to support you as if you were at school in the UK so contact us for a chat – we’d love to hear from you.
We have some top tips on areas to focus on to help you stay upbeat and improve your well being during lockdown. You may be doing some of these things already – well done if you are!
Make sure you are keeping to a routine each day especially during the week when you have a busy online learning day. Ensure you have the recommended good quality sleep – the National Sleep Foundation recommendations vary with age. Are you sleeping long enough? Oh, for the record this doesn’t mean long lies because you were up late!
If sleep doesn’t come to you easily then try relaxing by doing something that does NOT involve any digital devices – read a book, chat, relax in the bath. Your bedroom should be an electronics free zone and a comfortable temperature. Here are some more top tips and a few myths about sleeping and how to get the best night’s rest.
It is very important that everyone has at least one hour’s daily physical activity which was easy at school but may be more challenging for you now. However, it is important especially as it helps our bodies sleep at bedtime. Exercise promotes chemicals in our brains which make us feel good. School will have set you activity challenges so be sure to join and ace them!
Not everyone enjoys active sports however, there are many different forms of exercise and lots of free online classes that you can join during lockdown. Keeping active is a great opportunity for your family to have fun together. Lots of British families have been enjoying the Joe Wicks morning PE classes. Oti Mabuse from Strictly Come Dancing is also offering classes online. If you would also, like to try some yoga then check out Adriene. If you’re lucky you may have a basketball hoop or a good wall to practise hitting tennis balls. With few cars on the road, you can even mark out a badminton court with masking tape on your drive or quiet residential street. Be creative to get your heart pumping fast!
Without your usual daily routine, it can be easy to slip into a snacking routine – try to stick to 3 meals and one morning and one afternoon snack and choose healthy options. There is a saying that we are what we eat – the food we eat can affect our mood and often how we behave so try to eat healthily with only occasional treats at break time.
There are some great recipes online and if you’re missing healthy British meals then Jamie Oliver has lots of simple recipes. Preparing meals together a s a family is another great bonding time before eating together.
Stay hydrated – drinking lots of water is also good for you, it is recommended that you drink 6 – 8 glasses each day. Watch out for caffeine in tea, coffee and cola as it can can make you feel anxious and disturb your sleep.
Wow – exercise, food and drink can all affect your sleep!
Keeping connected is important, so don’t be late to log in to your school tutor time so you can catch up with all your classmates online. Obviously it’s not as good as playing football or hanging out in the common room but it’s great to hear their voices and see their faces as well as their new long hair styles!
Once you’ve finished your online learning, there are so many ways to catch up digitally but you may find it challenging if some platforms are banned in your pal’s country and of course you may be half a day’s time apart which will be interesting! You should be an expert on time zones soon if not already!
Lots of people are enjoying catching up with relatives and old friends so don’t forget friends outside of your school pals. Zoom is so easy for everyone but remember to stay safe online and be sure your parents know who you are connecting with.
There is the saying that ‘a problem shared is a problem halved’ so don’t be afraid to talk about your feelings. When choosing who to open up to, be sure it is someone you trust. Think about the people you know are good listeners – there are lots – your school houseparent, tutor, favourite teacher, relative, friend and of course Sophie and the Academic Families team – maybe different people are better listeners with different things – have a think and if you want some advice then contact Sophie. If you prefer to talk to someone you don’t know then Kooth online is a great support.
It’s challenge for everyone to adapt to our current situation so don’t put yourself under pressure to achieve as much as you might have done before lockdown.
Everybody needs some ‘me time’ and we all enjoy doing different things during our special time to relax. You might chose to read a book, draw or sketch, play or listen to music, watch a film or comedy to make you laugh, sit outside and listening to the sounds of nature, go for a walk….. Whatever you choose, take time each day to be kind to yourself. Don’t feel guilty about looking after your own well being as it is very important especially during lockdown. If you want to try some meditation or relaxation then check out Headspace or Calm
So there we are – some great tips to support your well being during lockdown! Nourish and exercise your body well, chat to friends and family and share any worries you may have, take time for yourself and do your best to sleep well. Lots to keep you busy so no chance of being bored!
Stay safe and well and contact your Academic Families team for a chat any time.
Educational funding such as scholarships and bursaries are available for some students to apply for. Our guide covers the different types of funding and how to increase your child’s chances of receiving an award.
It is usually students who are strong in one or more areas who are successful when it comes to securing scholarships. This could be academic excellence, or talent in music or sport.
Scholarships don’t tend to have great financial value. However, in some cases such as sport or music, they can include additional specialist one-to-one support which is otherwise unavailable. Typically overall fee remission is 10% of education fees but not boarding fees. Scholarships do not depend on family income or wealth as they are not means tested.
Most schools require scholarship applicants to attend their scholarship day. This allows for all applicants to have equal opportunity.
In most schools, a scholarship may be ‘topped up’ with a bursary if needed.
Bursaries are mainly assessed on family financial means, however merit also impacts an applicant’s chances. Schools have different rules regarding bursaries and not all are available for international students. In all cases, parents must complete an application with specific financial details as well as their declaration of need. Schools use this to establish each child’s individual situation.
Bursaries are often re-assessed each year to ensure only the neediest receive financial support. However, some may be awarded for the child’s entire education providing they continue to benefit fully from it.
Each school sets its own financial criteria – what they believe is reasonable for parents to afford – and award their bursaries accordingly. Some schools prefer to have a greater number of smaller bursaries while some prefer to offer up to 100% scholarships for very needy pupils. These awards tend to go to outstanding UK pupils who otherwise could never consider an education at their school. Some schools are able to offer greater bursary provision than others.
Application timescales for bursaries also vary by individual schools. However, the earlier a child’s place is confirmed, the more time parents have to complete a strong application before the deadline, if there is one.
Unsurprisingly schools have different application age criteria. Bursaries are most commonly granted to senior school students in Years 9, 10, or 12.
Unfortunately there is no secret route to securing scholarships or bursaries for your child’s education. Each school’s funding programmes are unique, however they all want students who will benefit from and add to school life. If your child does not secure financial support, this doesn’t mean that the school does not want them. They have offered your child a place, so they believe they are a great match – it’s just that, like most parents, they need you to pay the full fees.
Our top tips are to:
Good luck!
If you’re searching for the perfect school for your child, contact us today and let us help you find it.
If you are considering a UK boarding school education for your child you will find that many schools will use an exam known as ‘Common Entrance Exam’ or ’13 plus’ to help select students for entry into Year 9.
Most schools hold the exams 6-9 months before entry when your child is in year. However, each school will have their own calendar for entrance exams – some hold the first round of entrance exams up to two years prior. Academic Families will be able to advise when entrance exams for your chosen schools will be held.
Schools can choose to set their own 13+ exam or use the Common Entrance paper set by the Independent Schools Examination Body. The exam set by ISEB is on the same dates throughout the UK in November, January and May/June.
For the 13 plus exam, your child will sit papers in Maths, English and Science. Each paper lasts between 40 minutes and 1 hour. Some schools will also ask your child to sit a paper from a language and/or humanities subject.
If your child is being entered for the 13 plus they will already have been registered at the school. They may have been for an interview too. Many schools will insist on a ‘pre-test’ to help filter down the number of students sitting the 13+. In most cases your child will get a place subject to them passing the 13+.
Many prep schools in the UK work towards the Common Entrance Exam. Most schools overseas won’t specifically work towards these exams however, there are many past papers online to help your child understand the exam structure. Academic Families can also introduce you to Tutors who can support your child and help with exam technique at the same time building their confidence.
Boarding school is not only new for many of the Academic Families students, but also for their parents. We understand many of the parents we support never went to boarding school and English might be a foreign language, so we thought this quick guide to some of the boarding school words you hear from your children and their teachers would help.
This is where your children are sleeping. This can be a separate building from the school and houses your child's bedroom, bathrooms, lounge area and sometimes dining area. The House Parent will also live in the boarding house.
This is when there is a holiday at the weekend, which means there is no school on Saturday. These weekends sometimes extend over to the Monday. Some schools make it compulsory for students to leave the school premises over an exeat weekend, so it is important you have a guardian in place to make sure your child goes to stay with a host family for this time.
Half-TermA short holiday halfway through the school term when students normally return home. There are three throughout the year usually in the months of October, February and May. The October half-term is the longest half-term and can be up to two weeks long. During these holidays Academic Families organise fun-filled trips. Please click here for more information.
This is the adult or married couple who are in charge of your child's boarding house. They live in the house or in a section at the side of the boarding house with their own family. Many House Parents have a pet, such as a friendly dog, which your child will most likely fall in love with!
This is money kept by the House Parent on behalf of your child and can be given to them to buy 'tuck' or when they want to go to the shops.
This person is responsible for the health and well-being of your child. They ensure the smooth running of the domestic side of the boarding school house, such as making sure the students actually get their clothes to the laundry.
Pastoral care refers to the wellbeing of your child and ensuring they feel happy, safe involved and able to perform to their potential. Your child should be integrating well with other pupils and any problems should be noticed and dealt with.
This is the time in the day that is set aside for your child to do their homework. It usually takes place after dinner. You should never call your child during Prep.
This is where a lot of your child's pocket money will be spent! Tuck is our special term which refers to food treats such as sweets which students can bring from home. They can also buy tuck once a week at school, usually from the 'tuck shop' run by the housemaster, so it is controlled.
Your child will be allocated with a 'Tutor'. This person will support your child with their academic studies and provide pastoral care. They will discuss any problems they have with academics and also report all to you. If you have any concerns about your child's academics you should get in touch with their Tutor. When you are older, this is the person that will help and guide your child with their university choices and applications.
Sometimes, studying for exams can seem boring or lonely, but it doesn’t have to be! There’s no reason why learners shouldn’t occasionally benefit from joining forces with a friend or friends and revising with them. Why not try out group revision after school and see if it works for you.
After all, if there are two or more of you, you can benefit from each other’s strengths while supporting each other in the areas where you need to improve.
For example, you may find that you’ve each taken away something different after attending the same lessons, so start by comparing the notes you took.
Additionally, if you have differing views on an issue you’re learning about, that can help bring a subject alive. You’ll certainly learn to argue your case! Equally, if you have to explain something to someone else, you’ll deepen your own understanding of the topic.
That said, you need to be sure you and your study buddy are genuinely benefiting from your joint sessions. You should have specific aims or goals each time you get together, rather than a vague notion of “meeting up to study or revise”. Are you supporting each other to pass a particular exam, complete a specific project or work through the basic elements of a subject?
See the original full article at The Learning Cauldron or check out our academic support options.
As well as going trick-or-treating, there are lots of other great activities that you can do over Halloween. We’ve put together a few fun things that you can do with your international students to have fun this Halloween.
One of the best aspects of welcoming an international student into your home is the chance to share your own culture with an individual from another culture. Halloween is a great opportunity to share some of your traditions with your student. Here are a few of our favourite British Halloween traditions.
Apple-bobbing is a favourite British Halloween activity – a simple but fun game. Fill a basin/bucket with water and a few apples and sit this on the floor. Place a chair in front of the basin and one-by-one individuals will kneel on the chair with a fork in their mouth. The aim of the game is to drop the fork and try to stab one of the apples in the basin.
Tie a piece of string around a doughnut, with the doughnut being at the bottom of the length of string. Tie the string from a high-up object – for example, a tree branch or deck railing – so that the doughnuts are hanging down. To play this game, participants must try to eat the doughnut without using their hands – the first to do so is the winner.
We can’t wait to see some of the Halloween activities you get up to – if you would like to share them with us, please email your images to hello@academicfamilies.com.
It wouldn’t be Halloween without carving pumpkins. You can usually find some tools that are child-friendly to carve your pumpkins with in supermarkets. This is a great opportunity to get creative with your student/s. If you have younger students, why not try painting your pumpkins rather than carving them? You can also try saving the pumpkin seeds that you scoop out and roasting them for a healthy snack afterwards.
This is a classic British treat, and they’re pretty easy to make. You can experiment with different toppings to make them extra special.
For the full recipe click here.
These cake-pops with a twist will go down a treat this Halloween – fun to eat and fun to make.
For the full recipe click here.
Visiting a pumpkin patch is a great autumnal activity that will definitely get you and your students excited for Halloween. Spend some time together picking out your own pumpkins to carve later on.
Autumnal activities don’t need to require lots of planning or money. The trees are lovely this time of year and stepping on those crisp fallen leaves is one of life’s simple pleasures.
It’s one of the most common questions parents whose children are coming to boarding school in the UK.
Living and studying away from home is an excellent opportunity to broaden your child’s horizons, boost their independence and encourage them to reach their full potential. Just like you, we all want to make sure your child is safe, happy and successful.
We’ve put together a brief summary of the key roles and responsibilities of everyone involved in looking after your child while they’re studying in the UK.
As your child’s guardian when they’re in the UK, Academic Families provides dedicated, expert care and support when you aren’t here. During school holidays, half-term breaks or weekend exeats we have what’s called “delegated parental responsibility”. Our agreement with you allows us to act on your behalf in any situation, including emergencies. Rest assured, your child is in safe hands.
Over the years, Academic Families has helped hundreds of children make the most of their time studying in the UK. We’ve had many glowing reports too, from parents, schools and our host families. Our experienced team work closely with everyone who cares for your child, including:
From travel to airport assistance, homestays with our carefully selected host families to cultural trips during school term breaks, the Academic Families team takes care of essential arrangements down to the smallest detail, offering you total peace of mind. Our expert services include:
The boarding school you’ve chosen will be where your child lives and studies during the school term. Your child’s school is responsible for their care, welfare and academic progress, and acts “in loco parentis”, which means they deal with all parental responsibilities on your behalf. You can expect a school to:
Whenever your child is away from school during a break or holiday or travelling, Academic Families will provide care and support and be your point of contact.
Being at school is a vital part of your child’s UK education, but a change of scene is also important. When your child has a break from school they can enjoy a homestay with one of our carefully matched host families where they can relax, have fun and enjoy UK family life and culture. Some schools let students continue boarding during these weekends but we always recommend a change of scene, especially to broaden your child’s experience of UK culture through a local family.
Specially selected by Academic Families, each exceptional host offers an outstanding level of day-to-day care, attention and support, going the extra mile to help your child feel at home. We always do our best to match your child‘s interests with their host’s interests so they have plenty of things in common. That’s why our registration form and phone conversations are so important before we start matching.
You can expect your child’s host to:
Academic Families would be happy to help you with the school selection and admissions process as well as provide guardianship for your child once they’re at boarding school in the UK.
We understand that guardianship can be a new concept for many of our parents. Families often ask us, “Why do we need a guardian? We are the parents. Can’t the school just contact us?”
However, every boarder whose home is overseas or whose parents currently live or are posted abroad must have a nominated guardian for the duration of their stay at boarding school in the UK.
This guardian must be a resident in the UK. In the event of an emergency, the guardian will be the first point of contact. We will, of course, contact parents too, but the guardian will act in their absence with delegated parental responsibility.
Below are some useful facts about what Academic Families will do as your child’s guardian.
The guardian should be an adult or company such as Academic Families who takes charge of the student and represents the parents in their absence. Guardians must live in the UK.
Academic Families is your guardian and we take care of matching your child with the best host family, plus all travel and police disclosures and a number of other services.
The host family is the family that your child stays with during holidays or term breaks.
We like to compare ourselves to the parent and the host family are the grandparents who can enjoy the children!
We have a range of packages starting from £295 per term for our Emergency Package through to £800 per term for our Premium Package, which is a bespoke service including interpretation and translation support.
Payments can be made through Flywire, which allows you to pay in your local currency and by your preferred payment method (such as a credit card or debit card). The Flywire online system guides you each step of the entire payment process and has support in many languages.
Yes. Once you sign up with Academic Families we will hold an Expense Deposit Fund (EDF) and from this we can give your children pocket money, pay for taxis, meals out, etc. At the end of the guardianship, the remaining balance will be credited back to you.
We do try our hardest to place a child with the same host family but on occasion, the host family may be unavailable. In these cases, we will match the child with another one of our fabulous families.
Switching families is often beneficial, as it gives your child more exposure to different lifestyles, British accents and the chance to make even more new friends.
We pride ourselves on our matching and take a lot of time getting to know your child, however, if there is an occasion that your child is not happy we will find an alternative host family.
Our fleet of drivers will happily transfer your child from school to their host family and back again. All of our drivers undergo security screening and police checks.
Yes! As your child’s UK guardian, we’re happy to help them through the airport. We have a fantastic service which is very popular with our younger children. Our chaperone will meet your child at the plane door, escort them through the airport (Passport Control, changing terminals and shops) and then take them to the gate for their connecting flight.
Absolutely! We have a team of experienced staff members who can attend the meetings and write up a report for you as well as convey any concerns you may have about your child’s progress.
Academic Families are delighted to help your child plan which open days and talks they would like to attend as well as accompany them.
Yes, we can take your child to the dentist and the orthodontist.
Universities and colleges use clearing to fill up remaining places they have on their courses, so it’s a great opportunity for those who have missed their required grades, or even those who have changed their minds since applying. Clearing offers many thousands of places to pupils, so don’t panic if you are disappointed with your exam results.
UCAS (Universities and Colleges Admissions Service) reports that over 50,000 students find their university place through Clearing every year.
Dr Tim Bradshaw, chief executive of the Russell Group said “There are also lots of options available to those who decide to go through clearing, including at a number of Russell Group universities.”
This year, Clearing is open from 5th July – 17 October 2023, but you cannot enter clearing until you have your exam grades. It’s best to apply quickly as many of the best places go as soon as results come out.
You can use Clearing if you’re not holding an offer and your Track status says ‘You are in Clearing‘.
If your results weren’t as good as you had hoped then re-marking may be an option but most marks don’t actually change – discuss an appeal with your school adviser. A copy of your script will be helpful if you are considering retaking.
If you can’t easily call from overseas, then consider installing a Virtual Private Network (VPN) (we use NordVPN) and a VOIP internet phone number (we use Soho66 – register as a single user and you need a UK credit or debit card) so you can make calls as if you are in the UK.
Good luck!
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