Boarding Schools Explained - The Right Choice?

Boarding options

Full boarding 

Weekdays and weekends are spent in school. 

Ideal for:

• the 24/7 child;
• parents who work unusual or irregular hours;
• those overseas; 
• children who live a considerable distance from the school they have chosen;
• anyone who wants their child to experience 'proper boarding'.

Caveats:

• overseas parents should be mindful of the need to have independent arrangements in place for their child to be looked after during exeats and holidays;
• most schools have one compulsory exeat per half-term.

Weekly boarding 

Similar to full boarding but weekends are spent at home. 

Ideal for:

• busy families with parents working long hours through the week;
• children who live within reasonable proximity of the school;
• children who enjoy after school activities and who prefer to do prep in schools;
• children who will benefit from a change of scene at weekends.

Caveats: 

• travelling can become a chore if the school is not within stamping distance;
• many of the 'true' boarding activities take place at weekends so weekly boarders may miss-out;
• in schools where most boarders are full-boarders, weekly boarders may feel left-out;
• If the school operates Saturday school or weekend sports matches you will need to ensure off-spring are in attendance (if selected to play).

Flexi boarding

Boarding arrangements flex to meet the needs of the parents and the child. A child will commit to spending two or three nights per week boarding, though not necessarily the same nights each week.

Ideal for:

• parents who have regular weekly commitments;
• children who are tentative about boarding;
• as a boarding taster prior to the full-Monty. 

Caveats:

• can be unsettling for parents, children and other boarders;
• a child may treat flexi-boarding as a 'sleep-over' potentially disrupting other full-time boarders with resentment between the two building;
• may find it difficult to maintain boarding friends if no boarding routine is established. 

Occasional boarding

In reality a glorified baby-sitting service, though most schools will defend this saying it gives children a 'taste' of boarding school life. Few complaints from youngsters who appear to enjoy the 'sleep-over' experience. 

Ideal for:

• parents who require occasional overnight child-care cover;
• children who have school commitments that sometimes result in a long school-day;
• children who wish to experience a night or two away from home.

Caveats: 

• occasional boarding is not a reflection of true boarding-life; 
• odd grumble from seasoned boarders who say occasional boarders upset their routines/treat boarding as a 'sleep-over party' and so cause friction/resentment.

Day boarding 

The children do not sleep at the school but may well take join boarders for breakfast and evening meals, often leaving school only once evening prep is completed. Approaches to day boarders vary; some schools have separate day houses, others integrate day and boarding pupils.

Ideal for:

• pupils who partake in a lot of extra-curricula activities;
• children who do not wish to spend evenings away from home;
• parents who want children to have a full-school life but cannot afford boarding fees;
• parents who work long hours with early starts/ late finishes. 

Caveats:

• children may miss-out on night time fun and weekend activities;
• youngsters may find the long school day, with early starts and late finishes, tiring.

State Boarding

State boarding schools are as popular as ever. Not least because free tuition makes a boarding education affordable for many. The majority of state boarding schools accept pupils from 11 (though the odd one will accepts children from age 8). State boarding schools offer weekly or full boarding and accept children based on boarding need. Their popularity, and the fact they are usually attached to good state schools means places fill fast. Children may be interviewed but only on suitability to board - not on academic ability, unless the school has selective entry for all pupils. 

Ideal for:

• Children whose families are mobile, or who will benefit from a boarding education.  

Caveats:

• Facilities and accomodation tend not to be as all-singing and dancing as some of their private counterparts;
• classes likely to be close to maximum permitted numbers of 30/32, rather than the smaller groupings found in independent schools. 

Who is in charge?

The headmaster/headmistress is in charge of the school but the running of boarding houses is usually the domain of either houseparents or, in smaller schools, the head of boarding.

Whilst the housemaster or housemistress oversees the house, the day-to-day running, especially of domestic matters, is usually under the supervision of a matron. These stalwart women often find themselves acting as a surrogate mother for the boys and girls, some of whom live abroad and may only see their parents during holidays. In senior schools and larger prep schools the houseparents are the key link between home and school; expect most communication to go through them. We recommend choosing a house with care, make sure the houseparent is someone with whom you and your child have a rapport.

Eat, sleep, breathe...

Members of a boarding house are encouraged to feel like an extended family. Boarding school pupils literally live in their houses during term-time: they sleep in dormitories or study-bedrooms, study in their studies or in a communal study area and relax in a television or common room. Formal meals, however, are not always eaten in houses. Tightening EU regulations and expense have forced the closure of many kitchens in older boarding houses, causing pupils from any number of houses to eat together in a communal dining room.

Houses may compete against other houses in sports, put on a play together or even attend a dance with a house from another school. Such activities tend to promote a collaborative atmosphere within the houses, helping to integrate those who may adapt less easily to a boarding way of life.

Finding the best UK boarding schools

The origins of the modern boarding school pre-date medieval times - when boys would be sent to monasteries or noble households to be educated.

The Pope, after a while, ordered that these 'schools' should be available to the fee-paying public, giving birth to the term 'public schools - many of which remain among the elite. 

The Good Schools Guide offers a unique and in-depth analysis of over 420 great boarding schools in the UK, with (on this website only) loads of information on every single school in the UK. In all, there are some 1092 UK boarding schools - 692 independent mainstream, 53 state mainstream and 347 which cater specifically for children with Special Educational Needs.

The Good Schools Guide is written for parents by parents, with particular attention being paid to such matters as what kind of school suits each individual child, and what it, its pupils (and its parents) are like.

It asks the questions that the prospectuses don't answer, to highlight the strengths and weaknesses that mere facts can't.

The Good Schools Guide does not take advertising from schools, allowing it to write fearless, independent reviews. Each review is critical, informative and highly readable.

Use our extensive 'Find A School' facility to obtain an up-to-date list of The Good Schools Guide's coverage of UK boarding schools.

The Good Schools Guide - Can you afford not to read it?

Authoritative, sought-after, truthful...

Try before you buy

Click on the links below to read the FULL Good Schools Guide review or buy now from our on-line store.

Farleigh School, Andover an independent school for boys and girls aged 3-13, takes boarders.

Formerly a catholic boys' prep now a co-ed school with lots of day. Swanky georgian building in the Test Valley. Set amongst 60 acres of well-bred parkland..

Ripon Grammar School, Ripon is a state school for boys and girls aged from 11 to 18, that takes boarders.

Demand for boarding places (14 a year) outstrips supply, especially post-GCSE. An unashamedly academic school, exemplifying much of the traditional English grammar school tradition, though certainly not an exam factory; even so, those with an IQ of lower than 120 could eventurally find the pace too hot.

Discover all the inside information including: 

• What the head is really like.
• How to get in - and where pupils go on to when they leave.
• What's really on offer; both in and out of the classroom.
• The facilities, frippery and finery to be found - or not!
• The atmosphere - who will the school REALLY suit?
• The funding you'll need and the financial health of the school.
• Our opinion - what parents think, what we've uncovered...

Online only -

Subscribers to The Good Schools guide can examine:

• School performance data* for KS2, GCSE and A-level
• Value-added data* .Does the school make a difference to all pupils or just some?
• University information*. Details of which universities pupils go on to and what they study.
• And, for English state schools, make sure you make the right move by examining catchment area data and seeing which schools pupils come from and which schools they move on to. 

*We indicate on a school's page here data is available. We do not have data for schools outside of England.

Further reading

How To Choose A UK Boarding School

The Best Age To Board

What Price Boarding? - It's not just the fees, there are hidden and emotional costs too

State Boarding Schools: Free Tuition, Just Pay For Your Stay!

Choosing A School - Thoughts For Parents

Sussing Out Independent Schools and Horses For Courses 

Fee-paying Schools: Bargain Hunting

Boarding At  A UK School