Parents about to make the important decision of getting their children a suitable boarding school in the UK are often faced by several challenges and questions. It is vital that you prepare a checklist that has all the issues to be addressed. After doing some extensive research, it helps to assemble a list of comparative advantages and disadvantages of each boarding school you have in mind.
If you opt to visit the different boarding schools on your shortlist, try and do that when actual lessons are going on to get the real feel of the learning process taking place there. During your visit, also look into some of the following aspects.
The School Facilities
All boarding schools in the UK generally provide a broad range of sports and extracurricular activities to keep the boarders happy and busy. Ethos and traditions will vary from one school to the next; while some schools have particular strengths in some areas, others may have specialised in sports facilities, and others in performing arts or music. If you have a child with a special talent, interest or need, you may want to choose a boarding school that has the experience and facilities to nurture that talent or meet the need.
Number of Full Boarders
It is quite important to know how many students are boarding full-time and how many are weekly boarders (staying during the week but going home over the weekends). A boarding school that has a full boarding house over the weekends might mean it also has a wider number activities or programs than one with fewer weekend students, which is good for your child.
Conclusion
When speaking or consulting relatives and friends who have some experience with UK boarding schools, the kind of ‘helpful’ advice often given may be completely different from the actual truth about that boarding school. This is why it is vital to do your research, and make your own choices.