"Choosing Boarding Schools in the UK: 7 Key Points"

Choosing a boarding school in the UK - Avoidance 1: Only relying on rankings and public exam results.

Who says that the higher the ranking of a boarding school in the UK, the better the school? This is the most common misconception among Thai parents, but it is also the most forgivable mistake. We understand that parents want to choose a boarding school in the UK with excellent academic performance for their children, but blindly relying on the rankings often hinders the effectiveness of their child's development plan.
After all, the education in boarding schools in the UK focuses not on imparting knowledge to students, but rather on guiding their own talents and promoting holistic development beyond academics. Relying solely on academic grades for rankings is definitely not a balanced measurement indicator. What is even more astonishing is that some boarding schools in the UK adopt a selective approach, meaning that if a student's GCSE grades are not satisfactory, they may be asked to leave. This practice indirectly boosts their average scores in the rankings. Therefore, when parents look at rankings, they should also carefully understand the reasons behind each school's excellent average scores. Additionally, many traditional boarding schools do not disclose their academic results publicly. If parents only rely on rankings as a tool for choosing schools, there will likely be some schools that they will never find.

Choose a boarding school in the UK - Beware of Mistake 2: "Fishing with a scattered net" approach to school selection.

When taking entrance exams for boarding schools in the UK, it is important to be "precise and accurate". Compared to applying to universities, finding a suitable secondary school for your child is a complex task, and parents must have a clear mindset when selecting schools. After all, different UK boarding schools have different methods and procedures for assessment. For example, some schools focus on academic performance, while others emphasize students' English communication skills or their level of motivation. Allowing children to randomly apply to different schools not only exhausts them physically and mentally but also increases the risk of becoming tired of taking multiple entrance exams, which can ultimately lead to losing focus on school selection. Parents should prepare in advance, understand the areas each school values, and narrow down their choices to four or five preferred schools for application. Based on their child's personality, they should choose a school that is suitable for developing their strengths.

Choosing a boarding school in the UK - Avoiding Mistake 3: applying for the wrong entry year group

The UK education system consists of seven years of secondary school and three years of university. Parents should take special note that the entry age in the UK is one year ahead of Thai. British students start primary school a year earlier, and by the age of 11, they are already in Year 7. So, when students transition from the Thai system to the UK system, they might feel like they are "skipping grades." However, parents need not worry about their children's ability to adapt to the new system because Thai's education standards are generally more advanced than the UK's at the primary and junior secondary levels. Therefore, most Thai students are well-equipped to handle the UK curriculum when transitioning.

Choosing a boarding school in the UK - Avoiding Mistake 4: Blindly pursuing schools with a low percentage of international students.

When parents choose a boarding school, our team often encounters a crucial question: "Are there many international students in the school?" 

Most parents have the mindset that if they are sending their children abroad for education, they should look for schools with a low proportion of international students (few in number), allowing them to interact more with local British students. If they enroll in a school with a high proportion of international students (many in number), wouldn't they only be making friends with Thai-speaking classmates and not experiencing the true life of a foreign student?

Of course, schools with a high number of international students will indeed reduce the opportunities to speak English. However, let's assume that there is only one Thai student in the school, and if the child is introverted or lacks the confidence to speak English, they may only communicate with that one Thai student and avoid interacting with British students. On the other hand, if the child is sociable and enjoys making friends, regardless of whether the proportion of international students is high or low, they will actively get to know different classmates and quickly integrate into the school environment in a short period of time.

Additionally, according to analysis, schools with outstanding performance in public examinations generally have a higher proportion of international students. One reason for this may be that the majority of international students have a common goal of "admission to top universities" and prioritize their studies. In comparison to local British students, they tend to focus more on their interests and student experiences, and therefore emphasize a balanced development in academics and extracurricular activities.

Therefore, parents should first understand the purpose of their children's study in the UK before choosing a school with a high or low proportion of international students.

Choosing Boarding Schools in the UK - Avoidance 5: Blindly Pursuing a "Harry Potter-Style" Campus Life

Many readers have probably watched the "Harry Potter" movie series and have a longing for the campus life and environment portrayed in the films. They may hope that when they study in the UK, they can experience a learning environment and lifestyle similar to that in the movies. However, the so-called "Harry Potter-style" schools refer to "full boarding" schools. "Full boarding" means that more than half of the students are boarders, and the school has been a boarding school since its establishment, such as Christ's Hospital School. One of the reasons why full boarding schools are favored by Thai parents is that all or most of the students, including local British students, have to live on campus for seven days a week, ensuring that they do not feel lonely in the dormitories during weekends or holidays. Additionally, full boarding schools require students to interact and socialize with their classmates for a significant portion of their time, which helps them integrate into the local life and learn the local culture more easily.

However, this does not mean that full boarding schools are necessarily suitable for all international students. Parents should consider factors such as the student's personality, adaptability to local life, and proficiency in English.

Choosing a boarding school in the UK - Avoiding Mistake 6: Ignoring specialized career support

Traditional boarding schools in the UK typically nurture students in academics, sports, music, and personal character development. After graduation, students can choose their university subjects based on their grades and interests, allowing for greater flexibility. However, if students aspire to study specialized fields such as medicine, veterinary science, dentistry, chiropractic, etc., traditional boarding schools may not provide sufficient support and resources to cope with the complex assessments required. Consequently, in recent years, there has been a rise in pre-college schools specifically designed for students aspiring to study specialized subjects, such as Cardiff Sixth Form College, Oxford International College, etc. These schools not only provide academic education but also offer specialized training, such as teaching students how to handle interview content and adapt to interview formats. These pre-college schools are goal-oriented, aiming to assist students in gaining admission to their desired specialized fields. As a result, their extracurricular activities and campus life may be relatively limited compared to traditional boarding schools, and parents and students need to make a trade-off when selecting a school.

Choosing a UK boarding school - Avoid Mistake 7: Assuming that GCSE grades are a necessary requirement for getting into UK university

Many parents mistakenly believe that their children must have General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) grades to be admitted to a UK university, but that is not necessarily the case. GCSE grades are not a necessary requirement for entry into a UK university. The key is for students to pay attention to the admission requirements of their desired universities. If the university requires GCSE math grades, then when choosing their subjects, students must take A-Level math so that even without GCSE math grades, they can still meet the math requirements for admission to their desired university.