UK Boarding Schools Week Magazine | Issue 1

Features, Profiles, Interviews

…to help you discover the right UK school for your family.

What is a guardian?

All good boarding schools in the UK require their international students to have a guardian. A guardian represents a student’s parents by caring for the child independently of the school or college, doing everything that a parent would do if they were in the UK. Help with travel to and from the school, checking that the child is happy and settled, talking to teachers and house staff, going to the school parents’ meetings, sports matches or plays, offering a happy and safe home if the child has to leave school for any reason: the guardian is there to help that individual child just like a caring parent.

Friends or relatives living in the UK may not always be immediately available in emergency situations or they may not be able to fulfil the responsibility continually.

Regent Guardians understands how independent schools operate. We have good working relationships with school staff so we can ensure that your child is happy, progressing academically, and getting the best possible educational experience.

We are well placed to resolve any issues that may arise between your child and the school. We also understand and can help with any visa requirements. By spending time getting to know your child, meeting up with them regularly and maintaining contact with them, we respond quickly and effectively to their needs as well as to your requests and those of the school.

I have friends and relatives in the UK who could be the guardian – why do I need your service?

Welcome

Welcome to this first issue of UK Boarding Schools Week magazine! Enjoy the features, profiles and videos of leading schools to help you choose the right school for your family.

The best investment my parents made in me was school fees at a day and boarding school in Suffolk. I have been grateful to them every day since leaving – and live daily by the school’s motto – work with tenacity.

I have worked as a schools Registrar, gained relevant qualifications (MBA), accreditations (Boarding Schools Association, British Boarding Schools Workshop) and I’ve been doing this for 20 years.

So long in fact that I’ve been recently awarded a top 25 boarding school advisor in the world by Forbes Magazine, and am also Department for Business & Trade Export Champion.

Each school is different but they have one thing in common. They provide an excellent education where each child fulfils their academic, sporting, leadership, musical and creative potential.

But more than that, they set their students on exciting and rewarding paths with a compass for life.

Mark Brooks

Leading Heads and Registrars at UK Boarding Schools Week in Lagos, January 2023

Bedford School

De Parys Ave, Bedford MK40 2TU

Proud recipients of five stars in Fortune’s World’s Leading Boarding Schools in 2023 and named UK Independent Boys’ School of the Year 2021.

At Bedford School we seek to raise good people first and foremost; and then to allow them to flourish as academics, as sportsmen, as artists and above all as themselves, in a supportive and ambitious atmosphere. On a foundation of outstanding academic results, the school is dedicated to nurturing a wide variety

of individual interests and to developing these as far as boys can take them. We aim to raise balanced, outward-looking, forward-thinking, kind and sociable young men who are comfortable in their own skins. In this all-boys environment, boys can develop without inhibition and awkwardness, and feel able and keen to participate to the fullest.

All boys are able to take full advantage of the opportunities that this large and thriving boarding school offers. From their earliest years, they are encouraged to become independent and lifelong learners, who understand the need to work hard, to take risks, to be resilient and constantly strive to be the best that they can be, leaving school having reached their full academic potential and above all, as well-rounded young men.

Box Hill School

London Rd, Mickleham, Dorking RH5 6EA

Set in safe countryside, Box Hill School is an international school for boys and girls aged 11 – 18 in Surrey, England.

We have a long heritage of delivering first-class education in a warm, supportive, holistic and nurturing atmosphere. One of our main goals is to develop a proactive and empowered generation of young adults that are ready to go out into the world and chase their dreams.

As well as strong academic results, we deliver fantastic pastoral support and a ‘home away from home’ for boarding students. “As I see it, ‘school’ doesn’t only mean the learning process, but also the boarding life in which everybody can feel accepted, comfortable and free, just like at home,” a current student adds.

We are a founding member of Round Square: a worldwide association of schools who work to prepare their pupils for their life beyond education, providing them with experiences that demand courage, generosity and imagination.

Cardiff Sixth Form College

Trinity Court, 21-27 Newport Rd, Cardiff CF24 0AA

Cardiff Sixth Form College has been the top academic school in the UK over the past 12 years.  In 2022 95% of students gained all A*-A grades and 99% A*-B.  83% of students went onto the QS top universities worldwide. Key subject choices included medicine, engineering, law, natural sciences, computer science, architecture, business and economics.

A full super-curricular programme of careers, work placement, skills development, online courses, critical

thinking and research projects supplements the excellent academic programme.  A year-long, one-to-one university preparation programme helps students navigate the UCAS system, provides interview and personal statement guidance and tutoring for top university admissions tests.

There is also a full range of extracurricular sport, music, art and drama and a wide range of clubs and activities.

The college has two campuses in Cardiff and Cambridge and offers GCSE and A Levels.  All students have single, ensuite bedrooms and there is excellent pastoral support.

Culford School

Culford, Bury Saint Edmunds IP28 6TX

Set in 480 acres of beautiful Suffolk parkland, Culford School is located near Bury St Edmunds, 30 minutes from Cambridge and 2 hours from London’s international airports.

Combining the warmth and individual attention of a small community with the wider educational opportunities of a larger school, Culford offers exceptional academic, sporting and extra-curricular facilities.

Individual performance programmes in Tennis, Golf and Football seamlessly integrate sport with academic study, and our vibrant Dance, Music and Visual Arts programmes encourage pupils to discover and develop their artistic creativity.

Each year, sixth form pupils progress to top Russell Group, Oxbridge and American universities.

David Game College

31 Jewry St, London EC3N 2ET

Established in 1974, David Game College is a boarding and day independent college located right in the heart of the City of London.

We teach A-level, GCSE and University Foundation Programmes, achieving excellent academic results and helping over 70% of our students progress to Russell Group and top 30 universities. We are very student-centred, looking after all the specific needs of those in our care.

We have well-established and robust systems for ensuring that the academic and pastoral needs of all students are well monitored and no individual is left behind. We have brand new boarding facilities located next door to the school with house parents living on every floor to provide care, support and supervision for all of our student’s needs.

Our record is reflected in our rating by Ofsted as “Outstanding” in both 2017 and 2020 inspections and we are proud of our continuous development. We welcome you to the David Game College family.

Haberdashers’ Monmouth Schools

17 Hereford Rd, Monmouth NP25 3HG

At Haberdashers’ Monmouth Schools, we provide an inspiring, nurturing and rounded education of the highest quality, for boys and girls, aged 3 to 18 years, in the beautiful Wye Valley.

Boarding is at the heart of our schools, offering national and international students the chance to be part of a diverse and vibrant community in Monmouth.

We support girls and boys to be the best versions of themselves and enhance their future opportunities to enable them to take their place in the world and make a valuable contribution to society.

We place a high value on the quality of our teaching and learning. Our outstanding pastoral care, sport, music, co-and extra-curricular provision is central to Haberdashers’ Monmouth Schools.

We have some very exciting and major news; from September 2024, our schools will be fully co-educational throughout.

LVS Ascot

London Rd, Berkshire, Winkfield Row, Ascot SL5 8DR

LVS Ascot, a co-ed day and boarding school for pupils aged 4-19yrs is a home from home set in 26 acres of beautiful parkland, 20 minutes from London Heathrow.

LVS Ascot prides itself on academic excellence, outstanding wellbeing provision and a vibrant co-curricular programme to ensure all our international pupils experience a first -class British education before embarking on university undergraduate programmes.

LVS Ascot won the ISA National School Sports Award (large school) in 2020 and has been shortlisted for other prestigious national awards for Wellbeing and Performing Arts. In November 2022 the school was the only independent school nominated for the EdTech Innovator of the Year Award celebrating our success as a blended learning school with our entrepreneurial approach to technology and curriculum.

We inspire independence and exceed expectations making us #ProudToBeLVSAscot #LVSAscotAdvantage

If you like the outdoors, have a sense of adventure and are keen to take advantage of every opportunity that comes your way then Mount Kelly is the school for you. Visit our website to find out about our performance swimming programme, girls’ football academy (in association with Chelsea FC) and our award winning chamber choir.

Our spectacular location means that we are well known for our strong commitment to co-curricular activities and we encourage all pupils to take part whether it be camping out on the moor, paddling a canoe or riding the waves on a surf board. We call it the ‘Mount Kelly Spirit’ an attitude to life that develops here, one that allows pupils to really experience the life-defining educational experience that we promise.

With a high standard of academic schooling and a proven track record in public examination results over 85% of our pupils gain places at their top choices of universities.

Mount Kelly

Parkwood Road, Tavistock PL19 0HZ

A WORLD OF DIFFERENCE IN IMMIGRATION

At Fragomen, we understand the daunting prospect of applying for a UK Child Student visa and are here to help. Our dedicated Education Practice established 15 years ago has experts on hand every step of the way.

We provide premium support with UK Child Student visas to ensure the process is smooth and seamless.

We assist with the gathering of supporting documentation for UK Child Student visa applications to meet the UK Government requirements.

We can liaise directly with the relevant UK School (with family consent) so that your child secures the sponsorship required.

We prepare and submit the UK Child Student visa application and provide extensive representations from Fragomen to support it.

As part of our premium service, we can also liaise with the UK Government regarding UK Child Student visa applications (where necessary).

Contact: studentenquiries@fragomen.com

Rendcomb College

Rendcomb College, Cirencester GL7 7HA

Rendcomb College is an independent boarding school for ages 3-18 located in the heart of the Cotswold’s. Situated in Rendcomb village, the school spans 230 acres, including the Deer Park which is home to a herd of 75 fallow deer.

As well as providing an award-winning education, Rendcomb College supplies over 100 co-curricular activities to students across a range of subject types: sports, academics, music and performing arts, creative arts, and others.

Our missions is to develop thoughtful, adventurous and ambitious life-long learners with the confidence, character and skills to succeed in the ever-changing world after school.

The pupils have the freedom to experience, explore and enquire about the world around them. The college aims to encourage independence and inclusivity in a safe, caring community and magnificent natural environment.

Rochester Independent College

254 St Margaret’s Banks, Rochester ME1 1HY

A supportive, friendly UK day and boarding school.

Founded in 1984, Rochester Independent College is a unique day and boarding school in Kent, just 37 minutes from London. The majority of students are from the UK (70%) with 30% from overseas. While there is an international flavour in our comfortable on-campus accommodation, more than half of our boarders are English. Academic and creative, the focus is on examination success in a lively, supportive and informal atmosphere.

There is no uniform, no bells ring, students and staff are on first name terms and the average class size is eight. We encourage our students to voice their opinions, to think critically, creatively and independently. They leave with excellent

examination results, enthusiasm for the future and confidence in themselves and their education.

Rochester is in the top 2% in England for progress at A level according to government league tables and won the ISA award for excellence and innovation in Fine Arts in 2021.

Rossall School

Broadway, Fleetwood FY7 8JW

Located on the beautiful Lancashire coastline around one hour from Manchester, Rossall is a traditional British boarding school that offers an outstanding all-round experience.

Whilst having a majority British school roll, Rossall also has a very diverse international community, with over 60 nationalities represented. This creates a vibrant and engaging atmosphere throughout.

The school is renowned for its Signature programmes in the fields of Football, Golf, Performing Arts and the Piano. Each Signature programme competes or performs at the top of their respective areas.

The Golf Academy is consistently ranked #1 in the UK (ISGA). The Football Academy students regularly appear in ESFA and ISFA national semi-finals and finals, with the girls taking home the national trophy in 2022.

Rossall balances this superb extracurricular provision with academic rigour delivered through the IB and A Level programme. 2022 University destinations include Oxbridge, LSE, Imperial and many more.

St Andrew’s College Cambridge

13 Station Road, Cambridge CB1 2JB

St Andrew’s College Cambridge offers a warm, friendly international environment for students wanting to study Pre A-Levels, A-Levels or Foundation courses. Academic results are excellent with many students being offered places at Russell Group universities.

Located in the stunning city of Cambridge, the college’s academic buildings comprise classrooms, laboratories, offices and common rooms. An astro turf, basketball court and picnic areas are located at the back of the buildings and a separate science centre at Glisson Road also houses the student canteen. There are seven college boarding houses with a choice of single or double rooms.

Top quality staff and small class sizes ensure students are given extensive individual support and guidance to enable them to achieve the grades they require.

Weekly personal tutor sessions keep students on track with their academic studies and provide one-to-one university preparation. There is a wide-range of extra-curricular activities including sport, music, art and clubs as well as a full social programme of events.

St George’s Ascot

St George’s, only 30 minutes from London and eight miles from Heathrow, is one of the leading girls’ boarding and day schools in the UK.

Deliberately small, every girl at St George’s is known individually and supported by a close network of teaching and pastoral staff who focus on enabling every student to excel not only academically, but also to develop their creative, physical, spiritual and imaginative interests.

Examination results are excellent with St George’s aiming to help girls achieve 1-1.5 grades higher at GCSE and A level.

Boarding is homely and comfortable and an experienced team of House Staff organise an array of weekend trips and excursions. Socially the girls regularly mix with the boys at Eton College, Harrow and Winchester.

The Arts are fabulous with facilities including a 350 seat theatre, new dance studio and the chapel choir perform at St Paul’s. Lacrosse, netball, tennis, swimming, athletics, and cricket are all played competitively.

Wells Ln, Ascot SL5 7DZ

St Swithun’s School

Alresford Road, Winchester, Hampshire, SO21 1HA

St Swithun’s School is a renowned independent day, weekly and fullboarding school for girls set in 45 acres overlooking the Hampshire Downs in Winchester, yet only 55 minutes by train from central London.

As a High Performance Learning school St Swithun’s has a long-standing reputation for academic rigour and success alongside outstanding pastoral care. Girls are prepared for public examinations and higher education in a stimulating environment in which they develop intellectual curiosity, independence of mind and the ability to take responsibility for their own learning. They achieve almost one grade higher at GCSE than their already significant baseline ability would suggest, and approximately half a grade higher at A level.

Whilst achieving academic excellence, girls also have the opportunity to do ‘something else’. There is an extensive cocurricular programme of 140 weekly and 20 weekend activities to choose from.

Their award-winning pastoral programme means that by the time a girl leaves she will be courageous, compassionate, a moral compass and a sense of humour.

TASIS England

Coldharbour Ln, Thorpe TW20 8TE

TASIS England is a leading international day and boarding school for students aged 3 to 18. Situated on a beautiful 46acre campus just 15 minutes by car from London Heathrow Airport and only 30 minutes by train from central London, the School is in a perfect location.

Our student body is truly diverse with students from over 65 different nationalities, and we offer the American curriculum, the IB Diploma Programme and Advanced Placement (AP) courses, all

of which are internationally recognised and highly respected.

We have small class sizes, personalised schedules and a first-class pastoral care and well-being provision. Our facilities are state-of-the-art, and our students enjoy a wide variety of co and extracurricular activities.

We have a dedicated University and College Counselling team and each year our students achieve excellent academic results and enter top universities throughout the world, including Ivy League in the US and Russell Group in the UK.

Truro High School for Girls

Falmouth Rd, Truro TR1 2HU

Truro High School has been providing a first-class education for girls since 1880 and offers a bespoke pathway where they discover and grow talents alongside the habits of mind that will ensure they are ready for anything in the future.

The school has a family atmosphere but do not let the warm feeling fool you – our students are phenomenally driven to attain ambitious goals.

Our small classes sizes mean we will take the time to get to know your daughter and develop the personal pathway she needs to maximise her potential.

In 2022, 69% of all A level grades were at A*/A with girls heading off to study Medicine, Law, History, English Literature amongst others at universities including UCL, Durham, Exeter and Bristol.

Truro High School is a winner of Small Independent School of the Year and recently listed as one of Fortune’s Top Boarding Schools in the World.

Wellington School

South St, Wellington TA21 8NT

Wellington School’s ethos is built on three core pillars; the Pursuit of Excellence, Love of Learning and Building Outstanding Relationships. Our fabulous co-educational day and boarding school has an outstanding  co-curricular offering, with excellent music, sporting and drama opportunities as well as a sound academic record and excellent teaching, We are a community of learners, who will become the leaders of the future. Shortlisted for the TES Independent School of the Year and Winner of BSA Community Award,

there is a strong sense of community across the School and we hold dear values such as kindness, inclusivity, equality and empathy. From our relationships flow a strong sense of belonging, and we want children of all ages to feel known, valued and understood.

We believe that children who feel safe and secure at school will feel empowered to excel, to be the best they can be. Supportive staff encourage students to aim high and to work hard as they strive for their goals.

Wellington School is situated in a small, safe town surrounded by glorious countryside, so we are able to encourage a strong sense of independence in our students and is proud to have 37 different nationalities and a long and illustrious tradition of students from West Africa.

Photo: Culford School