Why get an independent education in the UK?

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For over 100 years, students have been coming to the UK to enjoy the benefits of a world-class boarding education

Results

46% of A-level entrants from ISC-member schools gained an A* or A grade in 2019, compared to a national average of 25.5%. Around 93% go on to higher education in the UK

Facilities

Parents who are paying for their own children’s education expect to see high-quality facilities and modern teaching methods. The facilities in science, art, music, information and communication technology, and sports are therefore often state of the art, and ISC-member boarding schools are continually investing in new or improved boarding facilities. As well as offering the most up-to-date facilities, UK boarding schools are often located in some of the country’s most attractive and traditional buildings.

Choices

UK boarding schools offer a wide variety of choice, with every school creating its own unique atmosphere from the combination of academic approaches, facilities on offer and the traditions that each maintains.

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A good student-to-staff ratio makes all the difference. According to the ISC, the average ratio in ISC-member independent schools was one teacher for every 8.7 students in 2020, compared to one for 18.9 in state-maintained mainstream schools in 2018. As well as reflecting a commitment to teach a wide range of subjects, this means that every student can be looked after, both academically and pastorally.

Tradition and ethos

UK boarding schools always look to develop the whole person and not just a single aspect of them. However good a boarding school’s academic results are, it will also be striving to create a rounded learning experience by encouraging self-expression, creativity and individuality in its students. Success in sport, the arts and in other areas, such as debate, may be less tangible than examination results, but it is one of the ways in which a student’s independence, confidence and faith in himself or herself is built up. This concentration on developing the whole person is part of the reason why students who have been to a UK boarding school are so prized by employers. Finally, at UK boarding schools there is always an emphasis placed on developing social skills. Living together in a multi-age, multicultural community requires that students be helped to develop qualities like kindness, tolerance and responsibility.

Multiculturalism

Students can experience a genuine multiculturalism within boarding schools. UK boarding schools are used to welcoming people from all over the world. Then, of course, there is the English language. English is the international language of business, of science and of the internet, and there is no better way to learn a language over the long term than to immerse oneself.

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