Advice on choosing the right IB School

The IB-Schools.com website is run and managed by Education Advisers Ltd, an education consultancy based in Kent, England. Since 2004 we have supported over a thousand British and international families in identifying and gaining entry to the best-fitting private schools.

Our commitment is to provide completely impartial advice and to ensure you and your child are fully informed and prepared from the very beginning, right up until your child is happily enrolled in the perfect fitting school.

Our Chairman and Founder, Les Webb provides a few tips and things to consider.

The process of identifying and applying to schools needn’t be stressful. Managed with expertise and empathy, it should be the first step of an exciting and life-changing journey for your family.

We can discuss with you many of the factors which will help your choice:

1. Country and location
2. IB course required – MYP, PYP, IBDP or IBCP plus specific subjects to enable university targeting
3. Academic performance standards in our league tables
4. How many years of experience in offering the IB does the school have?
5. School facilities (e.g for extracurriculars, sports or music)
6. Day (convenient for your home) or boarding (with lots of activities and pastoral care)
7. Size of classes. Setting? Are gifted pupils challenged?
8. Fee levels
9. Admissions entry criteria
10. Success with leaver destinations (universities or further education)

Should you choose a Day or Boarding School?

Most parents start by looking at day school options which offer the convenience of daily commuting from home plus significantly reduced school fees, often at 50% to 65% of full boarding fees. This is often the best choice provided the travel distance is less than five miles or say 30 minutes. We do not pretend to be real estate agents but we have a lot of knowledge about commuting issues and can usually advise on the practicalities of travel to school in many areas. Indeed a surprisingly high percentage of parents instruct us to find the optimum school first after which they will find a nearby home to buy or rent. We can also put you in touch with partner relocation consultants to source property to your requirements.

However, parents (and indeed often students) may have a preference for a boarding school, for a variety of reasons including:

1. The parents may prefer boarding schools for offering a life-building experience or for the traditional culture and values they promote
2. They went to boarding schools themselves
3. Some boarding schools have exceptional academic track records
4. Many boarding schools have huge campuses and sports facilities plus other extra-curricular activities
5. The parents may have busy lives, often travelling away on business and cannot supervise their children’s daily attendance at school
6. The local day schools do not offer the key attributes they are looking for.

We have extensive experience in international boarding school placements and can offer our expert and impartial assistance to find the best-fitting boarding schools for your child's unique needs and aspirations. We offer a comprehensive service from the initial consultation and aim to develop a deep understanding of your and your child's requirements. We only recommend schools which offer the best academic and personal fit, and where your child has a good chance of successfully receiving an offer. We manage all communications with schools, arrange visits, and mentor your child towards receiving offers from your preferred options.  

If you already have target schools in mind, we can help develop and manage a strategy which will give your child the best possible chance of winning a place. 

Our clients find we save them an inordinate amount of stress and prevent them from wasting time and money on fruitless research or unsuitable visits or applications. Please read some of our client testimonials.

Learn more about Boarding Schools and how to apply for them

Our website is packed with useful free information, but we cannot show the answers to everything you want to know. Please browse around then get in touch once you feel ready to talk further.

Some countries have several well-known IB boarding schools and this includes the UK and Switzerland. In other major countries such as Germany and Spain, the majority of IB schools are day schools in city centres. In Asia where some of the highest performing IB schools are situated, such as in Singapore or Hong Kong, there are very few IB boarding schools because most families live close to the city centres.

For parents with limited budgets for fees but who still prefer boarding we can find low-cost boarding options in countries such as Northern Ireland, the Czech Republic and Cyprus

We only include schools with at least 20% boarders or a minimum of 50 boarders in the boarding school lists. We feel it is unsatisfactory if there are fewer than 50 boarders in a school over the weekend.

Boarding schools can be “selective” (most in the UK are) or “non-selective” (such as most EU schools). We can assess your child and then guide you through the admissions process. Most top UK IB schools generally require applications to be made one year in advance. This also applies to day schools.

Need Expert Support & Guidance?

For a free, no-obligation video call with one our of expert consultants, please complete a short enquiry form or call us on +44 1622 813870 or via email at info@educationadvisers.co.uk and we will get in touch to discuss your requirements.