Day or Boarding 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.
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.
The easiest way for you to start is to give us a call on +44 1622 813870, and tell us about your child and your objectives for their education. We offer a free initial phone conversation with one of our expert consultants, and you are also welcome to send details of your enquiry to info@educationadvisers.co.uk
You can also complete a short enquiry form and we will get in touch to discuss your requirements.
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:
- The parents may prefer boarding schools for offering a life building experience or for the traditional culture and values they promote
- They went to boarding schools themselves
- Some boarding schools have exceptional academic track records
- Many boarding schools have huge campuses and sports facilities plus other extra-curricular activities
- The parents may have busy lives, often travelling away on business and cannot supervise their children’s daily attendance at school
- The local day schools do not offer the key attributes they are looking for.
We have huge experience of 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 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 do browse around then get in touch once you feel ready to talk further.
Some countries have a number of 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 will 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.