A British boarding school from 16: what the schools ask for

For parents: what this route is

The student leaves grade 10 or 11 at home and joins a British boarding school or sixth-form college at 16, studies A levels for two years and then applies to universities through UCAS. They do not finish the Bagrut.

The advantage is that A levels open every British university, Oxford and Cambridge included, with no foundation year. The price is that your child lives away from you from an early age.

For parents: what it costs

From the schools' own published fee pages (academic year 2026-27, some 2027-28): from about £50,000 a year with boarding and tuition, and up to about £70,000 at other schools. These are our sums, term fee × three terms, not a figure the schools publish. Fees normally include VAT.

Add the registration fee (roughly £100 to £600, not refundable), a deposit, and travel, insurance and books. Ask every school for the full two-year fee schedule before you decide.

For students: what the schools ask for

Every school sets its own rules, but the common picture on the pages we read is:

• Copies of your recent school reports (one or two years), in English, and a reference from your current school.
• The school's own entrance test, often online: English and Maths, sometimes in the subjects you want to study.
• A level of English: published minimums run from IELTS 4.5 to 6.0 depending on the school and the programme. Some accept their own test instead of IELTS.
• An interview, often online, then the school's decision.

For students: if your English is not strong yet

Some schools offer a preparation year before A levels (pre-A level, or a one-year intensive GCSE), so a student can enter at a lower level and move up. It adds a year, so count it from the start.

For parents: when to register

Register early. Bedford School, for example, asks for registration by 1 December in the year before entry, with results in February. September is the usual start, and some schools consider other months if there is space.

Not every school publishes a final date. Ask each school for its own before you assume there is time.

For parents: the guardian and the visa

Many schools require an overseas student to have a guardian living in the UK, who can be a relative. Some arrange one themselves. Ask the school before you register.

A student aged 4 to 17 applies for a Child Student visa. They need an unconditional offer from a school the Home Office has licensed to sponsor students, and written consent from their parents or legal guardian. The official conditions and fees are on GOV.UK, and they change.

What we do not promise

We promise no place at any school and no visa. We are not an official agent of any school today. We help you understand the rules and prepare the file; the decision is the school's, and the Home Office's for the visa.