Choosing a school

What makes a good boarding school? Visiting a school certainly gives you a sense of the atmosphere, grounds and local area and you should try to visit if possible.

Queen Victoria School is a boarding school which is funded by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) to provide for the children of UK Armed Forces families. Parents do not pay fees as such and many costs are covered by the MoD.

The Duke of York’s Royal Military School is the only state full boarding school in the country for pupils aged 11 to 18. Located in Dover, Kent the school is an ideal choice for those living in the UK and Europe.

Boarding schools continue to be popular in the twenty-first century, offering exceptional education and extra-curricular activities with round-the-clock pastoral care. 

All English accredited independent boarding schools are inspected on a three-year cycle and the current cycle started in April 2016.

The Royal Hospital School was established by Royal Charter in 1712 with a remit to ‘improve navigation’ through education. By the late nineteenth century, it had become affectionately known as the ‘cradle of the navy’ as it prepared boys for a life at sea.

Much of the material in the previous article Inspections of accredited independent boarding schools is relevant to Ofsted’s inspection of boarding schools and I would recommend reading this article as well.

The BSA is committed to supporting everyone involved in boarding – adults and children – offering high quality guidance and training that benefits schools, their staff and, perhaps most importantly, the children and young people who board.

School visits can take many forms. They can involve meeting the Head or perhaps attending an open day. Whatever the format, the first meeting is crucial so if possible always try to visit a school on a normal day.

People opposing faith schools express concerns about the possible indoctrination of developing minds whereas supporters point to the strong moral compass they provide in a world which provides so many temptations for young people.