Frequently Asked Questions
We understand that sending your child to boarding school is a huge decision with many factors to be considered. Some costings and information we think are important to review are listed below.
Call us today to ask any questions and discuss what else there may be to consider.
Type of School - Independent or State
Independent schools, also referred to as private schools or some as public schools, do not receive money from the government and instead fund themselves through school tuition fees paid for each pupil.
State schools are funded by the government and families do not pay a fee to attend. Places at state schools are managed by your local council.
Here at Scholato we only work with Independent Schools.
What are the fees charged at British Private Schools?
School fees can vary and of course both bursaries and scholarships are available but the below is a guide:
School Fees
Preparatory School (7-13 years)
Boarding: £10,000 - £13,000 per term (There are three terms in a year).
Day: £5,000 - £8,000 per term
Senior School (11 or 13 - 18 years)
Boarding: £13,000 - £17,000 per term
Day: £6,500 - £11,000 per term
Extras
When registering at the school there will be a registration fee (£150 - £350)
On acceptance of a place there is an acceptance fee/deposit which is returned when your child leaves the school (this can vary greatly from £250-£3,200). Some schools also charge a greater deposit (£10,000+) to families where the normal residence of one or both parents is outside the United Kingdom
You will also need to factor in approximately a 5% fees increase per year, plus school trips, uniform, travel and guardianship (roughly £3,000 per year) if required.
How do Scholarships and Bursaries work in terms of fee assistance?
Bursaries
Independent schools offer means-tested fee assistance in the form of bursaries. Each school will have eligibility criteria (location, both parents working, income etc.) and a process to follow. As with the criteria and process, the amount the bursary would constitute is individual to the school.
Scholarships
Scholarships honour and celebrate exceptional talent in academia, music, sports, drama and art and when awarded they can come with a modest discount on tuition fees. However, many schools are removing the financial element of a scholarship and allocating funds over to their bursary funds.
What are the approximate term dates in the UK?
There are three terms per year, broadly referred to as the Autumn, Spring and Summer term.
Michaelmas Term: September - December
Lent Term: January - March/April
Summer Term: April - July
Each term has a half term break, usually one week during the Lent (Spring) and Summer terms and then a one or two week break in the Michaelmas (Autumn) Term.
What type of Visa should we apply for is we are not British Passport Holders?
All non-British nationals will need a visa to study in the UK. To obtain a Child Student visa your child will need to have secured a place at a school which can sponsor the visa and not all schools can. The majority of schools only offer visa sponsorship for boarding places, there are a few schools that offer sponsorship for day places but these will be limited.
We strongly recommend seeking advice from visa application agencies and can provide you with recommendations
How do we go about finding a Guardian in the UK?
All students whose parents are resident abroad are required to have a UK-based educational guardian and schools will require these details before a child student can start at the school. There are several excellent guardianship companies based in the UK who are well known to the schools, there is the Association for the Education and Guardianship of International Students ( aegisuk.net ) but we can also recommend agencies to you.
Who is the team behind Scholato and the Find a School service?
Over 30 years pioneering and helping parents, London based Next Step Education owns and operates Bonas MacFarlane Education (bonasmacfarlane.co.uk) (Est. 1992) and the Independent Schools Show (schoolsshow.co.uk) producing 60+ School fairs globally. Next Step Education is the leader in this supplementary education niche, helping parents access private education. Our founder Charles Bonas has 'changed the face of tutoring' spending the last 15 years building the Next Step Education portfolio of Companies.