3 UK schools offer a well-rounded education for day and boarding students

According to the British Council, there are approximately 500 boarding schools across England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland. Boarding schools are among the top choices for gaining real-world experience due to the independent nature of the learning environment. These schools not only provide students with a focused, innovative academic programme, but also offer various extracurricular activities to keep them busy and help them discover a passion to become obsessed with.

There are many tangible benefits to being in a boarding school, but the main takeaway is that it indirectly affects one’s lifestyle. Like the confidence that comes from living in a community away from home, or the close bonds and lifelong network of friends you will make from living with them. Interests and passions are also shaped here. With a wide range of evening and weekend activities presented by boarding schools, your kid is sure to find at least one that sticks with them all throughout their life.

Here are three boarding schools in the UK that offer excellent education, plus fun extracurricular programmes for you to participate in:

Bishop’s Stortford College is where your kids will develop new skills, build friendships, and most importantly, have lots of fun. Source: Bishop’s Stortford College/Facebook

Bishop’s Stortford College

What is it like to spend your formative years in a dynamic, forward-thinking, and vibrant school? Answers can be found at Bishop’s Stortford College, a co-educational day and boarding school for pupils aged 3 to 18 years.

Located in a historic English market town, 23 miles south of Cambridge, and 27 miles north of London, this is where your child will follow a modern, progressive curriculum that prepares them for the future in an ever-evolving world. In every year, your child will never stop developing in knowledge, skills and personal growth, thanks to the college’s use of innovative, sector leading pedagogy and commitment to academic excellence. From the college, graduates go on to some of the best universities in the UK, and across the world.

Boarders carry with them a lifetime’s worth of core memories. On weekends, the college runs an extensive British cultural boarding programme that mixes skills development, fun, and team building activities. The British Culture Programme balances sports match representation on a Saturday (for squad members), off-site trips, on-campus social activities, and relaxation. These trips include the best experiences Britain can offer – across operas, theatres, and museums – in cities such as London and Cambridge, coastal seaside towns, and theme parks.

A report by the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI) states that the school has a “broad curriculum” that “enable pupils to develop their skills across a range of subjects and make connections between them.”

Find out more about Bishop’s Stortford College.

Brighton College was awarded the prestigious title of School of the Decade by The Sunday Times. Source: Brighton College

Brighton College 

In The Sunday Times Independent Schools Guide, widely acknowledged as the most authoritative survey of the top schools in the country, Brighton College was awarded the prestigious title of School of the Decade by The Sunday Times. It was described as “one of the hottest tickets in independent education.” 

In the past 10 years, “Brighton has become the leading co-educational independent school in the country. Under the excellent headship of Richard Cairns for the past 14 years, the school is progressive in outlook and the children are taught kindness and respect for one another,” the editor of the Schools Guide wrote. 

Headmaster Richard Cairns credits this award to the college’s wonderfully inspirational teachers and energetic and positive pupils. With passionate teachers, pupils get to develop a lifelong love of learning. They also attain 99% A*AB at A Level and 96% 9-7/A*A at GCSE — making it one of the top-performing schools in the country. 

At its new School of Science and Sport, students get to complement their academic programmes by enjoying sports at its double-height sports hall, rooftop running track, a 25-metre swimming pool and a state-of-the-art strength and conditioning suite. With an arts calendar full of a range of music, dance, art, and drama events, there is no shortage of opportunities for pupils to get involved. This includes the annual musical in November, a carol service, regular music recitals and art exhibitions, and pupil-directed plays. 

Strathallan School believes that cultivating students to become lifelong learners extends well beyond the classroom. Source: Strathallan School

Strathallan School

Strathallan School has been setting the bar high since 1913, instilling in its day and boarding pupils a deep belief in their potential. Recognising that every student is unique, it offers a curriculum as diverse as pupils’ talents and aspirations. In fact, Strathallan is proud to be the first school in Scotland to provide pathways that include full GCSE and A Level offerings alongside comprehensive Highers and Advanced Highers programmes. With 24 subjects available, its curriculum is one of the broadest in Scotland. This breadth bore fruit in 2023 when A Level students achieved a record-matching 99% pass rate, with 70% earning A*-B grades. 

But Strathallan is about more than just academics. It is equally committed to nurturing the physical and creative talents of its students. Its top sports teams — whether rugby, hockey, tennis, or swimming — regularly win district and national championships, and its elite athletes are frequently seen competing on the national stage, thanks in part to a 22 million pound investment in state-of-the-art sports facilities. 

Creativity flourishes here too. Housed in a purpose-built facility, the Strathallan Art Department offers everything from graphic design and textiles to film photography and ceramics. Its newly built Dance and Drama Studio provides an inspiring space for budding performers, while 25 music groups cater to every taste. 

Beyond the classroom, Strathallan’s extracurricular programme offers over 80 activities, ranging from the Combined Cadet Force and Duke of Edinburgh Award to global outreach projects and academic excursions. Its exchange programme gives students a chance to experience life in partner schools in Australia, New Zealand, or South Africa, while study trips and academic expeditions take pupils to destinations like Iceland, Rome, and the First World War battlefields. 

 *Some of the institutions featured in this article are commercial partners of Study International