4 globally-connected boarding schools that offer an enriching education

06 Aug 2019

Granting learners wearly exposure to campus communities, boarding schools act as the bridge between holistic education and university life.

Welcoming students from all over the world, this type of academic surrounding offers the full package.

To start with, boarding schools invest in student talent by supplying an intense educational experience. Here, you’ll find students reading, writing, completing essays and encouraging others to do the same. It’s a learning community that lifts students up, rather than bringing them down.

Another advantage to the boarding school style is that learners get to live with their friends.

By constructing a network of like-minded pupils, students share the stress of exam periods, the incredible summer trips they’re entitled to, and most importantly, they’re supported all the way through their academic journey. Fellow boarders soon become family and living away from home won’t seem so daunting anymore.

Boarding school environments also encourage students to work on their independent thinking skills and take responsibility for their actions.

Recently, the UK Education Secretary, Damian Hinds, stated that independent thinking skills are a must, despite often being overlooked in schools. Hinds deems it necessary to equip the young minds of today with a lifelong appreciation for independent thinking.

By increasing a student’s independence, the Education Secretary believes students will start to feel confident in completing everyday tasks, such as preparing for employment or taking control of their financial matters.

Boarding schools, however, already prepare students for these tasks and more. By the time boarding school students reach university, they’ll be fully prepared, with life skills intact.

Evidently, by easing the transition from early school environments to higher education pathways, it’s safe to say that boarding schools have the upper hand in today’s education domain.

Here are four boarding schools that provide pathways to top universities…

LORETTO SCHOOL – SCOTLAND

Scotland’s oldest boarding school, Loretto School in Musselburgh, is where pupils become an integral part of a family, where they are given outstanding opportunities to grow and prepare for a fulfilling life.

Located on a safe, enclosed, leafy 85-acre campus in East Lothian’s rural settings, here, pupils have plenty of space and opportunities for exploration and discovery.

Loretto is a small school with just over 600 pupils, and it boasts a staff to pupil ratio of 1:7, allowing all to be known individually and given the opportunity to develop their talent.

Loretto is diverse, welcoming pupils of 25 different nationalities to be a historical home away from home, founded in 1827 with listed buildings and a chapel.

Source: Loretto School

Globally-connected and easy to reach from abroad, the school is only six miles away from Edinburgh and its international airport, easing the transition from overseas to the Scottish suburbs.

Ultimately, students who enrol here experience an enriching boarding life. With a full week schedule and extensive after school activities, Loretto is bound to have a programme that caters to every child’s interests.

Delivering the traditional British/English curriculum (GCSEs and A-Levels) and ranked in the top seven percent of schools in the UK at A-Level, it’s no surprise that 97 percent of Loretto pupils enter their university of choice, be it Oxford, Cambridge, St Andrews, Durham or beyond.

If you’re interested in enrolling your child/children at Loretto and want them to experience all the boarding benefits, click here for more information.

SIDCOT SCHOOL – ENGLAND

Sidcot may be a Quaker school for students aged three to 18, but you don’t have to be religious or even a Quaker to attend this co-ed independent school for boarding and day pupils. It’s a school that’s teeming with diversity, with nearly a quarter of students coming from abroad.

Sidcot is set on a whopping 150-acres in the North Somerset countryside of Winscombe, England. This provides students with a safe, natural and welcoming family environment to learn in. While they have some of the strongest results in the Southwest for A-Level and the International Baccalaureate Diploma, this school values learning – not merely the passing of exams.

Source: Sidcot School

Sidcot’s Head, Iain Kilpatrick, said: “I favour a system that has a wider set of values, focusing on students’ wellbeing, without cramming or hot housing. In my experience, a gentler and more rounded approach to education encourages students to perform well not only in exams, but in life in general.”

While some boarding schools are labelled “stuffy and pretentious”, Sidcot has escaped this view, thanks to Quaker values underpinning student life. Curiosity, simplicity, equality, empathy, personal responsibility, speaking up and being heard acts as a foundation for students’ character and overall development, making Sidcot a progressive place for their study.

SHERBORNE SCHOOL – ENGLAND

In the pursuit of academic excellence, Sherborne School in England provides a full-boarding environment full of community care and opportunity.

A HMC independent all-boys full boarding and day school for pupils aged 13-18, Sherborne works closely with parents to give every boy the best possible chance to thrive.

“Coming to Sherborne from Hong Kong, I was immediately struck by how friendly everyone was. I settled in really quickly, and soon felt like I was part of a large family,” Ho Yin (Ranco), a fourth form student explains.

Source: Sherborne School

Pairing academics with a rich tradition of sporting and musical excellence, Sherborne boys achieve great things in a variety of sporting disciplines, from rugby to rifle shooting, golf to fives, polo to athletics.

Evidently, Sherborne is a place of growth, transformation and family. That’s why, during good times and bad, Shirburnians know they’re cared for, that the whole community is looking out for them, celebrating their highs and sympathising with their lows.

Hosting regular visits and tour mornings, you can become part of the thriving community of compassion at Sherborne.

LANCASTER ROYAL GRAMMAR SCHOOL – ENGLAND

Promising to create a community that ensures the safety and welfare of its pupils in an environment where they can happy and healthy, and where pupils can develop their intellectual academic, sporting and creative potential through well-structured routines, Lancaster Royal Grammar School (LRGS) in England has been ranked ‘outstanding’ in its latest Ofsted report.

Those who visit LRGS are struck by the warm, family atmosphere that characterises boarding at the school. Dedicated teams of housemasters, tutors and matrons care for each boy as individuals, ensuring that wherever their talents and interests lie, they can succeed and be happy during their time at LRGS.

Inevitably, LRGS has succeeded in developing close links with parents and an academic atmosphere that allows pupils to develop a tolerance of others and live free of teasing, harassment and bullying.

Situated in a stunning landscape with the Lake District, Morecambe Bay and the Yorkshire Dales nearby, LRGS is a safe and peaceful campus, perfect for outdoor activities and engaging student events.

With a long history of lasting links with the local and wider community, LRGS is where lasting friendships are made.

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