UK boarding schools building their students’ foundations for the future

The future is an exciting place for any student with the right foundation. They will have doors opened to them, whether they choose to go to university, apply for apprenticeships, take a gap year or go straight into work. 

This successful future hinges on a strong start – the earlier, the better. A holistic education, one that’s focused on more than just grades and paired with the development of young passions, is crucial. The best UK boarding schools guarantee this. 

Paired with campuses that welcome pupils from all walks of life, and a boarding experience that lets one gain independence with support, it’s little wonder their students often go on to do great things.

If this is the future you envision for your child, consider these UK boarding schools:

Concord College

Situated in the picturesque and tranquil countryside of Shropshire, Concord College is home to 605 academically capable and highly ambitious students. Here, they thrive and find happiness.

Its truly international environment hosts a diverse student body representing over 40 nationalities, enabling different cultural contexts and insights to improve the classroom learning experience. Away from the distractions and stresses of a bustling city, bright minds here coexist and exchange ideas in a safe, kind and supportive setting.

In classrooms, Concord’s students follow curricula that are demanding and challenging. Their carefully designed, innovative programmes help students develop multidisciplinary thinking, hence laying a strong foundation for students to employ critical thinking skills to solve complex problems. Teachers closely monitor every student’s academic progress to ensure that they are fully engaged, and to identify if additional support is required for them to excel. Concord’s academic excellence is reflected in their outstanding A Level results where 93.7% of students achieved an A* or A grade, while at GCSE, 94% scored between 7 and 9 (A* or A grades) for the 2021 examinations. 

Pair this with exceptional preparation for entrance exams such as the scholastic aptitude test (SAT) and the Oxford/Cambridge thinking skills assessment (TSA), and Concordians have the full set of skills and qualifications to thrive at top universities. To learn more about this caring haven for the academically-minded, click here.

Kingswood School

Kingswood School provides outstanding learning and support for their students. Source: Kingswood School

Kingswood School is a day and boarding school that balances academic rigour with pastoral care so pupils get to develop in all aspects of their lives. Located in Bath, England, it offers an engaging and empowering academic experience in a safe and caring community environment, supporting individual student growth and development. With a track record of impressive exam results, students are certified for success after Kingswood School. 

Kingswood celebrates the process of learning, rather than the outcome. This inclusive institution consists of a Prep School (nine months to 11 years) and a Senior School (11 to 18 years), offering a broad and holistic education with boarding from age seven. 

In its last inspection by the ISI in 2019, the report stated: “the quality of the pupils’ academic and other achievements is excellent” and “the quality of the pupils’ personal development is excellent”. They also stated that “children are particularly able to develop their independence, creativity, language, and physical skills through playing cooperatively in the role play areas and outdoor adventure area”.

The school offers over 100 co-curricular activities each term, helping students discover new talents, improve existing skills, work as part of a team and find activities and hobbies they enjoy. Often, these pastimes thrive long past school and become lifelong interests. The school provides a broad range of opportunities like the annual Bath Schools Model United Nations conference, Young Enterprise, street dance, badminton, climbing, Kingswood Radio, computer programming, football training, and Aikido.

Royal Russell School

Where students evolve into well-rounded graduates. Source: The Royal Russell School

Thirty minutes from Central London and conveniently connected to London’s airports, Heathrow and Gatwick, Royal Russell School (RRS) has been attracting pupils seeking a happy, safe and stimulating environment since 1853. At this family school, nestled in 110 acres of stunning woodland, an outstanding range of exciting opportunities are available for day students and boarders aged three to 18 year old. Royal Russell School enjoys the patronage of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and is very proud of this long-standing relationship. Her Majesty remains an example of the importance of service and community, which is reflected in the school motto: not for oneself, but for all.

From academic programmes to an extensive lineup of co-curricular activities, all are supported by a team of experienced staff who focus on each individual’s talents and strengths, providing expertise, knowledge, time and effort to ensure an outstanding student experience. By knowing every child, Royal Russell School ensures students achieve success at each stage of the learning journey, from Nursery through to the Sixth Form and beyond.

Headmaster Chris J. Hutchinson is proud of the education Royal Russell offers students, commenting, “Our girls and boys are provided with an exceptional educational experience and, in a society seemingly obsessed with data and targets, it is all too easy to lose sight of what an exceptional education actually means. Our pupils matter to us and they are nurtured, valued and praised, as well as challenged and stretched.”

Royal Russell’s bespoke pastoral care stood out in its ISI Inspection Report: “Strong and supportive relationships between teachers and pupils make an excellent contribution to pupils’ learning. Most teaching is characterised by a brisk pace and high levels of challenge for the pupils.” It further described the school’s provision for children’s well-being as “excellent,” as is the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils. “Pupils benefit from excellent systems of pastoral care, which depend on all staff to support and guide pupils and contribute to the family atmosphere.” Learn more about Royal Russell School here.

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