Getting in!

For many people outside the UK, Britain's private school system is perplexing and impenetrable. An intricate web of gossip, secretive education 'consultants,' public exams with mystifying initials, and sniffy headmasters' secretaries seem to conspire to keep the system a closed book.

Even the experts seem reluctant to part with advice until candidates submit three affidavits, a visa application, credit card details and results of a lie detector test confirming that they are serious about sending their youngster to school in the UK...

...Nor are the schools themselves very illuminating of the subject of admissions from abroad. There is virtually no mention of international applicants on their websites. An entire industry of overseas and British education agents, schools reps and other advisers has sprung up around the accepted belief that breaking into a British school from abroad is a step of such complexity and daring that experts must be called in to assist the mission.

Where to begin

Ask the registrar at one of the major British public schools what preparation a youngster needs to succeed in his institution, and you are likely to be told that it is best to 'come up' from one of Britain's private preparatory schools. One important fact is lost in this obscurity:

British schools, especially boarding schools, actually like to have children from abroad. 'Like' is too mild a word. They love them.

They just can't salivate too hard for fear of scaring off the prey. Overseas pupils fill boarding places, can usually be counted on to pay the fees, are generally diligent and hardworking, keep their dormitories tidy and - if they are from China, Korea, or Japan - stand a good chance of providing an extra violinist for the school orchestra. And no matter what you may hear about London day schools being horribly oversubscribed (all true), only a small percentage of British boarding schools can count on filling their beds with British boys and girls alone.

Key criteria

If your child has a pleasing academic record at home, there are only two further criteria that bear on his or her acceptance to a good British boarding school: English-speaking ability and timing. For advice on timing, see our article on The UK Schools System . Consider that the best ages to come into a British independent school from abroad are anything up to 11, and the ages 13 and 16. Don't try to get a child into school mid-GCSE or mid-A level During the year in which British pupils turn 15, they are well into their GCSE preparation and it is hard on both the pupil and the school to take newcomers. Once GCSEs are over, however, all bets are off and schools can, and do, take new pupils to begin the two-year A level course. Some independent schools take in entire new classes at that age (NB: if your child has a good academic record in his or her home country but has not taken GCSEs, there is nothing to prevent him or her from starting...