You can send your child to boarding school in England at any age, but 11-13 is generally considered the most appropriate. At that age children start becoming more independent and stop being so attached to their parents. Additionally, at that age, children already speak their native language fluently and will not forget it after that under any circumstances. You can read about applying to British schools and about British education in greater detail in the interview with our director and education specialist Elena Adamova here.
In order to apply to school in the UK you will need your child’s report card and a recommendation letter from a current teacher. The child will also need to sit an entrance exam in English and math. Some schools will require additional tests in all of the subjects that the child has chosen (3-4 subjects for A-Level). These tests can be administered by the child’s school in his or her home country (in an exam setting), by the British Council or they can be done at the school they are applying to in the UK.
You should apply to school in the UK in September of the year before you wish to start, so about a year before you wish to begin your studies in the UK. This is because by the end of the school year, the number of schools that still have vacancies is very limited, thus limiting your options. If you are looking at the top 100 or 200 schools, you may need to apply two years, if not three years, before starting.
The fees for one year at a boarding school range from £18,000 to £33,000 depending on the school and the age of the student. This price includes tuition, accommodation, food, books, school uniform, sport and health insurance.
It is hard, but not impossible if your child has above average abilities, speaks fluent English and has an excellent academic record. You can read more about applying to top schools in the UK in the interview with our director and education specialist Elena Adamova here.