UK Boarding School
Placement for Families

Entry points decide what is open to you

UK boarding schools admit at fixed points: 11+, 13+ and 16+. Each has its own assessment, its own registration deadline, and its own competition. Registration for 13+ entry often closes two years before the child would start, and the most selective schools close earlier still.

A family that begins looking in the same year they hope to start will find the strongest options already closed.

• Registration runs years ahead. For 13+ entry, many schools want registration by Year 6 or Year 7. Missing that window removes the school from the list regardless of the child's ability.
• Assessment differs by entry point. 11+ and 13+ involve school-set tests and interviews; 16+ turns on predicted GCSE grades and a subject interview. What you prepare depends on which door you are going through.
• The right school is not the highest-ranked one. A child who needs structure and a child who needs room to breathe do not belong in the same school, whatever the league table says.
• Guardianship is a requirement, not an afterthought. Schools expect a UK-based guardian arrangement in place before enrolment, and it affects which schools will consider an overseas family.

This is independent, paid advisory. I work for the family, and the recommendation follows the child rather than any school.

Who I work with

Families considering UK boarding for a child aged roughly 10 to 16, funded by the family. Parents usually lead the conversation; the child joins where it helps.

• Which entry point fits the child's age and current stage
• School selection based on the child, not a ranking
• Registration timing and what has to happen in which year
• Assessment preparation and what each school actually tests
• Guardianship, settling in, and the practical side of a child living away
• Where the school leads next: sixth form, and university after that