Boarding Schools...
Below are our articles on the subject of Boarding Schools. If you can't see what you are looking for our other categories are displayed on the left under 'Our Quick Links'...
A Different Faith than Your Chosen Faith School?
How to go about securing a place for your child at a religious school even if they are not a practising member of that particular religion...
A Music Place at a State Secondary School
If you don't like the state secondary schools in your neighbourhood, your child might try for a music place at a school outside your catchment area. Getting a music place is difficult, but you might g...
A Performing Arts Place at a State Secondary School
Getting a performing arts place in a state secondary school is something many gifted pupils dream about. Turning that dream into reality can happen - but start your preparation early for best results....
Adjusting to a UK School After Living Abroad
Entering a UK school, either for the first time or after a long period of time can be especially difficult on kids, even if they have attended a British school abroad. Here are some top tips to help y...
After School Activities
This article looks at after school activities, what are they, what purpose do they serve and what your child can expect to get out of such activities...
All About Ofsted Reports
When looking at schools for your child, a useful way to discover more about the schools in your area is by reading Ofsted reports. Ofsted - the Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services a...
Applying for Special Needs Education
How to apply for Special Needs Education for your child....
Applying to Private School: Special Needs Child
Children with special educational needs often benefit from an independent school, with smaller class sizes and more personalised attention. But finding the right school for your child isn't always eas...
Autism Spectrum: Getting a School Place in Your Area
Emma tells us the story of how she fought to get the right school place for her daughter with PDA a syndrome on the high functioning Autistic Spectrum....
Be Prepared with a Second Choice School
How to prepare yourself for the possibility that your chosen school is not available to your child....
Choosing a School That Isn't Close to Home
Although most children go to a school within easy distance of their home, some parents choose to send them to a school out of the area. This has both advantages and disadvantages so it's a decision th...
Choosing a Specialist School
The differences between mainstream secondary and grammar schools and the more recent specialist schools offering detailed education in a varying range of more specialised subjects....
Choosing Education for Under 5s
Advice and ideas for choosing education for under 5s....
Common Entrance Examination
This article looks at the Common Entrance Examination and the role in plays in school admissions....
Complementing Your Child's Learning at Home
Tips on enhancing a child's learning at home through reading and other practical measures....
Coping With First Day Nerves and Tears
Tips and advice for parents and carers to help alleviate first day of school nerves....
Differences in Foreign School Curricular
An overview of the differences between the United Kingdom's National Curriculum and those of other countries should you wish to have your child schooled abroad...
Educational Psychology
This article looks at educational psychology, what it aims to do and how it can be used to help pupils with behavioural, emotional or learning difficulties...
Encouraging Your Child to Settle in at School
A guide to the ways a parent can help a child to settle into a new school, including establishing a routine and helping with social aspects...
Ensure Entry Exam Success
How to help your child perform to the best of their abilities in an entry examination....
Familiarise Yourself With School and Staff
Getting to know the school and its staff is an important part of the school selection process...
Financing a Private School Education
Sending your child to a private school is expensive but there are a number of ways in which parents can raise the money needed....
Finding the Perfect Pre-school
This article looks at how to go about finding the right pre-school for your child....
Free Early Learning for 3 and 4 Year Olds
Discover the facts about free early learning for three and four year olds in England....
Get a Place at Grammar School
An overview of Grammar Schools and how to gain admission for your child...
Getting a Bursary to a Private Secondary School
If you thought a private secondary education for your child was well out of your reach, think again. He or she might be among the lucky few to receive a full or partial bursary to help pay the fees....
Getting an Academic Place at a State Secondary School
If you are dissatisfied with the choice of state secondary schools in your area, you might try getting your child an academic place at a "better" school - or try for a place at a grammar school......
Getting Help with Pre-school Costs and Fees
Find out what help is available for pre-school costs and fees....
Getting Your Child Ready for Pre-school
Get tips and ideas for preparing your child for pre-school....
Handling Separation Anxiety
Dealing with separation anxiety in children starting school and how it is a natural part of advancement and not a behavioural issue....
Helping Your Child Fit in Abroad
An overview of what can be done to make the transition for your child to a new school abroad less stressful....
Helping Your Child Make the Transition to Secondary School
How to help your child settle in at their new secondary school....
Helping Your Child to Make Friends at School
Tips and advice on helping children to make friends both before school and once term begins....
Home to School Transport: Lodging an Appeal
If your application for school transport is refused - here is our guide on how to make an appeal....
House Prices Reflect the Quality of Nearby Schools
Can housing prices affect your child's education?...
How Bullying is Dealt With
An overview as to how schools deal with the issue of bullying and what they can do to prevent it...
How Can We Make a Group Appeal for School Places?
Answering a question on the school appeals process and potential creation of a lobby group....
How Exam Results Affect Your Child's Chances
What affect your childs exam results will have on their progressing into further education or full-time employment...
How Pre-schools Help Children Prepare for 'Real' School
This article looks at how pre-schools help children prepare for real school....
How Schools Implement School Improvement Plans
Looking at the practical steps schools may take in implementing school improvement plans....
How Schools Prioritise Places
An overview as to how schools priorities the allocation of their places...
How Schools Tackle Child Obesity?
Childhood obesity and what steps are being taken by schools to reduce the risk of it happening....
How the National Curriculum is Delivered
This article looks at the advances in the National Curriculum and explores how it is delivered to those students undertaking it in relation to how it used to be taught...
How The National Curriculum Works for Your Child
This article is provided as an overview of how the National Curriculum affects your child's ability to learn and also what it can teach our children in the run up to adulthood...
How the Recession is Affecting School Places
The recession has taken its toll on the country's education system, with many parents choosing to opt out of private education in favour of more affordable state schools. But what about the knock-on e...
How to Choose the Right School for Your Child
How to go about choosing the right school for your child....
How to Get a Place at a Religious School
Securing a place for your child at a religious school - now sometimes known as a faith school...
How To Set Up a PTA at Your Child's School
Setting up a PTA Group can be a useful and worthwhile endeavour, we show you how to start and what you need to do to operate a PTA group that can make a difference...
How Your Child Works With Other Children and Adults
This article looks at how schools can help teach and inspire your child to interact with other children and adults alike and how this can be an important factor when they leave school...
I Moved from State School to Private School: Case Study
Catherine's parents moved her from a state school to private school against her wishes but she's now glad that they did!...
I Took My Kids Out of a State School: Case Study
Alison Turner needed to release equity from her London home, so she moved to Buckinghamshire. Her four children, who formerly attended a state school, have now all gone private - and couldn't be happi...
I Turned Down a Free Place at an Independent School
Jo Cannon enrolled her daughter in a private nursery that was attached to a larger school, then was offered a free place all the way up to Year Six. But she surprised the headmaster when she turned th...
Is Home Schooling right for your Child?
We look at whether or not Home Schooling is right for your child and the means by which you can decide whether Home Schooling would serve your child better than a state school education....
Is Moving to a School Catchment Area Effective?
Weighing up the pros and cons of moving from one area into another with a view to securing your child's place at school...
Is Psychology a National Curriculum Subject?
This question looks at whether a degree in psychology can be used to apply for a primary PGCE course....
Is Your Child Entitled to Free School Meals?
An overview of which students are entitled to free school meals and what are the criteria necessary to obtain them...
Is Your Child Ready for Pre-school?
Find out if your child is ready for pre-school....
Keeping Up With Homework in Secondary School
If you set up good habits from the start, your children will find homework is as pressure-free as possible....
Lottery for School Places
There are sometimes reasons as to why you cannot get your child placed at the school you feel is best for them. In this article we look at what some of those reasons might be....
Making an Exclusions Appeal
Having your child permanently excluded from school can be an overwhelming event. In some cases, however, parents may appeal the decision - and occasionally get an outcome that is satisfactory to them....
Making and Breaking Friendships at School
Tips to help your child make friends at school by recognising positive character traits and changing negative ones....
Making Donations to the School
This article shows you how to make a donation to the school or schools of your choice and explains the benefits to both you as the individual donating and also the school as the recipient of such a do...
Moving from a State Primary to Private Secondary School
Many children leave their state primary school and go on to a private secondary. It's not that hard a feat to accomplish - but you need to know how to jump through the hoops......
My Child Didn't Get a Bursary to Private School
Janet Black wanted her son to attend a private school, and had him tutored to pass the exams. She was hopeful that he'd get a full bursary, but the competition was too stiff....
My Experience of a Private Secondary School: Case Study
Trainee opera singer, Edward,believes he might not have achieved his dream without the support and training he received at a private school....
My Time at Boarding School: A Case Study
One student's experience of a boarding school education....
Networking to Get a School Place
Networking and making the right contacts to provide you with information that will make the school selection process all that less stressful...
Numeracy Skills
This article looks at numeracy skills; what they are and what they are designed to promote in our children?...
Offering Your Help With Pre-School Activities
How you as a parent can go about offering your assistance to your local nursery or playgroup and what you can do to help?...
Parent Teacher Associations
An overview as to what Parent Teachers Associations are, how they work and what you as a parent can do to make your voice heard regarding your child's education...
Pass Entrance Exams: Finding the Right Tutor
Having an intelligent child will not guarantee entrance into highly selective schools. Getting a tutor to help your child learn proper exam technique and do well at an interview could make all the dif...
Physical Education and its Benefits
This article looks at Physical Education and its use in schools - not just for exercise - but also as a means of helping students build character...
Placing a Foreign Student in a UK School
This article offers an overview of how to find a school for your child if your child does not reside in the United Kingdom....
Preparing Your Young Child for the Discipline of School
Starting school is a huge event in the life of any young child but you can make sure things go smoothly by preparing your child for the discipline of school....
Private Tutoring and Your Child
This article provides an overview of private tutoring, how it works and how it can work for the benefit of your child...
Pros and Cons of After School Clubs
Putting your primary school child in an after-school club is the easiest way to get affordable childcare. But not all schools offer after-school clubs, and some close during all the school holidays......
Punishments and Awards at School
A look at the various ways that schools can impose punishments and shower praise on students who have shown good or bad behaviour and work standards....
Pupil Referral Units
This article looks at Pupil Referral Units and discusses how they are used to help educate those children who have been excluded from a normal schooling environment...
Reception Classes that Take Pre-schoolers
Discover the facts about school reception classes that take pre-schoolers....
Relationship Between Child and Teacher
This article is an overview of the relationship between child and teacher and how it should be conducted and also what teachers can do to make children feel more at ease in the classroom...
Rules and Regulations Surrounding School Trips
Information about the kinds of issues that you should discuss with schools as they plan both day visits and longer school trips for your children....
Rules of Home Schooling
This article provides an overview on the subject of Home Schooling, it's advantages and disadvantages, and how it is perceived and governed by your Local Education Authority...
Scholarships for Private Independent Schools
A look at scholarships for private independent schools, who is eligible and what the criteria might be for obtaining one....
School Admission Rules
This article covers the rules of admission as required by law in order to allocate places for pupils seeking entry to a particular school....
School League Tables
This article aims to provide the reader with an overview of what constitutes a league table and how these tables are used as a means of choosing a school for your child...
School Meals and your Child's Health
This articles looks at school meals and what impact they can have on your child's health...
School Trips: What Parents Should Know
A look at the ideas surrounding school trips that parents should consider in order to help ensure a child’s safety and happiness whilst off school property...
School Uniforms and Financial Help
This article looks at the need for school uniforms in schools and also how to gain financial assistance from your LEA should you be eligible....
Secondary School Criteria
This articles covers what many might believe is an unnecessary criteria for achieving entry to the school of choice for your child....
Secure a place in a Foreign School
This article represents an overview of how to go about finding a place for your child in a Foreign school should you have to relocate abroad...
Should Children Born in Summer Start School Later?
There are various debates about the relative merits and disadvantages of starting school younger. However parents do have the option to defer the date that their children start school....
Should You Move Your Child to a Different School?
Lots of children have to move schools on a regular basis because of their parents’ jobs but if you have any choice in the matter, it’s not a decision to be taken lightly....
Should Your Child's Friends Influence Your School Choice?
Should you allow your choice of secondary school to be influenced on whether or not your child's primary school friend plan to attend? It's a tricky question, especially if your son or daughter doesn'...
Signs your Child is being Bullied
This articles looks at the methods of bullying and also the effects of bullying on your child. It also looks at what you as a parent should look for and what as a parent can do to help your child thr...
Single Sex or Mixed Schools?
The choice about whether to choose a single sex or mixed school for your child can be a tricky decision. Here we weigh up some benefits and drawbacks of each option....
Sixth Form Applications
A look at the options available for students who are interested in developing their education after 16, including sixth forms within schools, and further education colleges, and advice on applications...
Specialist Education
A General Overview of Specialist Education and the processes of enrolling your child...
Starting School Mid Term
An overview of how to go about transferring your child from one school to another during a term....
Target Grades for Sixth Form Entry
This article deals with what are generally the target grades required for your child if they wish to attend Sixth Form...
The Appeal Process
This article gives an overview of the appeal process and some of the reasons why an appeal may be necessary to begin with...
The Application Process Explained
This article is designed to act as an overview as to the whole applications process from finding a school for your child through the application process itself and to your child commencing at the scho...
The Benefits of Boarding Schools
A look at the advantages of a boarding school education, including the social, academic, and personal benefits for student development....
The Best Methods of Ensuring a School Place
An overview of what are commonly the best methods to use in ensuring your child's school place...
The Cost of Boarding Schools
A consideration of the cost of a boarding school education including average fee estimations....
The Drawbacks of Boarding Schools
Looking at the disadvantages that a child may face when they have a boarding school education....
The Importance of Feeder Primary Schools
An overview on Feeder Primary Schools and how the operate in relation to Secondary and Grammar schools within a designated catchment area...
The Pros and Cons of a Private School
Many parents who can afford it consider sending their child to a private school while others get a place thanks to a scholarship or bursary. But what are the benefits and drawbacks to a private educat...
The Schools System in the UK
This article deals with the many and varied types of school contained with the school system in the UK....
The Sibling Factor
The Sibling Factor and how it can work for and against you in placing your child in a school where another child of the family is already present...
Theatre Schools
This article aims to provide a general overview on Theatre Schools and looks at how to gain a place and whether or not a place at theatre school is right for your child...
Thinking Ahead About University Applications
A look at when and how to start preparing your child for their higher education study options....
Under 5s with Special Education Needs
Find out how pre-schools can help under 5s with special education needs....
Waiting Lists for School
This article details some of the reasons why waiting lists exist for schools and some of the ways in which you are a parent can minimise the time your child spends on such a waiting list...
We Moved During Primary School: A Case Study
Moving in the middle of the academic year when you have four small children can take its toll on everyone, as Laura Lewis explains....
What Actions to Take if Your Appeal Fails
This article details what action you can take should your appeal before an independent appeal panel fails...
What Are Foundation and Trust Schools?
Critics of Trust and Foundation schools say they give the government the opportunity to offload responsibility onto someone else. Proponents say these types of schools give parents a stronger voice, a...
What Are Statemented Provisions?
This article looks at Statemented Provisions, what they are, and who is eligible for them....
What Constitutes Bullying?
This article aims to give parents an overview of what - in the eyes of the education system - constitutes bullying in schools....
What Happens at Pre-school?
Find out what typically happens at pre-school....
What If My Child Can't Get a Place at Any School in the Area?
Answering a question about the appeals process and the rights of a child to be offered a school place....
What is a Preparatory School?
Preparatory schools are now not only for parents who want to send their children to a top private secondary school....
What is an Academy?
Looking for a new primary or secondary school for your child? An academy may be just what you're after. Then again, it might not......
What is and Isn't Allowed in a Packed Lunch
Preparing a packed lunch for your child can be tricky as many schools forbid certain food items from being brought in. Yet some of those items - chocolate cake, for example - will be served as part of...
What is Cyber Bullying?
This article aims to provide the reader with an overview of what has now become known as 'Cyber Bullying' - a practice whereby a child can be bullied from a distance without coming into physical conta...
What is Flexi-schooling?
Flexi-schooling is a scheme where usually primary school children spend part of the school week learning at home. It is a controversial way to learn, but more and more parents are choosing this option...
What is Home Schooling?
An overview of Home Schooling and whether or not it is something that you - as a parent - and your child can benefit from...
What is the National Curriculum?
This article provides an overview of what the National Curriculum is and how it is used to help your child achieve the highest standard of education possible...
What Parents can do to Prevent Bullying
An overview of what steps parents can take to prevent their child or another parent's child from being bullied at school...
What to Include in an Appeal
This article gives an overview as to what information and evidence to include in your appeal in order to enhance your chances of success with the Independent Appeal Panel...
What to Look for When Viewing a School
What to look for when viewing a school....
What Your Child Should Know Before Starting School
A brief overview of what a child needs to be able to know before they start school including social and practical skills....
When Your Child's Best Friend is a Bad Influence
What do you do when your child’s best friend is a 'bad influence'? Grin and ignore it? Forbid them from ever seeing their friend again? Or take control of the situation, setting strict ground rules th...
Why I Became a Governor: Case Study
When Vassilis Zarifis enrolled his eldest daughter in primary school, he knew it would have a huge impact on her life. That's why he decided that the best way he could personally help the school was ...
Why I Sent Just One of My Children to Private School
Sharon Martin's sons all attended state schools. But when budget cuts meant her clever son George wasn't getting the academic attention he deserved, she decided to educate him privately....
Why State School is Right for My Daughter: Case Study
Rachel Reizin went to a priavet nursery school when she was little, then her parents enrolled her in a state school. Not only is the education better, they say, but she is learning about the real worl...
Your Child's Aptitude
An overview of the varying tests that are now available as a means to identify accurately your child's aptitude and also tests which are used for selection for grammar school places...
Your Child's Work Experience
This article looks at work experience and why it is important for a student to undertake a period of work experience in order to give them an understanding of life after schooling...