February 16, 2022

Academic Families: Finding The Perfect Boarding School For Your Child

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Why Send Your Child To UK Boarding School?

Thinking about a UK boarding school education for your child? Are Mock results causing you to think about another school? It’s a big decision to make, and it’s normal to feel a little unsure, especially if your child is already at a good school in Kenya. Why send them somewhere new?

UK school placement organisations such as Academic Families get to see first-hand the successes of Kenyan students who do make the decision to attend boarding school in the UK. Academic Families Managing Director, Lorna Clayton, lived in Kenya for 9 years and understands the concerns of Kenyan parents. She says, ‘Deciding to send your child to boarding school in the UK is not necessarily an easy decision but can be one of the best things you can do to set them up for life. State of the art facilities and highly qualified teachers propel students to success at top universities. Time and time again we see students transformed by the experiences that UK boarding school has given them. It’s a pleasure to see Kenyan students flourish and become well-rounded, thoughtful and independent adults by the end of their schooling.’

So, why should you consider a UK boarding school for your child?

Boarding school surveys reveal that 70% of students believe boarding school has helped them develop self-discipline, maturity, and independence, as well as valuable critical-thinking skills.

What else?

UK boarding schools offer a proven pathway to top universities

Most parents hope their child will progress to a top university and British boarding schools ensure this journey is well supported. Not only do they commit to delivering the highest standard of education, but they provide specialist university application support which starts early by developing students’ skills and interests. Typical boarding school destinations include Oxford, Cambridge and the Russell Group universities as well as top universities globally. Some schools offer external mentors and specialist pre-uni courses – medicine, vet, engineering, law and finance – with work experience and aptitude assessments so students can understand how suited they might be to these careers before applying to university.

Lorna also notes that ‘UK boarding schools ensure your child fully understands their university options. In Sixth Form, university representatives often visit schools and students can attend university Open Days. Boarding schools provide specialised support for students throughout the application process, so students have the best possible chance of securing their dream university place. Preparing a UCAS Personal Statement is always a big challenge for our students, and we offer specialist support. As parents and expats, we’ve personally experienced most of what our families might, so we know what’s required to make their lives easier.’

Independent living

Boarding school education is about more than just the classroom – learning to live without ayahs and drivers can be a challenge for some Kenyan students.

Living away from home is great preparation for the future and is an opportunity that most young people won’t get until university – so boarders have a head start when it comes to building their independence. Your child will be less reliant on others and will develop a sense of personal responsibility as they’ll have to be organised when it comes to daily tasks, chores, and homework.

Don’t worry – your child won’t be completely alone! Boarding school is a great steppingstone between childhood and adulthood where individuals can grow while still having the support of a close network of professionals at school.

Nurturing boarding staff

It’s not only students who live at school. Many of the staff do too and without their commute, they have lots of time to support and nurture students. Staff are trained and experienced in looking after children who are far from home, so you can be sure that your child will have fantastic care from a dedicated team.

Boarders try more extracurricular activities

With time on their hands and weekends to fill, schools have a wide range of activities to suit everyone. Every week your child could have an extra ten hours developing their interests without their Nairobi commute for starters! Being exposed to a diverse range of activities encourages students to try new things and become well-rounded young adults.

British boarding schools are globally recognised for their extra-curricular opportunities including sporting excellence. Easy access to specialist coaching, fantastic facilities and multi-layered competition can develop all levels of sporting talent.

It’s not only exceptional sporting opportunities that boarding schools offer, they also champion students who are interested in the arts. State-of-the-art performing spaces – theatres and dance studios – supported by professional artists ensure students have the greatest opportunity to develop their talents. 1:1 Masterclasses and group tuition feed into larger school activities such as plays, musicals, orchestras, bands and choirs.

Lifetime friends

Living together with your friends 24/7 brings everyone together in friendships that last a lifetime. Boarding schools have an eclectic mix of nationalities so these friendships will be global.

Curriculum and subject choice

UK boarding schools offer a wider range of IB, A Level and BTEC subjects than are available in Kenya. Students can build a timetable including Design & Technology; Digital Media; Psychology and Sociology as well as more traditional core subjects. BTEC subjects include Art, Design & Media; Enterprise; Business; Hospitality & Catering; PE & Sport; Travel & Tourism – there’s a long list of options.

UK boarding schools offer stability

Kenya is a great country to keep your family together but if your job requires you to move regularly, it’s easy for your children’s education to be disrupted. Sending your child to boarding school for their last 4 or 5 years will ensure stability and the opportunity to achieve their full potential.

Local support in the UK

Not everyone has a network of support close to their UK school that is able to step in and support their child if needed. Obviously, students are in school for most of the term, but if they have any emergencies or just need some local support and a bed for the night between school and home, then you need the services of an education guardian. With the challenges of Covid, many schools prefer you to appoint a professional guardian accredited by AEGIS, the Association for the Education and Guardianship of International Students. Guardians will be responsible for your child out of school – they’ll make their UK based arrangements including airport transfers and matching them with a great host family.

Lorna, adds, ‘as an AEGIS guardian, Academic Families offers UK local support to families from around the world and particularly understand the needs of Kenyan families. We’re UK based and we’re here when you can’t be – our network becomes your network!’

Shirlene, from Nairobi, is enjoying the stability of boarding school and Academic Families guardianship. She says, ‘Academic Families have helped me in lots of ways. From when I arrived in the UK, they’ve made sure that I’m comfortable, welcomed and feel a part of the community. It’s much easier on myself and my family because we have this whole company working to help us. I’m really thankful for them.’

Start your journey to a UK boarding school

Roni Jennings is Head of Placement at Academic Families and is an expert when it comes to working with Kenyan students. As former Deputy Head at Braeburn Mombasa, she has experience of working closely with Kenyan pupils and takes a personalised approach to school placement. ‘Finding the right school is a highly personal process – no two students are the same, so I always take the time to get to know the student and their family fully before establishing their bespoke shortlist of potential schools.’

Her expertise and reliability are appreciated by the parents of the students she places. Nairobi’s Birungis relied on Academic Families to match exceptional schools to their two children who are now excelling at their schools. They expressed their gratitude saying, ‘We are extremely grateful to Roni. Acting as the face of the Academic Families, she worked beyond the call of duty, guiding us through the different options to enable us to arrive at informed decisions. Whenever we needed to have further discussions with schools, she secured appointments in record time and was always prompt with her feedback, even outside official working hours. Indeed, the ethos of Academic Families, that the school should meet the needs, strengths, and values of the child and not the other way around, was aptly manifested by Roni throughout our application process.’

So, if you are considering options for your child’s education and boarding school fees of £35,000 don’t put you off, then you would benefit from a free initial consultation with experienced professionals. They’ll be able to progress your search for the best boarding school for your child – not the one that worked for other children but the best school for your child. Academic Families will be visiting Kenya at the end of February (26th to 28th), so contact them on WhatsApp +44 203 475 0750 to accelerate making your child’s dream a reality.