I
Schools
T' S hard to imagine how a young boy could ever willingly leave his home on the idyllic Caribbean island of Mustique. Yet Louis Miguel Ona started at Port
Regis prep school last year, and now happily makes the transatlantic journey to Dorset at the beginning of each term. He is one of more than 25,000 children who live overseas and attend boarding school in the UK. ` The British education system still reigns
supreme,' says Janette Wallis, senior editor of The Good Schools Guide. ` The number of overseas families sending their children to school in Britain is increasing rather than decreasing.' But as boarding schools strive to appeal
to the modern parent and adopt more flexible boarding arrangements, they risk becoming less appropriate for children living overseas.
` Parents based abroad have to be more rigorous with their choice,' says Miss Wallis.
` You don' t want to send your child to a school that empties out at the weekend.' Thankfully, there are still good prep schools
and senior schools offering full boarding in the traditional sense, without flexi- or weekly deviations; Eton College and Wycombe Abbey for example, and the prep school Hanford in Dorset. But even schools with more flexible boarding arrangements should not be
Long-distance learning
Whether you' re based in Hong Kong or the South of France, there are several factors to consider when choosing the right British boarding school for your children, says Anna Tyzack
written off. ` Not all of them are ghost towns at weekends; you just have to be selective,' says Miss Wallis. ` Choose a school that has a buzzy atmosphere on Sunday and good pastoral care.' She recommends Millfield in Somerset, Malvern in Worcestershire and Sevenoaks in Kent for overseas parents who are looking for progressive schools offering the International Baccalaureate (IB). However, according to Miss Wallis, it' s
a mistake to base your choice on the number of overseas students already attending the school. ` If the school has more than 20% overseas students, it can feel like an inter-
national school.' Equally, it' s not advisable to choose a school simply because it' s con- veniently situated near an airport. ` It' s more important to consider how close the school is to a relative or friend who can act as a guardian, as most schools will insist you appoint one,' she says. Most crucial of all is for parents to visit schools themselves rather than relying on second-hand inform- ation. ` Don' t be swayed by impressive web- sites and glossy brochures. You could end up sending your child to a completely unsuit- able school. The only way you' ll find out if it' s appropriate is to go there yourself.'
Top schools for children with parents based overseas
Eton College, Eton, Windsor, Berkshire, (01753 671249) Pupils: 1,312
` The Holy Grail for boys.' Arguably Britain' s most prestigious boys' boarding school; conveniently located for London airports
Wycombe Abbey, Abbey Way, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire (01494 520381) Pupils: 571 A high-achieving independent school for girls aged from 11 to 18, often seen as the girls' equivalent to Eton
Downe House, Cold Ash, Thatcham, Berkshire (01635 200286) Pupils: 572 A notch less terrifying than Wycombe Abbey (says The Good Schools Guide), with good pastoral care and lots going on at weekends. Well located, less than an hour away from Heathrow
Wellington College, Duke' s Ride, Crowthorne, Berkshire (01344 444013) Pupils: 990 A thriving co-educational school not far from London and airports. Fast becoming the progressive school of choice and also offers the IB, but a disappointing proportion of pupils returns home at weekends
78 Country Life International, Spring 2011
www.countrylife.co.uk/international
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