Switch to Day students from Boarding

[Rennypie03]

Hello Everyone,

I have a few parent friends who have chosen to switch their children from Boarding to Day students across many year groups due to the increase in fees as a result of VAT. I wanted to understand if this is becoming more of a trend and if schools are increasing allocations to day student places? I made our school application based on boarding space, I am wondering if schools will not like it if I switch to a request for a day place?

All views welcome, thank you

I think it will depend a lot on the profile and demand for a particular school. Over-subscribed schools are likely to look very dimly on you being allocated a place based on a boarding application and then once you have the offer in the bag switching to a cheaper day place.

i know the state boarding schools specify in their offers that this is not possible, as it has been used as a trick to get a day place (which are typically harder to get as there is more demand).

Other schools that have space for day and borders may be more sanguine though are unlikely to be happy. If you’ve done a few terms as a boarder before switching I think they should be fine.

At the end of the day it’s your money and if you’ve done cannot afford boarding anymore there’s not a lot they can do beyond insist on a term’s notice.

Thank you. This is helpful. I have registered as Boarder but when I do have to fill out the application I will make that switch to day before he sits entrance exams to sixth form in November. Therefore it’s more transparent

Depends on the school.

Obviously not an option for many boarding families because they live too far away.

Some bursars in over subscribed schools (few and far between these days) would be sceptical of a local family having accepted a boarding place and then very soon afterwards asking to change to day.

But it is not unusual for Armed Forces/Diplomatic Service/Ex pat families on home postings to do exactly this.

Should be absolutely no problem with doing it after GCSEs.

We don’t live in the UK now but we should be moving back next year. Hence the question. I think once I know which of the 4 schools we get accepted in I will take the discussion up before accepting a place. That way it’s fair for other applicants

A school I know well has a strict quotation of day pupils per year group. Once all those slots are gone then only in very exceptional circumstances can a boarder transfer to day status, only case I know of there was a bereavement which meant a military family returned home from an overseas posting nearly a year earlier than anticipated and the child wanted to live on base which was less than 5 miles from the school. Others have tried to transfer to day but been told no,the only option was to leave and choose another school.

So I see the best thing is to inform them before any offer is accepted correct?

If you have registered but not yet gone through the full assessment process, I would just contact Admissions and let them know you wish to change your application to a day place.

My earlier comment assumed that you were already holding an offer. If all you have done is registered, then the school will not care at all about changing your application. The later in the process you let them know, the less happy they are likely to be.

I would be honest with them and tell them now.

Depends on the school. At ours they make concessions academically for full and weekly boarders. Day places are harder to achieve. When you sign contracts there’s a clause that says you cannot switch to a day place unless agreed by the head.