is it too late to apply?

[Vanillabanana]

thinking for applying to boarding schools for dd. I feel like I may have left things too late. We have been living abroad since 2024 and they are about to go into year 8 in an international school but the education here just isn’t the same standard as what they’d get in a U.K. school and I’m worried.

they would be very ill prepared for any verbal reasoning tests etc and I’ve been looking and most schools seem to expect these tests/iseb and it also appears I’ve missed so many deadlines.

does anyone know any schools that might help us? I’m so stressed out I feel like I’m drowning with work and trying to squeeze these applications in between everything else and an unhappy dc as well. I also believe my dc would be happier returning to the U.K.

are you eligible for state boarding schools? I think they still have some spaces and no VAT on their fees www.goodschoolsguide.co.uk/uk-schools/advice/state-boarding-schools

Thanks to all of you - you have been so kind helping me understand "full boarding" versus TRUE "full boarding." We have narrowed our choices down to Radley, Marlborough and Cheltenham College. DC has been accepted to all three. One of the big draws for Cheltenham is that he could come home every weekend after Saturday sports. I believe Radley is very much strict full boarding - no leaving except exeats, holidays and special circumstances like family funerals, so it is the least appealing. I got the impression that Marlborough is becoming less strict about weekends but it's hard to tell.

I believe my DC would very much enjoy full boarding but I would be more comfortable if the first year or two, I could have him home more weekends just to keep tabs on how the transition is going.

Chelt coll sounds like a great shout then! Glad you’ve found a school!

Have you considered Eastbourne College? It is a wonderful school, excellent pastoral care, facilities etc and no entrance tests. Good luck.

That is amazing to get offers from those three schools within 5 days of you considering them at such a late stage if I am reading this correctly.

Hope it all works out.

I think you may be getting posts by the OP and by a PP conflated, unless I am the one getting posts mixed up.

Getting any offers in five days would be impressive!

@tachetastic you are quite right - I need to read more carefully!

I'm afraid I am not the OP; I joined in the conversation late. My interest was piqued when one mum wrote that many "full boarding" schools are no longer so strict on keeping everyone in school on weekends as they used to be. It seems that this varies from school to school. Not being from the UK, I don't have a clear sense of which schools are more lax and which continue to insist on weekends in.

Thank you, we have not yet decided on our school. We all think Marlborough College is in most ways the best fit for DC but are trying to understand how strict is the "staying in school each weekend" policy. I think they said something about children being allowed 6 additional weekends away through the school year, which works out to 2 additional weekends at home/ term.

If they have a limit on the number of weekends home I imagine they will apply it strictly though I have no DCs at Marlborough.

Remember that the Spring and Summer terms at boarding schools are typically pretty short and once you take into account exeats DCs are usually only away for one or two weekends in a row anyway. Autumn term is longer which also comes straight after the long summer holiday and coincides with longer nights and so is something of a perfect storm for homesickness. That is when I imagine those extra visits home will be welcome.

@Vanillabanana - if your DD is sporty and into maths then it would be worth a chat with Christs Hospital - they have the Royal Maths School and quite a lot of international students studying maths. Their sports facilities are amazing so as a compromise between the excellent sports and low academics of Millfield and the high academics of say Wycombe Abbey or St Swithins it would be worth a look. They are very much a full boarding school which allows international pupils to stay over exeats if that is helpful. They also have their own railway station 3 stops down the line from Gatwick airport so getting there from abroad is easy.

Your DD would have to buy into the uniform though.

It’s definitely not too late. Lots of schools still take applications outside the usual cycle, especially if they have spaces for Year 8 entry or mid-year places. Some will be more flexible if you explain you’ve been abroad and that your child hasn’t had the same prep as others.
A good first step is to contact admissions directly rather than relying only on deadlines listed online. They can often arrange assessments that aren’t full-on ISEB tests or suggest a taster day. Many schools are used to international families returning and will look at the whole picture, not just test scores.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed, it might help to draw up a shortlist of schools that fit your location and budget, then send quick emails explaining your situation. You’d be surprised how responsive some registrars are when you’re honest about your child’s needs and timing.
Your dc isn’t the only one in this position, and schools usually want to help rather than shut doors.