Your child has expressed a wish to join boarding school and you want to help them find a best fit. The first thing you may want to do is find out why your child wants to go away to boarding school. Are they interested in better grades? Do they feel that they will be better able to focus in a boarding school environment? Is there something going on at home that they want to get away from? Knowing why your child wants to go away to boarding school can help you choose the best school for them.
Because the wish to join a boarding school has come from your child you should allow them to be involved in the process of choosing. Do they have any school in mind or would they like you to help them through the selection process? If they have a school in mind you should take the time to look at it together and draw up a list of pros and cons about that particular school. Come up with a short list of other good schools that you can afford and do the same – come up with pros and cons so that you can choose the best one together.
As you help your child choose a boarding school you may only be thinking about the academic side of things. So long as the school has many passing students year after year you may assume that it may be a good fit for your child. Academic performance is important but it isn’t the only factor to consider. Think about whether your child will fit in well with the culture and whether they will get the social stimulation that they need to be well adjusted adults.
Try the Cambridge Centre for Sixth Form Studies. It is a great place for any child who wants to get good grades and all needs – including emotional and social – are taken care of. See https://www.ccss.co.uk/boarding/ for more information.