School Visits

When making our regular visits to British boarding schools it is always a real pleasure to meet the students we have recommended to them. Recently Gina met two of our German students, Leo at Wells Cathedral School and Emil at Wycliffe College, both of whom had been at their new UK schools for about two weeks by then.

On her way south to the British Boarding Schools Workshop, at which she and Claire met representatives from 26 schools, Gina made site visits to two in beautiful Gloucestershire.

Now here are Neil’s findings from his day at Shiplake College.

Located in rural Oxfordshire, this British boarding school is only 5 miles from central Reading, which is itself 20 minutes by train from London and well connected to Heathrow airport. Set within a 47-acre campus, the main building is Skipwith House, a Victorian mansion built on the site of an earlier Elizabethan manor, which has a wood panelled dining hall reminiscent of Hogwarts.

Last but by no means least on this latest trip to visit British boarding schools was Dauntsey’s School, set in 150 acres of idyllic Wiltshire countryside near Bath between Devizes and Salisbury. There are around 850 pupils in total, with around 40% boarding and currently just 7% international. The school is academically ambitious and pupils are also encouraged to try new experiences.

Gina’s itinerary of British boarding school visits next took her further south to Warminster School, located in the small town of Warminster near Bath and Bristol, and just under 2 hours from London by train. The Senior School has around 424 pupils, of whom about 35% are currently boarding and around 25% are international. There is a great sense of community and family, and a lovely traditional feel.

Gina’s day visiting British boarding schools in England’s West Midlands concluded with Malvern College.

Set in a lovely location on the slopes of the Malvern Hills close to the town of Great Malvern and overlooking the Severn Valley, College has around 650 pupils, of whom approximately 80% board and around 50% are international.

Gina has been on the road visiting British boarding schools in England’s West Midlands and the southwest. First on her list was Bromsgrove School.

During the pandemic, when there were so many barriers to travel, virtual tours were a great substitute for a personal visit and they can still provide a valuable initial insight, but visiting a school in person is vital, if possible, to get that all-important “gut feel” and establish whether there is a true fit. Putting together itineraries for our clients to see a shortlist of schools is all part of the service, as is advice ahead of those visits.

Late last year, Neil visited Queen Margaret’s School (QM), an all-girls’ school in the village of Escrick, near York, offering the full 7-day-a-week boarding experience.

When Giggleswick School held an Open day for English boarding school consultants, it was Neil’s turn to represent Dickinson School Consulting. This genuine, 7-days-a-week boarding school is nestled in the village of Giggleswick, situated within the Yorkshire Dales National Park and not far from the Lake District. The school owns 200+ acres of this stunning countryside, with its own crag, perfect for rock-climbing.