Overseas Options

Boarding schools have traditionally provided excellent curricula, top connections and a bright future for students. Liz Heron examines a few of the numerous choices available

cross the english-speaking world, independent boarding schools have served for centuries as a launching pad for top universities and highflying careers. Aside from the lifelong connections, boarding schools are also renowned for academic excellence in nurturing the next generation of leaders.

Britain remains the top choice for Hong Kong families sending their children to boarding school overseas, according to Steve Corry, the British Council’s regional business development manager. With a pattern set during colonial times, Hongkongers are also the biggest group of international students at independent schools in the UK, although Mainland Chinese students are quickly catching up. Together, they compose 37 per cent of the total.

Typically single-sex, the traditional British public school combines academic rigour with sport, arts and a strong extra-curricular programme based around the “house system” of pastoral care. But the sector has undergone significant change in the past 20 years and boarding schools are now more varied. Some schools have gone co-educational, while others offer day school and weekly boarding options.

Many leading boarding schools in the UK have introduced the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma or the Cambridge Pre-u examination alongside or in place of the A-levels, with all three exams recognised for university entrance. John Ing, director of placement agency Quintessentially Education, says key differences between the exams include extra grade levels in the IB Diploma and Pre U for outstanding achievers to distinguish themselves from other students.

Meanwhile, US boarding schools (known as “preparatory schools”), with their strong liberal arts traditions, are hot on the UK’S heels. These schools are often focused on giving students an edge in applying to Ivy League and other top US universities, such as Stanford and MIT. Their distinctive offerings typically include outstanding facilities, a diverse student body, wide-ranging sports and arts provisions, and an emphasis on student-led discussion and creative problem-solving.