Overseas parents getting on board with educating children in UK

‘There is no doubt international eyes are watching our Covid exit strategy very closely’

BRITAIN is experiencing a boardingschool boom after the success of the vaccine programme left overseas parents racing to get their children enrolled.

Several schools reported a huge surge in interest in recent months, in a welcome boost to the sector, which had seen international pupil numbers plummet as travel restrictions were imposed due to the pandemic.

Kilgraston School, in Perthshire, reported a 75 per cent increase in boarding inquiries, around half of which had come from overseas.

“Increasingly, I am being quoted the positive, worldwide perception of the UK’s vaccine-handling and quarantine system as a reason to look at boarding in Britain,” Dorothy MacGinty, the head teacher at the girls’ school, said.

“Pupils from South America frequently look to the US and Canada for boarding provision; however, again, those countries have not been as nimble with their vaccination rollout, having a knock-on effect to the perception of safety.

“There is no doubt international eyes are watching our Covid exit strategy very closely. I would say that there is definitely a feeling of Britain having hung out the ‘open for business’ sign.”

Last year, British boarding schools saw international enrolments fall substantially, with parents concerned that their children could become stranded abroad.

The Independent Schools Council said numbers of non-British pupils with parents overseas – most of whom are boarders – plunged by a fifth last year. However, several schools said the enrolments had bounced back, with the UK’s vaccination success a crucial factor.

The Royal Russell School, in south

London, said it had seen a 15 per cent rise in boarding pupils joining from the forthcoming September, compared with before the pandemic hit.

Victoria Deadman Gatt, the director of external relations at the school, said: “We feel this is being driven both by confidence in the UK’s vaccination programme and also by parents’ desire for their children to have a fully immersive educational experience having been locked down for the best part of 14 months.”

Alice Rose, the founder of Talk

Education, the British guide to private schools around the world, said: “Many schools are telling us that they are seeing increased interest from families overseas. There is no doubt that the successful rollout has had a positive effect – as has schools’ excellent provision of online learning during lockdown.

“Whilst some independent schools are still providing online lessons for pupils who are unwilling or unable to travel, the consensus is that international pupils are keen to come to UK independent schools.”