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UK Boarding school advice and news

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Your questions answered: The ISEB Common Pre-Test

30 November 2023

The Common Pre-Test are online age-standardised tests taken in Years 6 or 7 (when a child is aged between 10 and 12) and are used to assess pupils’ potential and attainment before they take the Common Entrance exam in Year 8.

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Pupils at Box Hill School, Surrey

Thinking of Applying for a Boarding School? Don’t Leave it too Late!

28 November 2023

Senior schools’ admissions process Years ago, the switch from prep school to senior school was relatively simple. Parents would choose a boarding school for their child, register and then the child would sit Common Entrance at the end of prep school (Year 8). If they passed, they were in. Today the senior schools’ admissions process is very different and increasingly over the last decade fewer and fewer schools are using Common Entrance alone as the entrance test. Top photo and above: Box Hill School, Surrey Senior school entry requirements vary considerably, and all have admission procedures that need to be…

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Girls at boarding school in dormitory

Homesickness at Boarding School

21 September 2023

UK Boarding schools provide an amazing all-round education with a strong emphasis on holistic development. As a parent, it is one of the best decisions you can make for your child. No matter how convinced you are of this, it is a heart-wrenching experience to hear they’re homesick. Receiving tearful phone calls and miserable emails from your child, having just started boarding school for the first time. I know because I have been one of those parents. Homesickness is a very human emotion and is tough on both pupil and parent. It can affect any pupil at any time in…

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Armed Forces Covenant-Pledge header image

Our Armed Forces Covenant Pledge

15 September 2023

We are extremely proud to announce that Claire Calder Consultancy Ltd have signed the Armed Forces Covenant. The Armed Forces Covenant is a national pledge to treat our veterans and military families with fairness and respect. Any organisation in the UK can pledge their support. As military spouses ourselves, it means so much to us to be able to support our service families. As parents of boarding school children, we understand the decisions you may currently be considering for your child. Between us we have lost count of the times we have moved house as well as overseas postings to…

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Announcing that we’re now a British Boarding Schools Network Approved Agent

14 September 2023

We are very proud to announce that Claire Calder Consultancy has been given Approved Agent status and has gained membership of the British Boarding Schools Network (BBSN). It is an honour to be recognised and to be joining a renowned network of international educational consultants working in partnership with the best UK Boarding schools. Being an Approved Agent member of the BBSN means we have satisfied the strict quality assurance standards set out by the BBSN. It is a mark of excellence and recognises our professionalism, credibility and endorses the valuable work that we do as well as giving schools…

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Boarding School Open Days

Boarding School Open Days are on the horizon

23 August 2023

Open Day season is nearly upon us and now is the perfect time to start preparing and planning for your child’s next step in their education. Reading a school prospectus or looking at a website can only give you so much information. Visiting a school is vitally important and so Open Days are an excellent starting point if you are considering a boarding school for your child. All independent schools across the UK will have their Open Days coming up between mid-September and mid-November and now is the time to register to secure your spot. Attending an Open Day gives…

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Shrivenham Welcome Coffee Morning august 2 leaflet

Shrivenham Welcome Coffee Morning

23 August 2023

Claire Calder will be at the Shrivenham Station Welcome Coffee Morning on 30th August. Pop along for a cup of coffee and a chat with Claire about the very best boarding options available for your children. Claire has been helping families with their boarding school choices for several years. As an army wife and mother of two boarding school children and several overseas postings, she has a wealth of personal experience for those either looking to embark on their boarding school journey or for those who are wondering if it’ll work for them. Academics, boarding provision, pastoral care, specialist sports,…

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Siblings. Does one school fit all?

25 May 2023

Choosing a senior boarding school for your children is a major decision. Ultimately, it is the platform for their future, and you are entrusting that school with your child’s academic and social development.

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Combined Cadet Force cadets

Come adventuring with the Combined Cadet Force

17 October 2022

The Combined Cadet Force (CCF) is a much-loved part of boarding school life for many of our Forces children. Over 500 independent UK secondary schools have a CCF unit your child can join. It gives them the opportunity to learn things that aren’t part of the school curriculum. They get a unique chance to develop the skills, teamwork and leadership qualities that we’re so proud to see in our Armed Services personnel. Find out more about CCF at UK boarding schools The CCF’s stated aim is “to enable the development of personal responsibility, leadership and self-discipline.” And they do this…

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Young boarders relaxing together in their boarding house

Starting Boarding School: How to Help Your Child Prepare

8 July 2026 Comments are Disabled

Starting boarding school is an exciting step, but it can also feel like a very big one — particularly for parents. Both my own daughters started boarding at eight, so I do understand that mixture of excitement and worry. My youngest has just come to the end of senior school […]

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Sevenoaks School

Sevenoaks School: ambition, independence and a truly international outlook

3 July 2026 Comments are Disabled

Our Visit to Sevenoaks School We were delighted to visit Sevenoaks School recently, a leading co-educational day and boarding school in Kent for pupils aged 11 to 18. Founded in 1432, Sevenoaks has an extraordinary history, but this is certainly not a school resting on its past. What struck us […]

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Tonbridge School: tradition, ambition and an exciting next chapter

2 July 2026 Comments are Disabled

We were delighted to visit Tonbridge School recently, one of the UK’s best-known boys’ day and boarding schools. Set within 150 acres in Kent, Tonbridge has all the history and presence you would expect from a school founded in 1553. However, what struck us most was not simply its reputation, […]

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Children at S. Anselm’s Prep School in Bakewell

Our Visit to S. Anselm’s Prep School in Bakewell

22 June 2026 Comments are Disabled

Continuing our Derbyshire school visits, our final stop in the county took us to S. Anselm’s Preparatory School in Bakewell. A huge thank you to Caroline Hamilton, Nicky Webster and Peter Cook, Head, for welcoming us so warmly and giving up so much of their time. A prep school in […]

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Pupils enjoying boarding school life together

The Real Benefits of Boarding

19 June 2026 Comments are Disabled

When families first begin thinking about boarding school, it is very natural to focus on the worries. Will my child settle?Will they be happy?What happens if they are homesick?Will we still feel close as a family? These are exactly the sort of questions parents should be asking. But when boarding […]

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Denstone College

16 June 2026 Comments are Disabled

Denstone College is a co-educational day and boarding school for pupils aged 4 to 18. It is set in beautiful rural grounds on the Staffordshire and Derbyshire border. We recently had the pleasure of visiting Denstone College, where Juliette Sheldon and Head, Lotte Tulloch, gave us the warmest of welcomes. […]

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Frewen College, East Sussex

16 June 2026 Comments are Disabled

A specialist day and boarding school for pupils with dyslexia and co-occurring Specific Learning Difficulties Linda recently visited Frewen College, a specialist day and boarding school in East Sussex, and it is easy to see why this is such a memorable place. Frewen is an independent co-educational school for pupils […]

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Ryde School with Upper Chine, a distinctive Isle of Wight boarding school visited by Claire Calder Consultancy.

Ryde School with Upper Chine: a distinctive Isle of Wight boarding option

9 June 2026 Comments are Disabled

We were delighted to visit Ryde School with Upper Chine on the Isle of Wight last week. Ryde School boarding was especially useful for us to understand, alongside the school’s art, sailing, performing arts and distinctive island setting. Ryde was a particularly helpful school to see first-hand, not least because […]

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Canford School visit in Dorset

Canford School Visit, Dorset

5 June 2026 Comments are Disabled

It was lovely to be back at Canford School in Dorset, a school we have visited before, but one we are always delighted to return to. A warm welcome back Linda and I were made so welcome by Chris Wheeler, Head, Cesca Burney, Head of Admissions, and Claire Vandvik, who […]

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School fairs and boarding school visits

Are school fairs and exhibitions a good way to choose a boarding school?

28 May 2026 Comments are Disabled

Written by Linda Lloyd-Jones, Senior Consultant at Claire Calder Consultancy School fairs can be a useful introduction for families beginning their boarding school search. They bring a number of schools together in one place, give parents the chance to ask initial questions, and can be particularly helpful for those living […]

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