News

UK Boarding school advice and news

Students in classroom

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.

Read More
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…

Read More
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…

Read More
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…

Read More
Approved Agent of British Boarding School Network header image

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…

Read More
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…

Read More
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,…

Read More

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.

Read More
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…

Read More
Load More

Latest posts

Learn more

Categories

[categories orderby='name' title_li ="" style='none']

Repton Prep and Repton School, Derbyshire

28 May 2026 Comments are Disabled

We recently spent a really useful morning visiting both Repton Prep and Repton School in Derbyshire, giving us a chance to see the full Repton journey from the early years through to Sixth Form. Repton Prep Repton Prep, for children aged 3 to 13, has a lovely sense of space […]

Read More

Month of the Military Child

14 April 2026 Comments are Disabled

The Month of the Military Child takes place each April, recognising the experiences of children growing up in Armed Forces families. Through our work, and our own experience as Army families, we have spent time with many children and young people growing up in these communities. Their lives are often […]

Read More

A busy and rewarding start to the year so far

7 April 2026 Comments are Disabled

It has been a busy and rewarding start to the year for us at Claire Calder Consultancy, with time spent visiting a wide range of UK boarding schools and strengthening our relationships with the people behind them. Time at the British Boarding School Workshop One of the highlights was attending […]

Read More

How Summer Schools Can Prepare Pupils for UK Education and University Life

9 February 2026 Comments are Disabled

For many families, summer school begins as a simple idea: keeping learning going, building confidence, trying something new. Increasingly, however, parents are asking a bigger question. Can summer school genuinely help prepare a child for UK boarding school or even for university later on? Many families arrive at the idea […]

Read More

A Visit to King’s Bruton — Reflections on a Small School with Big Ambition

8 January 2026 Comments are Disabled

Welcome and First Impressions King’s Bruton is a co-educational day and boarding school set in the heart of Bruton and surrounded by rolling Somerset countryside. Before half-term, we had the pleasure of visiting the school, and from the outset the atmosphere felt warm and purposeful, with a strong sense of […]

Read More