With boarding school estimated to cost half a million pounds over the course of a child's education,many parents are put off by thewhole idea.
Some of the most well-known institutions include Marlborough College, which costs £39,930 per year; Benendenat £40,848; and Eton, costing £44,094.
However, remortgaging the family home may not actually be necessary.It is truethat boardingwill never becheap but consider these value boarding schools, all of which costunder £35,000 a year.
Best value boarding schools
Stewart's Melville College, Edinburgh
Annual fees for full boarding: £26,163
This schoolcaters foraround 785boys between the ages of 12 and 18,with just a handfulof full boarders.Exam results are strong, with 82per cent of Highers and 68per cent of Advanced Highers awarded an A in 2021.
Learning support is offered both in and outsidethe classroom, with students encouraged to seek teachers' help at lunchtime"drop-in centres".Sport plays a huge part in school life - notablyRugby Union, field hockey, curling, athletics, cricket and tennis.
There's alsoa 25-metre swimming pool on site,and a strong emphasis onthe performing arts. More than 60 per cent ofstudents go on to university acrossScottish, English, Irish, European and American institutions.
Mount Kelly, Devon
Annual fees for full boarding: £32,970
Situated on the edge of Dartmoor National Park in the small market town of Tavistock,this schoolwas formed in June 2014froma merger betweenthe prestigious West Countryindependent schools Kelly College and Mount House School.It takes in350pupils, many of whom arefull boarders.
In 2021,47 per centof GCSE grades wereA*/A (9-7) and 54 per centof pupils gaining A*/A grades at A-level.Class sizes are small,and becomeevensmaller towardsA-level.The school is renowned for swimmingandprides itself ona 50-metrepool.
Nearly allthestudents end up going to university, with the occasional few going to Oxbridge.
Wychwood School, Oxfordshire
Annual fees for full boarding:£32,100
There are places here for110 girls between the ages of 11 and 18, including 20 full boarders.The school prides itself on its pastoral care,and pupils benefitfrom small class sizes.
In 2021, 68per cent of grades achieved at GCSE were A*/A (9-7) and 69.7 per cent of A-level results were gradedA*/A.
Activitiesinclude a school orchestra and choir, and the chance to perform inplaysdirected by the girls themselves.
Among theon-site facilitiesaretennis, basketball and badminton courts.In 2020, one student went to Cambridge to read natural sciences with 86 per cent of students over the last five years going to their first-choice university. Other destinations included Oxford Brookes, Surrey and Birmingham City.
Christ College, Brecon
Annual fees for full boarding: From £31,110
Founded by Royal Charter in1541 byHenry VIII,thisis one of the oldest schools in the UK.It'scurrently home to around 400boys and girls between the ages of seven and 18, including more than 170 full boarders.
Over the past three years at A-level, 47 per centof grades were A*/A and 91 per cent atgrade A to C. Over the same period 46 per cent of GCSE results were grades A*/A (9-7).
According to the Good Schools Guide, rugby is the number onesporthere, withfootball, netball, cricket and hockey also played.
In addition,there'sa lively music and drama department. Destinations after sixth form included Cardiff, Exeter, Bath, Swansea, Liverpool and Reading universities.
St Catherine's, Bramley
Annual fees for full boarding: £32,865
Located tenminutes south of Guildford, Surrey,the schoolcurrentlyhostsjust over 650 girlsaged between the ages of 11 and 18, including around 90boarders.
In 2021,85per cent of A-levels were graded as A*/A and91 per cent were given A*/A (9-7) at GCSE (both were sets of results were Teacher Assessed Grades due to coronavirus).
Photography is especially stronghere, butceramics, design technology and life-drawingare alsoproving popular. Sports facilities are excellent,andpupils competeat county and national level in several sports.
The vast majority go on to top universities-includingExeter, Cardiff, Birmingham, Leeds, Warwick and UCL.
Campbell College, Antrim
Annual fees for full boarding: £16,760
Occupying a 100-acre estate in Belfast close to the Parliament Buildings at Stormont, Campbell Collegegrounds are home toa small lake and a forestnamedNetherleigh.
There are around 1,200 (age 3 to 18)students,including around 150boarders,some of whom are members ofthe Combined Cadet Force.
In 2021, 14 students had a full run of A/A* grades at A-level and 39 per cent of all grades were A*/A (9-7) at GCSE.
The school has a strong rugby record,having wonthe Ulster Schools Cup 24times.Around half of school leavers go to Russell Group universities, with Queen's University, Belfast, proving the most popular, followed by the University of Ulster.
Queen Mary's School, Thirsk
Annual fees for full boarding: £27,465
A total of 200pupils between the ages of two to 16attendthisYorkshire-based school.In 2021, almost 40 per centof GCSE entries were awarded the most outstanding grades 8-9, the equivalent of an A* or A**.
Despite its small size, the school offers a wide range of subjects, including German, Spanish, French, Latin, classical civilisation, physical education and further maths. Classes are small, with an average of ten pupils and a maximum of 16.
Unusually, the schoolhas its own equestrian centre -its pupils came top at the 2016 national schools showjumping championship. Pupils also competeat regional level in netball, tennis, rounders and athletics.The music department is strong, too: one pupil made itto the finals of theBBC chorister of the year competition.
Loughborough Grammar School
Annual fees for full boarding: £34,485
There are970 boys between the ages of ten and 18, including around 60 full boarders.
Academic results are very good, and in 2021, 72 per cent of A-level results were A*/A and almost three quarters of GCSE results were A*/A (9-7).
The school prides itself on its Design Technology department, which produced UK Young Engineer of the Year winners for 2017. Rugby is the dominant sport, with hockey, cricket, football, cross-country and athletics also popular.
Pupils can join any ofseveralorchestras, bands and choirs,most of which are sharedwith the girls' schools in the Loughborough Endowed Schools foundation.Most of the boys go on to university - including to Oxbridge.
Truro High School, Cornwall
Annual fees for full boarding: £30,414
With just 250girls-including around 45 full boarders - thisis the smallest of the top ten.Class sizes are small, with some A-levels taught one-to-one. In 2021, A-level results were impressive, with 74 per cent graded A*-A and at GCSE,67 per cent were graded A*-A (9-7).
A strong emphasis is placed on STEM subjects such asmaths and physics, and all girls are expected to take separate sciences at GCSE.Facilities include a 25-metre heated indoor swimming pool, a full-sized AstroTurf, a playing field,two netball/tennis courts and an athletics area.
Music is encouraged,andmost girlslearnan instrument.There's alsoa 120-strong choir and a 60-strong orchestra. Recent school leavers have gone to study at Imperial, Exeter, Bristol andManchester.
Kimbolton School, Cambridgeshire
Annual fees for full boarding: £28,560
Located in the smallvillage of Kimbolton, Cambridgeshire,this school caters for around 980boys and girlsbetween the ages of fourand 18.
There are currentlyonly47boarders, with around half from overseas.In 2021, 72 per cent of grades were A*-A (9-7) at GCSE. At A-level, 69 per cent of grades were A*-A, with 88 per cent A*-B.
Classes aresmall, with an average of 17pupilsintheprep school, 21 in the senior school and seven in sixth form.
A strong emphasis is placed on sport, with football and hockey among the most popular on offer.Mostpupilsgo on to university -including Oxbridge.
State boarding schools
You might also consider one of the many state boarding schools across Britain. Some are reserved for Forces families, but most are not, and there are more than 5,000 pupil places available.
While there are not fees for tuition, boarding costs between £10,000-£16,000 each year. The Good Schools Guide has a good overview of these here.
