By A. Chen

Quoting from iE

Whether it’s international students coming to study in the UK, there is something the UK offers in education that is attracting more and more people, but what is it?

 “We first looked for a British boarding school for Johnny’s sister Kira, who is six years older, and it was a natural decision for him to follow her there,” Doran explains. “I felt that a school abroad would benefit their education, expand their ability to adapt to new environments, provide more opportunities for activities and travel, and offer the experience of meeting new people from all around the world. 

“Boarding schools in England have a good reputation among parents here, particularly for their international perspective, the GCSE and IB/A-level pathway and academic results. Our daughter really wanted to go to England, so she and my husband visited three shortlisted schools and eventually chose Felsted for its proximity to London and comfortable co-ed campus as well as the chance to study the IB, take part in activities and engage in charity projects.”

Worth traveling for

Doran’s reasons for flying her children halfway around the globe for a British education are familiar to Gemma Kilby, international admissions registrar at Felsted, which counts members of 27 countries among its student body.

“Parents based overseas often tell me that they have chosen a British education for their children in order to give them the best education available with a global outlook and to prepare them for entry to top universities in the UK, US and Europe,” says Kilby. “Also important is a commitment to student wellbeing, which of course parents are concerned about when they are so far away from their children.”

International student body

These days, around 20% of students at many British boarding schools are likely to be non-UK residents, but international admissions to British schools are nothing new. Sevenoaks was one of the first schools in the UK to open its doors to students from other countries and, back in the 1970s, was an early adopter of the IB – perennially popular with non-UK parents who want to keep their children’s options open when it comes to university choices.

“We have 48 different nationalities at Sevenoaks, which means a dynamic and diverse student base,” says Arabella Stuart, the school’s director of admissions. “An international outlook promotes the principles of tolerance and open-mindedness and prepares students for success in a complex world.”

A rich experience

 “The best UK schools offer great academic success, as well as giving children a rich experience outside the classroom in sport, in the arts and in leadership activities,” she says. “Chinese and Thai parents are principally motivated by language – they see fluent English as a major advantage for their future lives and careers – and achieving globally recognised qualifications (IGCSE, A-level, IB), which combine with the connections of the schools themselves to provide reliable pathways to leading universities in the US, UK and worldwide,” she says.

“They also look to British brand schools for their heritage and reputation for high-quality education, both in terms of academic excellence and developing the whole child.”

 “British education is quite rightly perceived as the gold standard globally, and we delight in playing our part in developing outstanding schools around the world,” says Shrewsbury School’s international development director, Maghin Tamilarasan.

“The attraction to both local families and expatriates is clear – our international schools have become recognised for the highest levels of academic achievement, excellence in sport, creative and performing arts, and a wide variety of co-curricular opportunities that the Shrewsbury name is synonymous with. All this while preparing pupils for the modern world in the comfort of their local environment.”

The same reasons seem to pop up again and again for why a British education is renowned. The chance to achieve strong academic results, study the IB, gain a global outlook, prepare for top universities and receive a rounded education with activities and travel. On top of that, student wellbeing is increasingly being treated as a top priority, making British independent schools in the UK continue to be some of the most outstanding schools across the world.