Boarding school consultants for UK school choices

Every family is different. Some might be committed to boarding education and need help choosing between schools. Others might still be deciding whether boarding is the right path for their child.

Our role is to provide expert, independent guidance and help families make informed decisions with confidence. 

Typically we will: 

• Arrange an initial consultation to understand your child, your priorities and your concerns

• Explain how admissions work for boarding schools, including timelines and key entry points

• Compile a shortlist of schools, including independent and state boarding schools

• Introduce you to schools likely to suit your child's personality and profile

• Advise and support with applications, assessments, interviews and key deadlines

• Provide insight into school culture, pastoral care and suitability

• Help families navigate conversations and relationships with schools

• Advise on boarding styles, routines and how children adapt to boarding life

• Discuss factors such as SEN support, homesickness, confidence and emotional readiness for boarding

Many families continue to work with us throughout their children's educational journey, from boarding prep schools through to senior school and sixth form decisions. 

When we launched the first edition of The Good Schools Guide in 1986, we quickly realised that many parents needed more than school reviews. 

When families are considering boarding school they have lots of questions, some of which might be: 

• How can I tell whether my child will be happy at a boarding school? 

• What happens if my child is homesick? 

• How can I tell whether the pastoral care in a school is strong? 

• How do we go about searching for the right boarding school for my child? 

• What are the important things to look for in a boarding school, and are they different from what to look for in a day school?

Nearly forty years later, families are still asking us the same questions. 

Our consultancy service was founded in response to parents who wanted answers to questions like these and, for almost four decades, we have supported families making important decisions about boarding education. 

We know the schools, understand boarding life, and have a deep understanding of the different environments schools create for children. Most importantly, we understand that successful boarding is not about finding the most prestigious school — it is about finding the school where a particular child will feel secure, supported and able to thrive. 

Our boarding school consultants, all parents themselves, are specialists in UK boarding schools, with extensive experience advising families on finding the right school for their child. All our consultants also write our reviews and they bring first-hand knowledge and insight to all aspects of boarding school life, from the dormitories and dining room to the theatre and playing fields. 

Whether supporting with the admissions process, introducing you to schools, helping make a decision about your choice of schools, considering the move from day to boarding, or identifying the right senior school environment, our consultants provide practical guidance based on decades of experience and first-hand knowledge of schools across the UK. 

Our purpose is to help families find boarding schools where children will thrive academically, socially and emotionally, considering their individual strengths, interests and long-term goals. 

We understand that the decision about whether a child should go to boarding school is based on much more than academic outcomes. Factors parents will want to take into account include what opportunities there are to foster their child's interests and talents outside the classroom, the character and ethos of the school which would include the history, the location, campus and facilities as well as other parents, the head and the staff. There are often concerns about confidence, SEN support, friendship groups, as well as homesickness and anxiety. Your child is central to the consultancy process and we work closely with families to understand where they are most likely to be happy.

We provide: 

• Totally unbiased, independent advice without any influence from schools or any other third party — we don’t receive any payment or commission from schools 

• In depth expertise and understanding of UK boarding schools (both state and private) 

• First-hand knowledge of boarding school life 

• Advice focused on long-term pathways as well as urgent school placements 

• Discreet, family-focused consultancy