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Private Boarding Schools

It is possible for a US student to travel to the UK without their parents and directly enroll in a private boarding school, or independent school. Please note it is not possible to directly enroll in a state (publicly-funded) school if the student is not resident in the UK.

Independent Schools

There are approximately 2,600 independent schools in the UK.  About half of these institutions participate in a voluntary accreditation program facilitated by the Independent Schools Council. To begin your search for school, you may wish to visit the Council’s website.

In order to be granted admission to an independent school, your child will need to be in good academic standing with a school in your own country. In addition, he/she may be asked to sit admission exams in the UK. In terms of tuition fees, parents should expect to pay a minimum of £8,000 per year and as much as £25,000.

For more information on independent schools, please refer to the British Council website.

Visas

UK students traveling with their families should enter the UK under the visa status of their parents. Most students are eligible if their parents have limited leave to enter or remain in the UK or are teachers coming to the UK with their children on a teacher exchange scheme.

Students planning to travel without their parents and attend a private boarding school should determine the appropriate visa required and apply to the nearest UK consular office. Though visa regulations are subject to change, it is likely your child will apply for a Child Visitor Visa or Student Visa. 

 

Our staff is not trained to answer specific enquiries related to visas in the UK. Detailed information about the visa requirements and application process for both categories can be found on the BritainUSA and UKVisas websites.

 

For further visa enquiries, you may wish to read the FAQs on the BritainUSA website or contact Worldbridge at +1 900 656 5000 ($3 per minute) or +1 212 796 5773 ($12 flat fee).  Please note Worldbridge staff may not provide information about a pending visa application.