Your parents’ decision to send you off to a secondary boarding school is a good one – you will no longer have to commute to and from your classes, and you will be able to better focus on your studies. Secondary boarding schools are great for those who are keen to join university because the best ones are known for excellent results. You may be worried about whether you will fit in and do well – you don’t have to be. So long as you are thoughtful about choosing your secondary boarding school you will be able to find one where you fit in. Here is what you ought to think about as you make your choice:
• Do you want to be a half boarder or a full one? If you are half boarder it means that you will be able to come home every Friday and leave late on Sunday afternoon or early on Monday morning for school. If you choose full boarding secondary school you will only be able to come home during half term.
• Think about what subjects you are interested in and what you would like to study in the future. Different schools have different curriculums and you want to go to one that offers subjects that you care about. Be careful not to choose subjects because your friends are also choosing the same, or to please an adult – choose what truly interests you and when you get to school make sure that you excel in it so that you can get a good grade.
• Make sure that the boarding facilities are adequate – you should visit the school in advance to see what the facilities look like.
As you look at schools you should check the Cambridge Centre for Sixth Form Studies – they are one of the best schools for secondary students. You can learn more on https://www.ccss.co.uk/boarding/.