Boarding

01   Why board?

Do you have at least one school aged child? Have you moved house a number of times recently and is changing school becoming a bit of an issue for your child? Are you considering boarding school to provide a stable education for them?

From the academic year of your child’s 8th birthday, there is an option for soldiers to consider applying for an allowance to help with boarding school fees. This allowance is called the Continuity of Education Allowance (CEA).

Regulations state that if the soldier wants to claim this allowance, your family must:

• remain living together
• be likely to move in the next four years
• agree that, having chosen a school, your child will stay there until the end of their education stage

Your initial considerations should include:

• Do I think that my child will like boarding school?
• Are we mobile? – You’ll have to show past mobility and the future likelihood of posting away from where you currently are
• Are we thinking about buying a home to live in, or moving back to one we already have? – In order to show mobility and accompanied Service, you would not be able to stay there unless it fits the eligibility criteria
• Where in the country is a good place for us where there is wider family support and good road, train and airport links? – Consider matches, concerts and parents evenings, as well as making the journey easier if you live overseas
• Do I have any friends who send their children to boarding school that I could ask about this?
• What about our other children who are not boarding; how will moving affect them? – You will have to move if your solider is posted no matter that you may have another child that you don’t wish to move and maybe isn’t old enough to board yet
• Can we afford it? – State boarding schools are considerably cheaper as, unlike at independent schools, you don’t pay for the teaching

02   The hidden costs of boarding school

If you’re thinking of sending your child to boarding school and applying for the Continuity of Education Allowance (CEA), budgeting and finances will likely be high up your agenda.

From termly school fees ranging from £4,000-£11,000 – of which you’ll usually need to find 10% – to uniform costs, sports and extra-curricular activities; you may think you’ve included every eventuality in your eye-watering final figure.

But there can be hidden costs, and your wallet will thank you for getting to grips with them from the start.

Do your research

The most important thing is ensuring the school you choose offers value for money.

Some schools state their fees and very little is added to the extras bill; others will charge for every piece of stationery. Some may offer discounts for siblings, Armed Forces discounts and bursaries.

Above all, we recommend researching what different schools offer before signing on that dotted line. Here are some items to consider when budgeting.

• Extras bill for trips, stationery, matron’s account school shop, weekend activities and in some cases milk and toothpaste!
• Kit such as suitcases, tuckboxes, plastic boxes, lamp, padlocks, school bag.
• Kit insurance.
• Music tuition.
• Phone plus contract/top-ups.
• Public exam fees (for independent schools).
• Termly, and usually compulsory, subscription for old boys/girls’ association.
• Private health insurance.
• Travel and fuel costs.
• Initial deposit paid before your child starts.
• Special educational needs or educational psychologists’ reports (if required).
• These extras will typically add 5-15% to your average termly bill.

Planning ahead

If boarding school is on your family’s horizon, you may be building up to that first day. However, some schools may ask you to sign up for several terms in advance.

If your child becomes unhappy, or your circumstances change significantly, you may be liable for the outstanding fees, even if you have permission from the MOD to withdraw your child.

Ensure you read the school contract that you have with your school carefully so that you understand the T&Cs.

Lightening the load

So, what can you do to ensure your budget doesn’t spiral out of control? Here are our top tips for reigning in the extras…

• Sports: mainstream sports, such as swimming, athletics and team games, are usually free. One-on-one sports with individual tuition are often an extra.
• Music: learning an instrument can be costly but singing in choirs is free.
• Scholarships: if your child is sporty/musical/artistic, a scholarship could meet the cost of individual tuition.
• Insurance: check you’re not paying twice, for example, for medical insurance that duplicates your existing family cover.
• Uniform: many schools sell second-hand uniform.
• Choose wisely: subjects such as theatre studies may involve frequent outings to shows.
• Set limits: try a termly pocket-money allowance rather than putting everything ‘on the slate’.
• Check your bill: schools sometimes make mistakes and should rectify these.
• Be informed: ask questions and read the small print.

Find out more

Want to know more about managing your Service child’s education? Visit our dedicated education pages, or contact our Education & Childcare team on educationsupport@aff.org.uk

03   The Education Advisory Team (EAT) (UK)

The Education Advisory Team (EAT) (UK) gives advice, information and support on all aspects of your child’s education, including boarding school.

It holds the Accredited Schools Database (ASD), a list of schools for which CEA is admissible. To claim this allowance, the school you choose must be on this list.

This database now includes more detail about the schools, including latest inspection reports, boarding capacity, fees and discounts to Service families in receipt of CEA. Families can also use filters to identify suitable schools. The information provided is for guidance only and all Service personnel should verify the details with the school prior to accepting a boarding offer. You can request access to the database by emailing RC-DCS-HQ-EAT@mod.gov.uk

04   State boarding schools (SBS)

Whether or not you have a school in mind yet, the following may help you make an informed choice about your child’s school.

• The majority of SBS are in England. Information about them can be found on the Boarding Schools’ Association website and it has a Parent’s Guide to State Boarding Schools. Please be aware that not all SBS offer boarding to children still in their Primary phase of education.
• Some are academic (grammar schools) and some are themed academies or tech colleges. Lots are graded outstanding by Ofsted, but investment in boarding facilities varies.
• Your child will need to hold a full British or EU passport.
• Application deadlines for boarding places vary from school to school. Some use the normal October admissions round the year before entry, with places offered on National Offer Day in March. Others are more flexible. An independent school may offer a place immediately and this may suit you better for planning purposes as a mobile family.
• Always have a plan B.
• If you’re looking for a Year 9 place because it’s the end of prep school, then contact the school to find out if there are places available. The number of places available is often published on schools websites; however, be warned this can be as little as four.
• There will be an exam to pass for grammar SBS. Contact the school if you think you are moving to the area and would like to apply.
• Thinking ahead? It’s very important to check that you can swap from a boarding place to a day place in the future if needed as most specify that this is not possible due to boarding place and day place quotas.
• SBS often have no formal school at weekends, although activities are offered by most and include sports.
• Holidays are shorter than independent schools so if posted abroad, you may see your children less, but if living fairly near, you may see them more as weekly boarders.
• You will only pay for the boarding part as the teaching is free. Note that if you claim the full amount of CEA, it’s not possible to claim for any further costs.
• Free schools and academies are run by a Board of Governors which is accountable to the charitable trust overseeing the school. The school will also be accountable to the Department for Education through its funding agreement. Others are maintained by the local authority.

Got a question? Email us at educationsupport@aff.org.uk

05   Independent boarding schools

The HIVE is a good place to go for boarding school brochures and other info.

There is a good-schools guide, as well as various independent companies who will offer specific schools tailored to your wishes. These companies may not charge you for their services, but they may charge the schools for inclusion – remember, there may be other schools that fit your criteria who choose not to participate.

Independent schools are inspected both independently and also by Ofsted; you can find the latest reports online.

06   What about children with SEN?

Please see our Continuity of Education Allowance (CEA) page to learn more about how the MOD supports children with Special Educational Needs who would like to go to boarding school.

07   How much is this all going to cost?

Costs vary widely. Some schools state their fees and very little is added to the extras bill, and some charge for every piece of stationery.

Here is a list of things to consider when budgeting:

Costs to consider:

• Standard fees are currently around £4,000-£11,000 per term
• Extras bill for trips, stationery, matron’s account, school shop, weekend activities
• Uniform
• Sports kit including rackets, bats, helmets, pads, skins and footwear
• Other kit – suitcases, tuckboxes, plastic boxes, lamp, padlocks, school book bag/briefcase
• Music tuition
• Phone plus contract or top-ups
• Public exam fees (for Independent schools only)
• Termly, and usually compulsory, subscription for old boys/girls association
• Private health insurance
• Kit insurance
• Travel and fuel costs
• Initial Deposit paid before your child starts that is not usually refunded until your child finishes

Possible deductions:

• CEA
• Armed Forces Bursary, sibling discount, scholarship
• Armed Forces Sodexo Childcare Vouchers – you will need to check in advance that your school accepts these.

Be aware, CEA doesn’t necessarily always reflect the increase in your particular schools fees and families are responsible for this increase, not the MOD.

08   Questions to ask boarding schools

If you’re considering boarding as an option for your family, ring up and ask schools for a prospectus.

Once you’ve received this, you will be able to make a decision about whether you want to find out more and visit. Visiting schools is vital and it’s important that you ask lots of questions.

Here is a list of questions to print off and take with you.

Questions to ask boarding school students who show you round:

• What’s the food like?
• What’s the best thing that’s happened whilst you’ve been here?
• Why do you like your house?
• How much prep do you get and what happens if you need help with it?
• Do you know anyone in a different year group or house to you?
• What’s the sport/music/art like?
• What do you think of the teachers?

Questions to ask the admissions team:

• Do you have other Army children here?
• How much is the deposit?
• How much have the fees gone up in the last three years?
• What’s the plan for options with subject choices for Year 9 starts?
• How soon will we know if we have the house of our choice?
• How many full boarders are there and how many flexi-boarders?
• How many exeats are there – are they every term?
• Can I see the uniform list with prices – is there a school shop on site?
• Is there a health centre and what’s their accident policy?
• When did the house parents start in their job? Are they planning to move/retire/leave?
• What’s the school policy on electronic equipment?
• Is the Wi-Fi restricted at all?
• What appears on the extras bill?
• What weekend activities are there?
• How much notice do we have to give if this doesn’t work out?
• What does the induction programme involve?
• How often can my child ring home?
• How often can I contact my child?
• Are there any assessments that my child is required to sit prior to being accepted in to the school?

Questions to ask the Head:

• What’s your schools unique selling point? What makes it different to others?
• School values – what is important – particularly relevant to faith schools.
• Where do students go on to from here? University applications (Russell Group applications percentages if relevant).
• Can I come and see my child if I’ve just come back from time away?
• Are there any major building works planned for the next five years?
• What size is the sixth form in comparison to the rest of the school?

Questions to ask Matron:

• How often is there a register/call-over?
• Who is there when you aren’t?
• What happens on birthdays?
• How quick is the laundry?
• What happens if a child is ill in the night?
• How many children are full time boarders in my child’s year?

09   Read the small print

There are a wide variety of schools offering different things to suit your child and your circumstances. There are also various discounts on offer. However, please be aware of the small print.

Some schools may ask you to sign up for a number of terms in advance. Nine terms, for example, doesn’t sound much, but three years is a long time in your child’s educational life.

If your child becomes unhappy, or your circumstances change significantly, and you sign up for a certain number of terms in advance, you may be liable for the outstanding fees, even if you have permission from the MOD to withdraw your child.

10   What happens if it all goes wrong?

Despite being prepared and having planned well, your child may not settle, may change their behaviour significantly or just might not be suitable for boarding school.

If you’re worried about your child and think that the best thing for them would be to come home, then seek advice.

Firstly, if you’re at all worried about a safeguarding issue, act immediately and remove your child from the situation.

If, however, you have had time to think about this for a while, have had strategies put in place that haven’t worked or maybe there has been an ongoing health issue, or similar that just hasn’t gone away, or the school is changing in some way, then you may want to withdraw your child from boarding school.

Before you make any formal decision with the school or are a CEA claimant, contact the Education Advisory Team (EAT) (UK) on RC-DCS-HQ-EAT@mod.gov.uk and ask for their advice for moving forward. For further information look at our CEA page or contact moneysupport@aff.org.uk