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Boarding School Guide

BOARDING SCHOOL GUIDE · ENGLAND AT 16

Aiming for sixth form at 16? Register at 14 or 15.

Sixth form is England's last two years of school, from 16 to 18. Registration closes in Year 10 or early in Year 11 (U.S. grades 9 and 10), and offers come before GCSE results.

Words you'll meet on this page

A levels: two-year courses, one subject each.

IB Diploma: the International Baccalaureate, six subjects studied together.

GCSEs: the exams English students take at 16, graded 9 at the top.

UKiset: an online test of English and reasoning.

Written for the 2026–27 school year.

Students in Year 10 in 2026–27 (U.S. grade 9) would start sixth form in September 2028. Already in Year 11? Most deadlines for September 2027 closed between June and October 2026, so ask each school whether places remain.

This year at a glance

Can my child join an English boarding school at 16 from abroad?

Yes. Westminster, Brighton College, and Sevenoaks all publish routes for students at schools abroad, and Westminster takes boarders from abroad only at 16.

What matters most, in our view
Strong grades in the subjects your child will study, and each school's registration deadline. When to register ↓
One thing this year
If your child is in Year 10, note the first deadlines. Wycombe Abbey closes registration on June 1 of Year 10, and Westminster's registration for September 2028 runs from June 1 to September 30, 2027. When to register ↓
Can wait, in our view
A second English test. One test accepted by all your chosen schools, taken by their deadlines, is enough. Applying from abroad ↓

Schools can change their routes and dates. Check each school's own page for your child's entry year.

The clock tower and twin cupolas of Eton College, above its brick and stone entrance
Eton College · Photo: Evka W / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0. Resized and cropped.

The first decision

Choose A levels or the IB before you choose the school.

Some schools teach only one. Sevenoaks's sixth form takes only the IB.

A levels

Three or more separate subjects, each its own qualification. Schools add their own extras, such as an extended project.

  • Radley
  • Wycombe Abbey
  • Eton
  • Westminster
  • Harrow
  • Winchester
  • Marlborough College
  • Brighton College

IB Diploma

Six subjects studied together, three or four at Higher Level, plus Theory of Knowledge, an Extended Essay, and Creativity, Activity, Service.

  • SevenoaksIB only
  • Cheltenham Ladies' CollegeAlso offers A levels
What Oxford asks for, in each

  • Medicine

    A levelsA*AAIncluding Chemistry, and one of Biology, Physics, or Math
    IB Diploma39 of 45With Chemistry, and one of Biology, Physics, or Math, at Higher Level

  • Economics and Management

    A levelsA*AAIncluding Math
    IB Diploma39 of 45With Math at Higher Level, at 6 or 7

  • Engineering Science

    A levelsA*A*AIncluding Math and Physics
    IB Diploma40 of 45With 7s in Higher Level Math and Physics

A* is the highest A-level grade. The IB scores each subject out of 7, and the Diploma out of 45. Requirements for 2027 entry.

Economics and Management at Oxford asks for Math, not Economics. Check each course's required subjects before your child chooses.

Our viewChoose the subjects first and the school second. A school that's strong in what your child loves fits better than a bigger name that isn't.

Sources

Sources: UCAS · The IB Diploma · Oxford Medicine · Oxford Economics and Management · Oxford Engineering Science · Sevenoaks at a glance · Cheltenham Ladies' College.

When to register

Plan registration in Year 10, and find out what each school tests.

Registration closes between June of Year 10 and October of Year 11. Each school sets its own tests.

June of Year 10

Age 14 to 15 (U.S. grade 9). Wycombe Abbey closes registration, and Westminster and Eton open theirs.

  • Wycombe AbbeyJune 1Girls
  • WestminsterJune 1 to September 30, 2027Boys and girls · 2028 entry
  • EtonOpens June 2027Boys · closing date not yet posted

September of Year 11

Age 15 to 16 (U.S. grade 10). Most lists close as Year 11 begins.

  • SevenoaksSeptember 1A year before entry
  • HarrowEarly SeptemberBoys
  • Brighton CollegeSeptember 4, 2026From schools abroad · 2027 entry
  • Cheltenham Ladies' CollegeSeptember 30Girls · 2027 entry

October of Year 11

The last deadlines. Offers come in December, before GCSE results.

  • WinchesterOctober 1Boys and girls
  • Brighton CollegeOctober 14, 2026From UK schools · 2027 entry

Logos open each school's admissions page. Dates without a year are as listed there.

  • About20places at 16 at Eton, and about 20 at Harrow
  • 80–90students join Sevenoaks at 16 in a usual year
What each school tests, and when offers come
Tests and offers at 16
SchoolWhat your child takesOffers
Wycombe AbbeyPapers in four of the A-level subjects she plans to take, an interview, and UKiset for every candidateDecember 1, for 2027 entry
SevenoaksThree papers in English, math, and combined science and humanities, plus a group discussion. Students choosing the IB Diploma's more advanced math course, Higher Level Math, take an extra math paperDecember 1, for 2027 entry
HarrowTwo subject tests in September, then two more and interviews in NovemberDecember
Brighton CollegeAbroad: English, math, and a general test at an approved center. UK: general tests and two interviewsBy the end of November abroad; December in the UK
WestminsterA 45-minute exam in each of four subjects your child chooses, then an interview at the schoolDecember
Cheltenham Ladies' CollegeTwo subject papers, an interview, and a group activity. Students also take verbal reasoning and a math/science or arts/humanities test. Both tests adjust their difficulty as the student answers.The week of December 1, for 2027 entry
WinchesterA general ability test, then for those shortlisted: writing, a test linked to three chosen A levels, and two interviewsDecember
EtonReasoning and subject tests in late November, and an online interview if shortlistedEarly December

Sources: wycombeabbey.com: Wycombe Abbey · sevenoaksschool.org: Sevenoaks · sevenoaksschool.org: Sevenoaks process · harrowschool.org.uk: Harrow process · brightoncollege.org.uk: Brighton · westminster.org.uk: Westminster 16+ · cheltladiescollege.org: Cheltenham Ladies' College 16+ · winchestercollege.org: Winchester 16+ · etoncollege.com: Eton 16+ · westminster.org.uk: Overseas applicants.

Sources: Harrow FAQ · Sevenoaks at a glance.

Three things to get right

Three things to get right in Year 11.

Each card says who to ask.

Subjects and GCSE gradesChoose the sixth-form subjects before you apply. Winchester's offer asks for GCSE grades of 8 or higher (out of 9) in them.

Offers come in December of Year 11, before GCSE results, and they set the grades to reach.

GCSEs are graded from 9, the highest, down to 1. Westminster asks for eight at grade 7 or higher, with 8s or 9s in the subjects your child will study. Eton and Wycombe Abbey ask for at least six at grade 7 or higher. Winchester asks for 7 or higher in every one. Winchester requires grade 9 for some subjects, including Further Math.

The IB Diploma has six subjects, three at Higher Level and three at Standard Level. Sevenoaks teaches the IB, Cheltenham Ladies' College offers both the IB Diploma and A levels, and Westminster, Eton, and Brighton College teach A levels. Westminster and Eton judge students at schools abroad on the qualifications their own school offers.

Who to askYour child's current teachers, about predicted grades in the subjects your child would choose.

The GCSE grades each offer asks for
SchoolGCSEs at 7 or higherIn the subjects your child will study
Westminster88 or 9
Eton6Not stated
Wycombe Abbey68
WinchesterEvery GCSE8 or higher; 9 for some, including Further Math
The evidence, and what it doesn’t show
Applying from abroadLiving abroad? Ask each school about the English test, the visa, and a guardian before you register.

UKiset costs £295, and your child can take it at home with a remote supervisor, or at a test center.

Wycombe Abbey asks every candidate for entry at 16 to take it. Westminster asks students whose first language isn't English for UKiset or the IELTS Academic English test, sent with the registration. Cheltenham Ladies' College asks students whose first language isn't English for UKiset in early October of Year 11.

To apply for the Child Student visa, for ages 4 to 17, your child needs a place at a school that sponsors it. Westminster sponsors it only at 16, and Brighton College, Eton, Harrow, and Winchester also sponsor it. Plan a trip to Westminster if it invites your child to interview. Your child must attend in person at the school.

Who to askEach school's admissions office, before you register: which English test it wants, whether it sponsors the visa at 16, and its guardian rule.

  • £295for UKiset, at home with a remote supervisor or at a test center
  • £3,000a year to sponsor the student visa, at Eton and at Harrow

Sponsors the student visa at 16

The Child Student visa, for ages 4 to 17. Your child needs a place at a school that sponsors it.

  • Westminster

    Westminster: Interviews in person, at the school

  • Brighton College
  • Eton
  • Harrow
  • Winchester
The evidence, and what it doesn’t show
Fees and depositsBudget more for joining at 16. In 2026–27, Cheltenham Ladies' College charges new sixth-formers £68,220 a year, and girls already there £63,900, tax included.

Some schools charge new sixth-formers more, and families abroad pay bigger deposits.

Brighton College sets its fee by where parents live and are settled, not by nationality. Bursaries, the grants based on income, vary too. Eton's sixth-form places for fee-paying families come with no bursary. Winchester's bursaries can cover the whole fee, and its Founder's Scholarships take 25% off.

Who to askEach school's admissions office, about the full cost of both years, and whether its bursaries are open to families abroad.

A year for a new sixth-form boarder, 2026–27VAT, the UK's 20% sales tax, included. Extras aren't.
  • Brighton CollegeInternational families£84,615
  • Westminster£69,282
  • Brighton CollegeUK families£69,138
  • Cheltenham Ladies' CollegeNew sixth-formers£68,220
  • SevenoaksNew sixth-formers£67,149
  • Harrow£65,970
  • Eton£65,673
  • Wycombe Abbey£64,500
  • Winchester£62,100

Sources: Brighton College fees · Westminster fees · Cheltenham Ladies' College fees · Sevenoaks fees · Harrow fees · Eton fees · Wycombe Abbey · Winchester fees.

A worked example

Two years at Brighton College, for a family abroad, at 2026–27 prices

Year 12: £28,205 a term
£84,615VAT and support included
Year 13: £28,663 a term
£85,989
The two years
£170,604Before books, exams, a guardian, and flights
Deposit
£25,000Paid before entry; it settles the final extras, not the term fees

A family living in the UK pays £69,138 for Year 12.

Sources: Brighton College fees.

The evidence, and what it doesn’t show
Fees and deposits
SchoolA year, new boarderDeposit: UK families / families abroad
Brighton College£69,138 for UK families; £84,615 for international families£8,500 / £25,000
Westminster£69,282£4,000 / £5,000
Cheltenham Ladies' College£68,220 (£63,900 for girls already there)Not stated
Sevenoaks£67,149 (£61,917 for students already there)£5,000 boarding acceptance; overseas extra not stated
Harrow£65,970An extra term's fees for families abroad
Eton£65,673An extra term's fees for families abroad
Wycombe Abbey£64,500£3,500 / £21,500 in total for families abroad
Winchester£62,100£4,000 / £20,700

Living away

Living abroad? Choose a guardian in the UK before you register.

A boarder's year: three terms at school, with breaks between them
  1. TermAt school
  2. BreakHome, or a guardian
  3. TermAt school
  4. BreakHome, or a guardian
  5. TermAt school
  6. SummerHome, or a guardian
  • At school
  • Home, or with a guardian

Between terms, your child needs somewhere to go: home, or a guardian in the UK.

A schematic. Each school sets its own term dates, and its own rules for weekends away.

A guardian in the UK

Wycombe Abbey asks parents abroad to appoint one.

More on a guardian in the uk

The guardian is available whenever a girl can't stay at school. At Westminster, the guardian must look after a student who's sick.

School breaks

On the student visa, your child can stay with a nominated guardian for up to 27 days in a row.

More on school breaks

Other options include certain close relatives, or going home.

Sources

Sources: wycombeabbey.com: Wycombe Abbey · westminster.org.uk: Overseas applicants · gov.uk: Living arrangements · gov.uk: Public guidance · gov.uk: Caseworker guidance.

Sources: Eton fees · Academic Families 2026–27 fees.

In our view

What this route doesn't need.

SkipDo this instead
Waiting for GCSE results to applyOffers come in December, months before the results.
Two English testsOne test accepted by all your chosen schools, taken by their deadlines, is enough.
Converting your child's grades yourselfWestminster and Eton judge qualifications from schools abroad as they are.
A bigger name that's weaker in your child's subjectsWhy fit matters more ↑

Sources: The school rules above

Where we come in

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