Frequently Asked Questions - FAQs

The Affordable Boarding Show is a unique opportunity for families to meet outstanding boarding schools from the UK, Ireland and South Africa – all together in Central London.

The schools taking part offer excellent education, boarding, facilities and opportunities at fees substantially below those charged by many typical UK independent boarding schools.

Meet the schools face-to-face, hear from schools, parents and students in our Talks Programme, ask your questions and book private one-to-one meetings with the schools that interest you most – all completely free.

The Show takes place in the heart of the City of London at:

CLS, 107 Queen Victoria Street
London
EC4V 3AL

The Show runs over two days and you are welcome to attend on one or both days:

>  Friday 30 October: 10am–7pm

>  Saturday 31 October: 10am–4pm

You can arrive at any time during opening hours and stay for as long as you wish.

Your FREE VIP ticket also gives you access to the Online Schools Show taking place alongside the Affordable Boarding Show.

Simply book your FREE VIP tickets online here before the Show.

Visitors aged 16 and over should be registered individually, with anyone aged 16–18 accompanied by an adult.

Families can make one family booking and then tell us how many people will be attending on that ticket – there’s no limit on the number of family members you can bring.

Once booked, we’ll also keep you informed about the Show and let you know when private meeting bookings open.

Give us an hour or two – or make a day of it – and discover schools you may never previously have considered.

Instead of spending countless hours researching or travelling to visit individual schools, the Affordable Boarding Show brings remarkable boarding schools from the UK and overseas together in one place.

Compare your options, ask the questions that matter to you, meet schools privately and discover what boarding life is really like.

You may just find the right school for you – and potentially save thousands of pounds in the process.

Affordable boarding doesn’t mean compromising on the quality of your child’s education or experience.

The schools at the Affordable Boarding Show offer an alternative to the high fees associated with many UK independent boarding schools, while providing strong academics, excellent pastoral care, enriching opportunities and vibrant boarding communities.

Our participating schools currently have annual boarding fees ranging from approximately £13,000 to £28,000, making an outstanding boarding education accessible to many more families.

You’ll be able to meet a carefully selected group of boarding schools from the UK, Ireland and South Africa, including UK boarding schools and independent schools offering exceptional value.

Every school is different, which is part of what makes the Show so interesting.

You can explore different locations, educational approaches, boarding options and school communities – and meet the people who know each school best.

Visit our Exhibiting Schools page to discover all the schools taking part.

Annual boarding fees at the schools currently taking part range from approximately £13,000 to £28,000, depending on the school, age of the student and boarding option chosen.

That can represent a substantial saving compared with many UK independent boarding schools.

Additional costs will apply at individual schools for extras such as excursions, travel and other items, so it is important to understand the full cost.

The Affordable Boarding Show is the perfect opportunity to discuss fees directly with schools and find out exactly what is – and isn’t – included.

There isn’t one single reason – and that is one of the interesting things you can discover at the Show.

At our UK boarding schools, for example, the government covers tuition and families pay for boarding, creating exceptional value.  (To apply you must be a UK citizen or passport holder or have a qualifying residency visa or right to remain.)

Schools just a flight away in Ireland and South Africa operate within different education systems and cost structures that can also result in substantially lower fees.

Lower fees don’t mean lower ambitions, opportunities or standards - come and meet the schools, see what they offer and judge for yourself.

Absolutely – academic quality is central to the schools taking part, alongside excellent pastoral care and the wider opportunities that make a great boarding education so valuable.

The schools offer different curricula and qualifications, with students progressing to university and other destinations in the UK and around the world.

The Show gives you the opportunity to discuss results, subjects, qualifications, university pathways and academic support directly with each school – and find the right level of challenge for your child as a parent, or for you as a young people looking for your next school.

Because an outstanding school doesn’t have to be in the UK.

Schools in Ireland and South Africa can offer excellent academics, impressive facilities, wonderful boarding communities and extraordinary opportunities – often at considerably lower fees than typical UK independent boarding schools.

They can also give young people a broader outlook and memorable experiences while providing pathways to universities in the UK and worldwide.

We wholeheartedly recommend you consider these wonderful schools.  Meet them in London and discover just how accessible – and appealing – boarding overseas can be.

It may be much more practical than you imagine.

Several of our overseas schools are within easy reach of international airports, making journeys to and from the UK surprisingly straightforward.

Of course, travel arrangements, term dates and the practicalities of attending school overseas need careful consideration.

That’s why meeting schools face-to-face is so useful: ask how their international families manage travel, airport transfers, holidays and communication, and decide whether overseas boarding could work for your family.

See the Plan Your Visit page on this website here for full details about the Show venue at CLS in Central London, planning your travel and answers to lots of other questions you may have about attending on Friday 30 October and Saturday 31 October.

The Online Schools Show takes place alongside the Affordable Boarding Show and introduces families to another very different and increasingly popular approach to education.

Meet leading online schools, discover how online education actually works and explore the flexibility, academic opportunities and different approaches available.

There’s also a dedicated Online Schools Show Talks Programme where online schools, parents, students and other speakers can share their experiences and answer your questions.

Yes!  Whichever Show brings you through the door, you’re welcome to explore both.

The Affordable Boarding Show and the Online Schools Show have their own identities and Talks Programmes, but at the venue they come together in one exhibition, with boarding and online schools sharing the exhibition space.

Check in once and you’re free to move between them, meet schools from both Shows and discover two very different approaches to education.

Absolutely.  Your FREE VIP ticket gives you access to the online schools exhibiting alongside the boarding schools, as well as the Online Schools Show Talks Programme.

You can chat with online schools around the exhibition and, just like the affordable boarding schools, arrange private meetings with those you’d particularly like to speak to.

Both Shows are there for you to explore, so please make the most of them.

Yes!  Whichever Show brings you through the door, you’re welcome to explore both.

The Affordable Boarding Show and Online Schools Show have their own identities and Talks Programmes, but at the venue they come together in one exhibition, with boarding and online schools sharing the exhibition space.

Check in once and you’re free to move between them, meet schools from both Shows and discover two very different approaches to education.

Because finding the right education is ultimately more important than choosing a particular type of school.

Online education offers a very different experience from boarding, but its flexibility and increasingly wide range of academic options are attracting growing numbers of families.

You may decide boarding is absolutely right for you – or discover an alternative you hadn’t seriously considered before.

With leading schools from both worlds together in one place, why not explore all your options?