We’ll get into more detail later but, to start things off, here is a comparative overview:

There are approximately 500 schools in the UK which offer senior boarding (age 13+.) In Switzerland, the number is closer to 30.

By sheer volume, the UK offers a larger range of options, and the ecosystem there has led schools to evolve into very differentiated environments: There are academically elite schools where B- grade students are unlikely to gain entry; likewise, there are mainstream schools which have developed specialisms in supporting dyslexia or other learning requirements. There are some schools which specialise in arts or maths & sciences. The UK has massive schools, small schools, religious schools, traditional schools, progressive schools, competitive schools, inclusive schools, Schools with mainly Brits, mostly international schools, schools where boarding starts at 7, or 11, or 13, or 16…  You get the picture!

In contrast (and speaking generally) Swiss schools are a bit less differentiated in their offering. Of course, there are still many distinguishing factors but, on a whole, they tend to offer a very holistic education which focus on academic achievement and character development in equal measure.
They are mostly co-ed schools, secular, and only mildly selective. Perhaps most importantly, they tend to boast such a low student to staff ratio that they can offer a more personalised education for each individual student. Whereas students in UK schools can find a school that fits their particular requirements, it can be argued that Swiss schools have greater resources and wherewithal to cater to each student’s individual needs.

Swiss schools tend to be clear and unapologetic in their outlook: Yes, academics are important but character development is equally important.

It’s worth keeping in mind that most Swiss boarders are from UHNW families: they could get away with never working in their lives and may come from bubbles of bodyguards and private helicopters. Swiss schools can provide a ” normal”, equalising environment for students to develop character traits that will serve than well in later life.

That’s not say that Swiss schools don’t have exceptional academic success stories. Any child in such well-structured and supportive environments is blessed with the platform and resources to overachieve on exam results. But for Swiss schools, academic achievement never takes priority over development of “the whole child.”

“The whole child” has become a popular maxim amongst British schools, particularly those schools which need to show value outside of base exam-result metrics.

First of all, all the traditional Harry-Potter-style British boarding schools place a lot of emphasis on character development and contributing the community. Most were founded by the church or wealthy benefactors, and philanthropy is ingrained in their DNA.

However, there are also plenty of institutions which place a defining emphasis on academic (i.e exam result) achievement. Some are such academic hothouses that students may be asked to leave if they are not cutting the mustard.

Whilst this sounds harsh it gives some British schools a unique position amongst global boarding schools. The schools topping the league tables in exam results do so as they have a cohort of highly capable students pushing each other on under the guidance of subject-specialist teachers. They’ll have close relationships with some of the top companies and universities operating with in the UK, providing opportunities for students to study way above and beyond the standard curriculum. The academic ambition and rigour in such schools runs deep and can be hugely competitive.

So if your child scores in the top percentiles of standardised assessments, if the target is Oxbridge, some British schools can offer unsurpassed environments to push them on.

But if you want a more holistic education with less pressure on exam results, Swiss schools (and plenty of less academically-obsessed British schools) may be a better bet for well-being, personal development and bespoke support.

It naturally follows that those academically ambitious British boarding schools impose high academic barriers to entry. The most competitive schools have fixed entrance points and may have as many as ten candidates competing for every available space. Candidates from the best British prep schools hold a significant advantage, and a whole industry of tutoring and mentoring exists to help candidates prepare (just ask Top School Guide if this interests you!)

Swiss boarding schools, in general, operate a more flexible approach to admissions, in a similar vein to the less academically selective British schools. They tend to be more flexible on deadlines and entrance points, taking the view that, if they have an available space and can consider a student, then they’re happy to see whether they can accommodate.

Swiss schools’ admissions processes therefore tend to be less about academic competition, and more of a holistic assessment on how well the child (and family) and school fit each other.

Standardised aptitude assessments are still common, as are written essays, additional language fluency assessments, personal statements and interviews. However, the whole process comes across as more diagnostic than competitive.

A final thing to note is that the vast majority of both Swiss and British schools charge a non- refundable registration fee at the point of application. For British schools, this is usually between US$140 – 550. For Swiss schools, the range is much greater and can be anything between US$400 – 4000 – yes, that is just to apply!

It must be said that some Swiss boarding schools will refund the registration fee if they later decide they are unable to offer a place. However, it remains undeniable that many Swiss schools use the registration fee to signal a family’s commitment – and also the school’s exclusivity.

Which brings us onto fees… Please pour yourself a stiff drink before you read on!

Boarding school fees are high. In Britain, a year of senior boarding fees will likely set you back any whirl between £45-75k (US£60k- 100k.)

For Switzerland, be prepared to sign off on annual boarding fees from CHF90k to 170k+ (US$120k – 200k+.)

Your next question must be: “Why are Swiss fees so much more expensive?”

Firstly, you have to keep in mind that Switzerland is pretty much the most expensive country in the world, and it is generally accepted to be about 50% more expensive than the UK for basics like groceries and housing. One main cost facing boarding schools everywhere is estate maintenance and boarding operations. Naturally, these are all significantly higher in Switzerland. Imagine the heating bill when there is 6 feet of snow outside!

The best boarding schools need to pay their staff accordingly, and Swiss schools need to consider the aforementioned living costs. Swiss schools’ staff expenditure is further exacerbated by their typically lower teacher/student ratio (they can be as low as 1 to 3).

Switzerland has significantly less buildable land available than the UK. Whereas British boarding schools can own continuous swathes of rolling countryside (Lord Wandsworth College, for example, occupies 1200 acres of Hampshire, bequeathed to the school Trust by it’s original philanthropic founder.) Swiss boarding schools usually lack an historical benefactor tend to be newer campuses located in expensive international hubs like Geneva, or ensconced in luxurious Alpine or lakeside campuses.

The variety of curricula on offer is an area where Swiss boarding schools can justifiably claim supremacy over their British counterparts.

British private boarding schools primarily focus on the standard English curriculum of GCSEs and A-levels. Approximately 50 offer the IB Diploma as a prestigious alternative to A-levels at age 16 +, and only a handful offer enough BTEC options to be considered a genuine alternative (though the ones that do are brilliant at it.)

The IB’s MYP curriculum is available only in British boarding schools with a particular target market of transient international families, as the vast majority consider GCSEs to be more academically rigorous.

So whilst some British schools can offer a certain amount of personalised learning (particularly in 6^th form,) there is undoubtedly a sense that almost all students will be funnelled onto the GCSE path for their public examinations at age 16.

In the Swiss boarding school market, the range of curricula is almost overwhelmingly extensive and globally-minded in comparison: You are able to find schools offering combinations of the IB (Diploma, career prog and MYP) GCSEs, A-levels, America Diploma or AP, Swiss Maturite and French Baccalaureate.

But do not worry if you are unfamiliar with any (or all!) of these options. Swiss boarding schools are world-leading experts at cobbling together the best pathway to fit a student’s goals and needs.

Basically, there is no “one-curriculum-fits-all” approach in Swiss boarding schools: with the help of a dedicated TSG advisor and student-centric discussions with schools, the best, most personalised and bespoke learning plan is can be structured around each student’s interests, goals and capabilities.

At all British boarding schools, and the lion’s share of Swiss boarding schools, the primary language of instruction is English. For students who require additional English language support, expert, integrated programmes can be found in the boarding schools of both countries.

For those students planning to stay in the UK for university, British boarding schools undoubtedly offer an unrivalled opportunity to assimilate and absorb the academic variety and colloquial nuances to native-level fluency.

British private schools also provide excellent opportunities for students to study languages; from Latin and ancient Greek through the usual European suspects and, in many cases, Mandarin, Arabic, and other world languages. Optional clubs and societies provide further opportunities, as do the (on average) 20% of boarding students who come from overseas.

However, Swiss boarding schools have the expectation that all their students leave fluent in the local regional language (French, German, or Italian.) Those coming from a third country will therefore usually leave fluent in at least 3 languages: Their mother tongue, English and French/German/ Italian.

Needless to say, students in Swiss schools have a for great opportunity to immerse themselves in the local language and culture.

In some Swiss schools, there is even greater flexibility to pick and choose which subjects are studied in English, and which are studied in French (for example.) Students can literally mix and match!

And there is no need to worry if your child arrives in Switzerland as only a beginner in the Canton’s local language: After initial assessment, their Swiss school will put in place whatever additional support they need to become fluent.

Cher lecteur, voici notre conclusion: Whilst British Boarding schools offer excellent opportunities to study foreign languages, leaving with full bilingual fluency (albeit in the region-specific language) is par for the course amongst Swiss schools.

The end goal of getting into a top university is usually a primary motivation for boarding school families. It is, however, essential not to base your decision solely against a school’s exam result or uni destination track record: students’ outcomes are optimised when they are in the environment that can maximise their academic and personal growth. This is never as simple as just choosing the” top-ranked” school. Please explore this more in our “How to use League Tables” guide.

This is particularly evident when comparing British and Swiss boarding schools: The top-ranked, highly selective segment of British schools will always boast a higher proportion of Oxbridge offers then the more non-selective British or Swiss schools. Less selective schools will still boast a handful of elite university offers, but will inevitably have a more diverse range of student destinations.

So, if we are pushed to differentiate between Swiss and British Boarding schools’ university outcomes, diversity is probably the key factor.

British schools offer ever-increasing support to help students apply to overseas universities, particularly in the US, Europe or Asia. Many now have dedicated careers advisers solely for overseas applications. However, it remains the case that the majority of British boarding school students progress to British universities.

Interestingly, UK universities are also the number one destination for Swiss school students. However, much larger proportions will go to the US, stay in Switzerland, or venture to all four corners of the globe. These progressions tally with Swiss schools’ greater sense of internationalism and their proportionally larger international student body.

Both Swiss and British boarding schools offer a diverse range of locations. Your typical British “Harry Potter” boarding school will usually occupy a large countryside or old market-town estate with subject- specialist buildings and extensive sports pitches. Facilities in many schools these days are mind-blowing.

Swiss equivalents are located on stunning lakeside or Alpine campuses and, whilst they don’t contain numerous rugby, cricket or football pitches, they usually make the most of Switerland’s majestic nature by offing activities like skiing, hiking and watersports.

The residential facilities are fairly comparable in both Swiss and British boarding schools. In terms of layout, room-sharing structure common rooms & kitchens, every school across both countries is unique yet similar and something that requires investigation on a school-by-school basis. Always keep in mind, however, that boarding students do not spend an awful lot of time in their rooms (which is a good thing!)

Both countries also have schools in more urban locations, which are often particularly attractive for older students who want to get out and about and immerse themselves in the local culture.

So what are the general differences?

In Swiss boarding schools, the student cohort is extremely international. Whilst a small number of British schools are populated solely by intentional students, most schools are still predominantly British, with around 20% of students being from overseas, on average.

With a small handful of exceptions Swiss boarding schools tend to have smaller boarding communities, which creates a more relaxed, boutique, family-feel vibe. Many British schools, on the other hand, will have hundreds of boarders – a scale which requires a greater amount of structure (though students are often divided into smaller, family-like “houses”)

Half terms and “exeats” (long weekends when the school closes and students must leave) are still quite common in British boarding schools. These can create unwanted disruption or additional admin for families who reside overseas. It should be noted that some British schools do allow students to stay in boarding during half term, and this can be a secondary consideration when choosing a school.

Exeats are virtually unheard of in Swiss boarding schools, and the vast majority allow students to stay during shorter half-term breaks. Excepting Christmas and summer holidays, they will also provide optional trips and expeditions, meaning busy overseas parents usually have plenty of cover outside of term time.

As stated earlier, Top School Guide always advises starting with the child: you have to objectively analyse their underlying aptitude, their educational background, trajectory, and goals. Of equal importance is their family values, their academic and personal interests, and their personality.

Only then can you find the best schools to match their needs and provide the greatest return.

Check out our Ultimate Boarding Guide (UK) and/or Swiss Boarding School Guide for deeper insights into each country’s system.

Better still, schedule a free video consultation with an adviser experienced with the very best British and Swiss Boarding schools. Tell us about your child, and let Top School Guide lead you through one of the most important decisions you’ll have to make.

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