# Preparing for boarding school, in one plan.

Source: https://www.eltschool.org/intl/en/courses/boarding-school-preparation

This programme is for families in any country whose child is applying to boarding school, in the UK or elsewhere. Rather than booking separate courses, one coordinator plans the entrance tests, interviews and the English, maths and science they depend on, and specialist tutors teach each part one to one, online.

## Families planning a move abroad.

- Children applying for boarding school entry at 11+, 13+ or 16+ (to be confirmed)
- Students at international, British-curriculum or national schools, in any country without its own ELT School site
- Families who have not yet chosen a country — start with [boarding schools by country](https://www.eltschool.org/intl/en/boarding-schools)

## Tests and subjects, planned as one.

| Part | What it covers | Course |
|---|---|---|
| Entrance tests | The test each school sets, practised in its own format | [UKiset](https://www.eltschool.org/intl/en/courses/ukiset), [ISEB Pre-Test](https://www.eltschool.org/intl/en/courses/iseb-pre-test), [11+ and 13+](https://www.eltschool.org/intl/en/courses/11-plus-13-plus) |
| English | Reading, writing and speaking at the standard schools look for | [English](https://www.eltschool.org/intl/en/tutoring/english) |
| Maths | The maths the tests assume, matched to the UK year your child would join | [Maths](https://www.eltschool.org/intl/en/tutoring/maths) |
| Science | Science for 13+ and for any school that tests it | [Physics](https://www.eltschool.org/intl/en/tutoring/physics), [Chemistry](https://www.eltschool.org/intl/en/tutoring/chemistry), [Biology](https://www.eltschool.org/intl/en/tutoring/biology) |
| Interview | Discussing interests and reasoning out loud | [Interview](https://www.eltschool.org/intl/en/courses/interview) |
| Applications | Shortlisting schools and applying | [School applications](https://www.eltschool.org/intl/en/courses/school-applications) |

## A single plan, a single coordinator.

1. **Consultation and trial lesson**: Your goals and the countries and schools in mind in a free consultation, then your child's current level in a paid trial lesson.
2. **A written plan**: Which tests and subjects, and how many lessons a month, counted back from each registration deadline.
3. **Weekly lessons**: Tutors teach from Japan and the UK, so lessons are arranged in your own time zone — after school or at weekends where you live. Your coordinator confirms which hours are available for your country. (to be confirmed)
4. **Tests and interviews**: Timed practice ahead of each test, and mock interviews ahead of each school's interview.
5. **After entry**: The same coordinator can carry on with [lessons for boarding school students](https://www.eltschool.org/intl/en/tutoring/boarding-school-students) once your child has started.

## When to begin.

Starting a year or more before the first test often helps, and earlier still if English or maths needs strengthening first. UK schools begin their year in September, while school years elsewhere may start in a different month, so your coordinator first works out which UK year group your child matches. We do not promise a result or a set length of preparation.

The [application timeline](https://www.eltschool.org/intl/en/guides/admissions/application-timeline) shows the usual sequence.

## Your tutors.

Each part of the programme is led by tutors whose profiles list their background, the subjects and tests they teach, and the qualifications ELT has checked.

## Fees in USD.

Lessons are charged per one-to-one lesson. Application support and mock tests appear separately on the fees page.

## Questions about the programme.

**Can we book a single test course instead?**

Yes. The programme is simply a way of planning everything together; a single course such as [UKiset](https://www.eltschool.org/intl/en/courses/ukiset) can also be booked on its own.

**Do you only prepare for UK schools?**

No. The UK is where we start, and families applying to schools in other countries are welcome to ask. We do not prepare for tests for which we have no specialist tutor.

**Which countries do you accept families from?**

Families from anywhere in the world. This section is for families living outside Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan and Japan; those markets have their own ELT School sites.

**Can you guarantee a place?**

No. Admissions decisions are made by the schools.

## Related guides

- [Application timeline](https://www.eltschool.org/intl/en/guides/admissions/application-timeline)
- [What is UKiset?](https://www.eltschool.org/intl/en/guides/admissions/ukiset)
- [Boarding schools by country](https://www.eltschool.org/intl/en/boarding-schools)
- [UK boarding schools](https://www.eltschool.org/intl/en/boarding-schools/uk)

- [UKiset — official site](https://www.ukiset.com/)
- [ISEB — Independent Schools Examinations Board](https://www.iseb.co.uk/)
- [Independent Schools Council (ISC)](https://www.isc.co.uk/)

## Map out the route.

Tell us your country, your child's year and school, and the countries you are considering.

- [Book a consultation](https://www.eltschool.org/intl/en/trial)

Updated: 2026-10-31

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ELT School — one-to-one online lessons with native English-speaking specialists. Founded in London in 1984.

ELT School is operated by ELT Education Inc. (Tokyo, Japan) and ELT School of English Ltd. (London, United Kingdom). All lessons are contracted with ELT Education Inc.