Booking is now open - Book your FREE VIP tickets now!
Meet outstanding boarding schools charging a third of the typical UK private boarding schools and ask the questions that matter...
Book your FREE VIP tickets now and discover some of the best-kept secrets in education at the Affordable Boarding Show, in Central London on Friday 30 and Saturday 31 October.
Meet leading boarding schools from the UK, Ireland and South Africa offering an outstanding education and exceptional opportunities – without the high fees of a typical UK independent boarding school.
Discover what makes these schools so special, get your questions answered and find the right fit for your child.
Meet fantastic schools face-to-face, attend informative talks and arrange private one-to-one meetings with those that interest you most.
And because choosing a school should be enjoyable too, collect your VIP goodies and join in some special Halloween fun, with our Show magician teaching tricks, free face painting and plenty of sweet temptations!
Give us two hours and we’ll help you discover extraordinary schools, compare your options and potentially save £10,000s – as well as countless hours searching for the right school.
Come for an hour or two, or make a day of it – you’ll be glad you came!
Your FREE VIP ticket gives you access to everything happening at the Affordable Boarding Show – and there’s an added bonus...
Your ticket also gives you full access to the Online Schools Show, where you can meet leading Online Schools and discover why more families are choosing to learn differently.
Meet some remarkable boarding schools from the UK, Ireland and South Africa, all together in Central London. It’s a rare opportunity to discover schools from near and far without spending the time and money travelling to visit each one.
Chat face-to-face with the people who know their schools best, discover what makes each one different and get a real feel for the education, opportunities and boarding life they offer – you may just find a school you never knew existed!
Hear directly from schools, parents and students in our informative 40-minute talks, taking place throughout each day of the Show.
Attend as many as you wish, ask the questions that matter to you and discover more about affordable boarding, the schools taking part and the opportunities they offer.
Book a private meeting of up to 20 minutes with the schools that interest you most.
It’s a great opportunity to talk one-to-one, ask your questions about everything from teaching and boarding life to activities, fees and the application process, and get a real feel for whether the school could be the right fit for you.
Book your FREE VIP Show tickets to receive your private meeting invitation.
It’s Halloween, so expect a little Trick & Treat fun around the Show! Learn a trick or two from our Show magician, enjoy free face painting and collect special stamps as you visit the school stands.
Once you’ve completed your collection, head to our Halloween booth to claim some suitably sweet treats – because choosing a school doesn’t have to be all serious!
Your FREE VIP ticket comes with a few extras too! Pick up your VIP bag when you arrive, complete with your Show Guide, pen and some goodies to get you started.
Then see what else you can add as you make your way around the exhibition, meet the schools and collect your Halloween sweet treats. You certainly shouldn’t leave empty-handed!
With plenty to see and do, you may want to take a break along the way.
Stop by the Show Tuck Shop for tea, coffee, cold drinks and snacks before heading back to meet more schools.
And there’s no need to carry coats around with you – leave them in our free cloakroom and explore the Show in comfort.
A leading co-educational boarding school offering exceptional value, Gordon’s combines academic ambition, outstanding pastoral care and exceptional opportunities to build confidence and character.
Ireland’s only full boarding school for boys, Clongowes combines academic ambition, Jesuit values and outstanding opportunities in a vibrant community where deep friendships and character flourish.
Spectacularly set in the Western Cape in South Africa, Bridge House School offers family-style boarding, outstanding academics and a global education where young people from around the world learn, grow and flourish.
Richard Huish offers outstanding state sixth-form education and modern boarding for 16–19-year-olds, combining academic ambition, friendship and greater independence to prepare young adults for their future.
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.
