A visit is the best chance you will have to see a school as it really is. Prospectuses and websites show every school at its best; a few hours on site, or a well-planned virtual visit, show you how pupils behave when nobody is performing for parents. A little preparation makes the visit far more useful.
The questions below are grouped by theme. You will not need to ask all of them everywhere, so pick the ones that matter most for your child.
Before and during the visit
- Ask for an individual visit on a normal school day, not only an open day, and try to see a boarding house in the evening or at a weekend.
- Ask to meet the head of boarding or the housemaster or housemistress of the house your child would join, not just the admissions team.
- Request time with current pupils, ideally including an international boarder, without staff present.
- Read the latest inspection report and the school's boarding and guardianship policies first, so you can ask about specifics.
- If travel is not possible, ask for a live virtual tour of a boarding house and video calls with staff and pupils.
- Agree as a family what matters most, so that you leave with answers to the questions that will actually decide things.
On the day, look as well as listen. Notice how staff speak to pupils and how pupils speak to each other, whether boarding rooms feel lived in and cared for, what is on the noticeboards, and whether international pupils mix with everyone else at lunch or sit apart. Small details like these often tell you more than any presentation.
Questions about learning
- How big are classes, and how are pupils grouped by ability in key subjects?
- What English as an additional language (EAL) support is offered: who teaches it, how often and at what cost?
- How do you help pupils who are new to the English curriculum in subjects such as English literature or history?
- Which GCSE, A-level or IB subjects are offered, and which combinations actually fit the timetable?
- How is supervised evening study, often called prep, organised in the boarding houses?
- How do you support university applications, including for students applying from abroad?
- How often do parents living abroad receive reports, and can parents' evenings be joined online?
Questions about boarding life
- How many boarders live in the house, how many share a room, and how are roommates chosen?
- How many boarders stay in at weekends, and what does a typical Saturday and Sunday look like?
- What is the policy on phones and devices, especially at night?
- What is the food like, and how are dietary and faith needs, such as halal food or fasting, handled?
- Which weekends are exeats, and does the school stay open over half-term?
- How many nationalities are in the house, and is there a large group sharing one language?
- How are birthdays and important festivals marked for pupils who are far from home?
Questions about care and safety
- Who is on duty in the house at night, and how does a pupil reach them?
- How does the medical centre work, and how are parents abroad kept informed if a child is ill?
- What happens in a new boarder's first week, and how do staff spot homesickness?
- Who is the school's independent person, and how do pupils know how to contact them?
- Where can a pupil go for some quiet time away from the busy house?
- How do you deal with bullying, including online bullying?
- What did the last inspection say about boarding, and what has changed since?
Our article on pastoral care explains what lies behind these questions.
Questions about fees and logistics
- What is the full fee including VAT, and which extras are charged on top?
- What deposit is required for international pupils, and on what terms is it returned?
- What notice is needed if a pupil leaves, and are fees payable in lieu of notice?
- Is the school a licensed Child Student sponsor, and what help does it give with the visa process?
- What does the school require from a UK guardian?
- Does the school organise airport transfers at the start and end of term?
After the visit, write down your impressions the same day, before schools start to blur together, and ask your child what they noticed. Children often pick up things adults miss, from how pupils speak to each other to whether anyone smiled at them in the corridor. A simple comparison sheet helps too: the same headings for every school, such as learning, boarding life, care, fees, logistics and your child's own reaction, with a score and a sentence under each. For the bigger picture, see our step-by-step guide to choosing a boarding school.
How YES can help
We help families plan visits, prepare questions tailored to their child and compare the answers afterwards, in Turkish or English. Read about our boarding school service, or contact us before you book your visits.
Questions families ask
Should our child come on the visit?
Yes, if at all possible. Your child's reaction is one of the most useful pieces of information you will get, and schools expect to meet prospective pupils.
Is a virtual visit enough?
It can be a good first step and is sometimes the only option, but ask for a live tour of a boarding house and conversations with pupils, not only a recorded video.
How many schools should we visit?
Visiting three to five shortlisted schools is usually enough to compare well without the visits blurring together.
Sources and further reading
This article is general guidance, not legal or immigration advice. Rules change; always check the official sources before you apply.
