Would you send your child to boarding school before the age of 12?

There are many local families that would, if you believe the organiser of an upcoming boarding school fair.

Niall Browne said he was surprised at how many questions he got about young children when he held the International Schools Fair Bermuda last year.

As a result, this year’s fair is showcasing a number of schools that cater to children as young as eight.

“I thought Bermudian families would only be interested in sending students away when they are 13 or 16 years old,” Mr Browne said. “However we had a number of inquiries from parents who attended about sending children at 11 years old. That was something I completely overlooked.”

Increasing competitiveness of many of the top prep schools and universities in England is driving the interest, he added.

“There is no doubt that children who go to prep school are very well qualified for senior school,” he said.

“Children who have already spent two or three years in a junior boarding school before starting senior school have something of a head start over those who haven’t. They have adjusted to boarding and they are used to the nature of the curriculum and the subject.”

Several prestigious prep schools have junior boarding school components that prepare their students to take competitive examinations for the senior school, Mr Browne said.

A student coming in at 13 is usually less prepared for the entry examination.

Some junior boarding schools also prepare students to take pre-examinations for prestigious schools such as Eton College which are administered when the student is seven or eight years old.

“Once they take those exams they pretty much know if they will get in when they are 13,” Mr Browne said.

He said the perception that young children were packed off at school and their parents didn’t see them until they were 18, is gone.

“Junior prep schools have moved on considerably in the last few decades,” said Mr Browne.

“These days, junior prep schools are often small and have warm, family atmospheres.

“Schools have changed enormously since the 1960s. Many prep schools and junior boarding schools are small. They are so family like and so caring. Any child with any need can flourish there.”

Many junior prep schools offer a range of boarding options for young children, he said.

Some schools offer flexi-boarding. This allows students to board for a week and then leave for the weekend or they may board for only a few days during the week. The practice is offered at British schools such as Millfield Prep in Somerset, Malvern in Worcestershire and Sevenoaks in Kent.

Mr Browne said the profile of parents in Bermuda looking to get their children into boarding school early was a mixture. Many are British expatriates working on the Island, but there are also quite a few Bermudians.

“There were a large number of Bermudians who were interested,” he said. “Some of them had been to boarding school, but many of them were first-time buyers.”

He said parents who had high-powered careers tended to be more interested in boarding schools for their children.

International Schools Fair Bermuda will take place on September 24 and 25 at the Fairmont Southampton. Eighty-nine schools from the United States, United Kingdom and Canada will be represented, offering education for students from eight to 18. Entry is free. For more information e-mail info@bvs-education.com