A professional UK private school admissions consultant and a graduate of Bournemouth University. With nearly 30 years of experience in the education sector, I have lived and worked in Beijing, Shanghai, Dubai, Singapore, and Melbourne before settling in London. My career includes serving as an admissions officer at prestigious private schools and providing support for international students.
Here, I would like to share with you my thoughts on a question that many Chinese parents have—when applying for UK private schools, should we only consider the Nine Schools?
First, let me share one of the core reasons why getting into the Nine Schools is so challenging:
For international students, particularly those from Chinese families, the reality is that while “all roads lead to Rome,” some students are simply already “born “in Rome.
Regarding admission, many of the Nine Schools prefer specific feeder prep schools. Additionally, if parents are alumni of one of these schools, their children are given significant priority in the application process.
So, if your goal is to secure a place at one of the Nine Schools, early planning is essential. I strongly recommend starting at the 7+ entry level (primary school) by carefully selecting the right feeder prep schools. These schools are similar to associative primary schools (with high schools or universities) in China and have a high success rate of placing students into the Nine Schools. By doing so, children can get a head start on the pathway to these elite institutions.
Aside from the high admission standard, the actual number of available spots at the Nine Schools is extremely limited. For example, I am currently assisting a Year 11 Chinese student who has been studying in the UK for a year and is now applying for Year 12 entry (16+) at one of the Nine Schools. At this level, some schools have shockingly few places every year—for instance, Eton College offers no more than four places (several other places are reserved for Orwell Award Scholarship recipients), while Harrow School has slightly more, but still only around 20 places.
However, the Nine Schools are just the tip of the iceberg among the nearly 3,000 private schools in the UK. Many private schools ranked in the top 50 or even top 100 in various rankings or even exceed the Nine Schools in terms of academic excellence, percentage of A+ grades at A-level and Oxbridge admission rates. This means there are far more excellent choices beyond just these nine elite schools.
Let’s look at a 2023 ranking of the top 80 schools with the highest number of Oxbridge admissions.
At first glance, there aren’t that many Nine Schools on the list, except for the No.1 school – Westminster School, with 165 applicants and 69 offers from Oxford and Cambridge.
However, the school I’m currently helping another student apply to is ranked 13th on this list. It’s not one of the Nine Schools but is located in Oxford, and it had 99 applicants with 41 Oxbridge offers—a success rate equal to Westminster’s.
In fact, there are many private schools with similar academic rankings and Oxbridge admission rates that match or even surpass the Nine Schools. These schools often have more reasonable tuition fees and lower application difficulty, making them fantastic alternatives. That’s why I always tell parents: The best private school is the one that best suits your child—not just one of the Nine Schools.
After all, there are countless hidden gems waiting to be discovered among the nearly 3,000 private schools in the UK.
Aside from the high admission standard, the actual number of available spots at the Nine Schools is extremely limited. For example, I am currently assisting a Year 11 Chinese student who has been studying in the UK for a year and is now applying for Year 12 entry (16+) at one of the Nine Schools. At this level, some schools have shockingly few places every year—for instance, Eton College offers no more than four places (several other places are reserved for Orwell Award Scholarship recipients), while Harrow School has slightly more, but still only around 20 places.
However, the Nine Schools are just the tip of the iceberg among the nearly 3,000 private schools in the UK. Many private schools ranked in the top 50 or even top 100 in various rankings or even exceed the Nine Schools in terms of academic excellence, percentage of A+ grades at A-level and Oxbridge admission rates. This means there are far more excellent choices beyond just these nine elite schools.
Let’s look at a 2023 ranking of the top 80 schools with the highest number of Oxbridge admissions.
At first glance, there aren’t that many Nine Schools on the list, except for the No.1 school – Westminster School, with 165 applicants and 69 offers from Oxford and Cambridge.
However, the school I’m currently helping another student apply to is ranked 13th on this list. It’s not one of the Nine Schools but is located in Oxford, and it had 99 applicants with 41 Oxbridge offers—a success rate equal to Westminster’s.
In fact, there are many private schools with similar academic rankings and Oxbridge admission rates that match or even surpass the Nine Schools. These schools often have more reasonable tuition fees and lower application difficulty, making them fantastic alternatives. That’s why I always tell parents: The best private school is the one that best suits your child—not just one of the Nine Schools.
After all, there are countless hidden gems waiting to be discovered among the nearly 3,000 private schools in the UK.
The key to securing a place at one of the Nine Schools later on is to apply early and enroll early in a UK private school. Many parents assume that if they miss the 13+ entry, they’ll have to wait until 16+. However, I’ve successfully helped many students gain admission to top 100 UK private schools through the 14+ entry route, which is often overlooked.
Once a student quickly adapts to the UK education system and develops self-motivation, gaining entry to one of the Nine Schools can often happen naturally. For example, I have a student who has been in the UK for just one year, yet his predicted GCSE grades are all A+. Now, he’s waiting with full confidence to be accepted into one of the Nine Schools.
In summary, I strongly advise that parents applying to UK private schools for the first time should not adopt a “the Nine Schools or nothing” mindset. Don’t focus so much on a few trees that you miss the entire forest!
Of course, as I mentioned earlier, if a student has already spent a few years in a UK private school, has fully adapted to the British education system, and has strong academic potential, then it is ideal to apply to one of the Nine Schools, because it can serve as a valuable milestone in their academic and personal growth.
