International Students

St Chris has a long history of warmly welcoming international students. We have a diverse and welcoming student and staff body and we celebrate the different perspectives our international students bring to our community.

International students can board from Year 7 (or the age of 11) onwards and our boarding community is currently made up of international pupils from China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, Nigeria, Spain and the USA.

There are 50 boarders in total, 20 of whom are international students, with the remaining students from the UK.

International and UK students live together in our boarding house, Arundale.

For more information about boarding at St Chris please click here.

A warm welcome guaranteed

We know that arriving in a new country, at a new school, possibly while speaking a second language, can all seem a bit overwhelming, but we will do all we can to help you settle in and feel at home.

St Chris is a very friendly school and we have a lot of experience in welcoming new pupils, and ensuring that they feel settled very quickly.

You will receive a full induction and be assigned a ‘buddy’ who will help answer any questions in your first few weeks.

If you need language support then you will also start EAL (English as an Additional Language) lessons as soon as you arrive either in group or one to one lessons.

Our aim is for our international students to be fully immersed in the life of a British boarding school. We want our students to benefit from the wider ethos of St Chris and by being fully immersed in British culture. As such, we only accept a maximum of four international students from any one nationality into each year group.

What do the fees include?

Full boarding fees aim to be inclusive and include all tuition, accommodation, meals on campus, the majority of evening and weekend activities, group EAL lessons, laundry, wi-fi and study books.

Individual EAL lessons (one to one) and some activities (for example scuba diving, horse riding) are charged in addition.

Find out more

If you would like to find out more about St Chris, and how your child can benefit from our approach to education, please contact our Registrar, Kate Allan on +44 1462 650947 or email admissions@stchris.co.uk.

For more information about the admissions process for international students, click here.

For more information about boarding at St Chris, click here.

For more information about our fees, click here.

“I’m happy here. Coming here is like a home. It sounds cheesy and I know a lot of schools say it but I really do feel like I’m coming home. I come back and I see my houseparents and I talk to them about what I’ve been up to over the holidays. It’s a relaxing place I can go to and feel like I’m not going to be judged. I feel like I can really succeed here. Not just in academics but as a person. It’s helped me to open a bit more – it’s quite a freeing place”

Molly, Boarder, Year 13

“If you come here, take advantage of everything – all the opportunities you are given. Really immerse yourself in it. I’ve only been here a few months but there is so much you can do, and so many opportunities if you really take advantage of them.

Molly, Boarder, Year 12

“I think the School is very welcoming, very tolerant and open. There’s no bullying and no pointing at clothes or hair, or race and everyone has been so helpful with English that I didn’t feel excluded at any point.”

Paula, Year 12 from Germany

“We would like to express our gratitude to you for having helped our son undergo a wonderful, life altering, learning and living experience at St. Christopher. Your support to his education and personality development, will stand him in good stead and help him chart a productive career for himself and make us proud.”

Parents of international student.

“To me, St Chris means a lot of self-discovery and social development. I’ve gotten to know so many different people. I’m also a lot more confident at speaking English”

Paula, Year 12 Germany

“Initially, I was afraid I would struggle with the language, which is as inevitable as the sunrise when it comes to learning a language in a foreign country, but then I realised that no matter where you come from, St Chris helps you as much as possible.”

Year 8 boarder from Hungary