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The Duke of York's Royal Military School

A co-educational boarding school for students aged 11-18

Benefits of Boarding

State boarding school in Kent: what are the benefits?

There are many benefits to boarding schools: enhanced facilities, more comprehensive education and good pastoral care, sometimes at a very reasonable price. Our principal, Alex Foreman, discusses the benefits of Duke of York Royal Military School.

State boarding schools are significantly more affordable than independent boarding schools because the government subsidises the education costs, meaning parents only pay for their child’s boarding. When choosing a state boarding school, parents can make substantial savings on a child’s education without compromising on quality of education.

The Duke of York’s Royal Military School is non-profit-making and is the only full-boarding state school in the country. Our Academy status means education is free, with parents paying just £6,320 per term (£18,960 per year) for boarding, meals, laundry and House subs. The only additional costs are for uniforms, pocket money and some trips. The average independent school will often charge far more than double this price.

Both state boarding and independent boarding schools have a strong focus on the importance of education, but it is state boarding that comes at a fraction of the cost. GCSE results at DOYRMS are significantly higher than the national average and its school leaders and managers were rated ‘Outstanding’ by Ofsted with the school achieving ‘Good’ overall in 2018. It is non-selective for admissions (except Sixth Form), meaning all students have a chance to benefit from state boarding, and achieve academic excellence whatever their ability levels.

Many schools have a mixture of boarding and day students, but full boarding schools mean that all students are at school full-time and in the same situation. Increased contact hours and regular meetings with teachers and tutors means that boarding students are well looked after both academically and providing pastoral care with integrated student support services.

With just over 500 students at The Duke of York’s Royal Military School, class sizes are generally smaller and our status as a full boarding school means all students benefit from Saturday morning classes, prep and a wide variety of extracurricular activities on top of high quality education. Our principal, Alex Foreman, explains: “We have a strong community – enhanced by our military ethos – and fantastic facilities, meaning our students go into the world as resilient young people with great life skills.”

Full boarding is also available for Sixth Form students, providing a great grounding for independent living and university life; accommodation is modern and comfortable with en suite bathrooms.

A military spirit in a school equips students with transferrable skills to take with them throughout their further education and beyond into their careers. From providing an active lifestyle and extended education and prep hours, to a wide variety of after school clubs, boarding offers a well-rounded experience for students.

Our school comprises of 55% students from Armed Forces families; however, it is open to students from all backgrounds who share a requirement to board and provide their children with continuity of education. Admission is only for children who are nationals of the UK and hold a full British or Irish passport or have leave to remain in the UK.

“Even non-Armed Forces families appreciate the shared values of courage, integrity, respect, commitment, loyalty and self-discipline that permeates across all aspects of life at the school,” says Alex.

There are 70 different clubs with superb facilities to choose from including sports, music and drama and enriching experiences such as Combined Cadet Force, Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme, ceremonial parades and military band – and all within breathtaking school grounds which cover 150 acres.

About us

The Duke of York’s Royal Military School is the only state full boarding school in the country offering high standards of education, going beyond the curriculum to equip students aged 11 to 18 with important life skills and values. When students start, they become Dukies for life, entering a unique community that has been built on a rich heritage of more than 200 years and with HRH Prince Edward, Duke of Kent, as the school’s patron.

Open Mornings are held in March and October – register for an open morning here.