The Benefits of Staying a BHS

The Strategic Advantage of a Bermuda Education

As a small island, we relish our unique culture and environment. Past the physical aspects of Bermuda, many of our cultural norms are rooted in our perception of the education system. One of these most notable behaviours is the desire to send our students overseas to boarding school as they enter senior school, but in doing so, could we be doing our children a disservice? 

There are many misconceptions surrounding the adoption of a boarding school education.  

It’s more affordable
Why do we make the assumption that boarding schools are more affordable than our on-island institutions? On-island private school tuition fees are comparable, if not significantly less than those offered by our overseas counterparts, without the additional cost of airfare and the added benefit of keeping your child close by. We are under no illusions as to the cost of private school education; however, a BHS education allows your student(s) to graduate with globally recognised designations, including GCSEs and/or A Levels or the International Baccalaureate, with a full support system of family, friends and staff who know them well. Rather than placing them in an unfamiliar setting during these important years, consider investing in the educational option that will grant them the greatest success.  

There’s more diversity
Our unique location in the world, coupled with our bustling finance and re/insurance industry, means that our schools are filled with diversity. As a consistently popular destination for relocating families, our school is packed with a diverse local population and a wide range of families from around the world. Our current student body includes families from over 30 countries, embracing a multitude of cultures.

Boarding schools provide a better education
Bermuda has a wide variety of curricula on offer. Students at BHS have the option to study three internationally recognised programmes, including GCSEs, A Levels and the International Baccalaureate (with an option to pursue the IB Diploma or the IB Courses pathway). Outside of BHS, students can undertake studies in Advanced Placement, the Alberta Curriculum, BTEC, and the British Columbia Curriculum. In addition to the variety of curricula on offer at BHS and other private institutions, our teaching staff continue to be recognised as meeting international accreditation standards, including CIS, IB and NEASC. BHS requires all teaching staff to have a professional teaching qualification, something that is not enforced by all boarding schools. BHS is also an accredited member of the Round Square network of schools. Through this network, our students have the ability to participate in exchanges, conferences, and service projects around the world. Additionally, BHS students can participate in subject-specific trips such as the Geography trip to Iceland, the History trip to Berlin, and the UNIS Conference in NY.

I am giving my child a better opportunity to be accepted into college/university
What many of us overlook is the unique aspect of a college or university application from Bermuda. Colleges and universities have specific criteria that they must meet in addition to the academic requirements. One advantage that comes with an application from a Bermudian school is that of ticking the ‘under-represented’ box. To that end, keeping your student(s) in Bermuda provides them with a strategic advantage against other applicants. An application/ transcript from a boarding school not only takes away this advantage but also increases the level of competition among applicants. With an internationally recognised curriculum, a BHS education is an asset in helping students gain entrance to their top choice college or university. Students also have the added benefit of relying on our dedicated University Counsellor, Mrs Ross; we have an exceptional track record in this area, historically seeing a 100% acceptance rate among our students pursuing tertiary education. Additionally, since 2001, BHS has produced 10 Rhodes Scholars, all of whom have gone on to achieve great academic and professional success. 

With the above information in mind, we do understand that there are specific circumstances in which boarding school is the right choice for your student(s); however, with the multitude of education options available in Bermuda, it should be the exception rather than the norm. If you’d like to know more about the advantages of keeping your student on the island, please do not hesitate to contact us.