Glasmacher in Handelsblatt’s special report on British boarding schools

“Let us do our magic,” a British headmaster told Theresa Glasmacher, speaking about a boy who was at risk of having to repeat a year in Germany for the second time. He went to the UK, was moved up a year and, two years later, left with results equivalent to a top-grade German Abitur. What so often sets British boarding schools apart is the way teachers see young people. Theresa Glasmacher also spoke about this to the German business daily Handelsblatt: “We’ve often seen a pupil blossom quickly there, because the focus is no longer only on her weaknesses.” This is not only true of children who struggle in the German system. Strong pupils, too, grow when someone believes in them.

In the article, Theresa Glasmacher also explains how families can find the right school. It begins with the question of what the child hopes to gain from their time abroad. She then recommends narrowing the choice to five schools and visiting three of them. Our team organises the visits and arranges meetings with teachers and senior leaders and, depending on the child’s interests, with the hockey coach or the head of music. “After two hours on campus, pupils usually know whether they can picture themselves at that school,” she told Handelsblatt.

Kathinka Burkhardt’s article gives an overview of British boarding schools, from fees and qualifications to the application process.

Read the article (online, in German):  "Schulbildung: Hier lernen deutsche Kinder wie der künftige König von England", (Schooling: where German children learn like the future king of England), Handelsblatt, No 215, weekend edition 6–8 November 2026, special report “Privatschulen und Internate”, pp40–41.