Advising on the UK's best cricket & education options
CRICED helps families in Pakistan find the right UK independent and boarding schools for children aged 11–17, matching academic goals with serious cricket opportunities — and a real person guiding you from first call to offer.
Speak to a real person — no cost, no obligation.
Not sure where to start? Get a personal recommendation →Choosing a UK independent or boarding school is a major decision. CRICED helps families in Pakistan understand UK boarding school admissions, identify schools that fit their child’s academic ambitions and cricket development, and explore scholarship and bursary options where available.
We do not hand out the same generic list of schools to every family. Each conversation starts with your child — and the shortlist follows from that.
Typical annual costs vary by school, but boarding at leading UK independent schools can commonly be £30,000–£50,000+ per year including boarding. Day places cost less, and schools also charge extras such as registration and deposit fees, trips and guardianship.
For families in Pakistan, that is broadly PKR 9 million to PKR 18 million a year at current exchange rates, plus flights, guardianship and one-off registration and deposit fees. We work through indicative totals in rupees before you shortlist.
Many schools award academic, sport, music or all-rounder scholarships. For cricket, these are usually assessed by video, references and performance records from Pakistan. We flag which of your shortlisted schools offer them and what they typically cover.
We guide you through registration, UKiset or school entrance assessments, online interviews, offers, acceptance deposits, CAS for the Child Student visa, and setting up a UK-based guardian for boarders under 18.
Figures below are indicative and converted at roughly PKR 350 to the pound — rates move, so we rebuild the numbers with you before you shortlist.
| Cost | Typical GBP | Indicative PKR |
|---|---|---|
| Full boarding fees (annual) | £30,000–£50,000 | PKR 10.5m–17.5m |
| Registration fee (one-off, per school) | £100–£350 | PKR 35,000–122,000 |
| Acceptance deposit (refundable/credited) | £2,000–£6,000 | PKR 700,000–2.1m |
| UK guardianship (annual) | £1,500–£4,000 | PKR 525,000–1.4m |
| Child Student visa + IHS surcharge | £1,000–£1,500 | PKR 350,000–525,000 |
| Flights, uniform, kit, trips and pocket money | £4,000–£8,000 | PKR 1.4m–2.8m |
| Realistic first-year total | £38,000–£68,000 | PKR 13.3m–23.8m |
Deadlines vary by school, so we confirm each one on your shortlist in writing. The typical timetable for a September start looks like this:
Shortlist schools, book visits or online tours, and check which schools award scholarships to international pupils.
Register with your shortlisted schools. Several popular schools close registration for 13+ and 16+ entry well before the assessment round.
Registration deadlines for most 13+ and 16+ scholarship rounds fall in this window, along with UKiset or school entrance tests.
Academic, cricket, music and all-rounder scholarship assessments, trials and online interviews take place.
Offers and scholarship awards are confirmed; acceptance deposits are due within a few weeks.
CAS issued, Child Student visa applied for, UK guardian appointed, uniform and kit ordered, flights booked for the September start.
Breakfast in house, lessons through the morning and early afternoon, sport most afternoons, then supervised prep in the evening before free time and lights out. Houses are led by a housemaster or housemistress with a resident tutor team and a matron.
Halal options are standard at schools with significant Muslim intakes, and catering teams handle halal, vegetarian and allergy requirements once declared. We check the specific arrangement at each school on your shortlist.
Most schools provide a prayer room and space for Friday prayers, mark Eid, and arrange Ramadan support including early breakfast and adjusted sport. Chapel at Christian foundation schools is generally non-denominational.
Saturdays usually mean lessons or fixtures, Sundays activities, trips or chapel. Schools set fixed exeat weekends and half-terms when boarders must leave — this is where a UK guardian matters, and we help you arrange one before the visa application.
The UK is four to five hours behind Pakistan depending on the season, so after-prep evenings in the UK work well for a call home. Houses publish call windows and most families settle into a regular video call.
Most schools run an international induction, pair new boarders with a buddy, and have a tutor check in weekly. Homesickness in the first half-term is normal and houses are experienced at handling it.
Local detail on fees, flights, cricket and entry points for your city.
A practical PDF written for families in Pakistan — no jargon, no sales pitch, and honest about what a UK boarding place really costs.
Pakistani pupils following Cambridge O Level or the national curriculum move into UK independent schools every year. The key is choosing the right entry point and preparing for the assessments schools use.
Cambridge O Levels map closely to GCSEs, making Year 9 (13+) and Sixth Form (16+) the most common entry points. Some pupils also join at Year 7 (11+) for an earlier start in the British system.
Pakistan has a deep cricket culture. Young players from Karachi, Lahore, Sialkot and Faisalabad often find that UK schools add structure — indoor training through winter, weekly fixtures, and links to county cricket.
Most UK senior schools set an online assessment in English and Mathematics, and many use UKiset. Interviews are held online for families in Pakistan, so no UK travel is needed before an offer.
We work through the full cost picture with families in Pakistan, including the parts schools do not always highlight in their prospectus.
Boarding fees of £25,000–£50,000+ convert to roughly PKR 9 million–PKR 18 million a year at current rates. Extras include registration fees, acceptance deposits, flights, guardianship, uniform and school trips.
Schools award academic, cricket, music and all-rounder scholarships. Cricket scholarships are usually assessed by video, school or club references, and a record of performances in Pakistan.
After a place is confirmed, the school issues a CAS for a Child Student visa. Boarders under 18 need a UK-based guardian, and direct flights from Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad to Heathrow or Manchester are available.
We have written a detailed, free guide for families in Pakistan covering entry points, fees in local currency, cricket pathways, UKiset, visas and guardianship.
Identify schools where your child’s cricket can develop alongside their education.
Find schools that match your child’s academic ambitions, interests and future plans.
Receive individual support navigating UK independent-school options and admissions.
Study at a leading UK school while developing your cricket — a natural next step for talented young players from Pakistan. We identify schools with strong UK school cricket, coaching pathways and cricket scholarship opportunities.
A £30,000–£50,000 a year decision deserves more than a brochure. Here is what you get.
Years inside British independent education, not a directory of names.
We know which schools genuinely develop young cricketers, and which don’t.
Guidance built around overseas families and the realities of boarding.
A shortlist shaped around your child, budget and long-term plans.
Registration, assessments, interviews, offers, visas and guardianship.
Pupils placed at schools such as King’s Taunton and Christ College Brecon.
“We started from Lahore with no idea which UK schools even took international boarders. CRICED narrowed it to three schools, prepared our son for UKiset, and he now has an offer from a school with a strong cricket programme.”
“My daughter wanted to keep playing serious cricket while studying for A Levels. CRICED found a school that respected both her academics and her sport, and guided us through the visa paperwork.”
UK independent schools offer small class sizes, specialist subject teaching and well-established GCSE, A Level and IB pathways, with structured support for university applications in the UK and beyond.
Many UK schools run established cricket programmes with qualified coaches, indoor and outdoor facilities, and a full fixture calendar through the summer term, alongside links to county and club cricket.
Boarding builds independence, routine and confidence. Beyond the classroom, pupils take part in music, drama, service and a wide range of sports as part of everyday school life.
Pupils live and learn alongside classmates from across the UK and around the world, gaining fluency in a British academic environment that many families value long after school.
Tell us a little about your child and we’ll help you identify the UK independent and boarding schools worth considering for Pakistani students.
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Criced made what felt impossible feel straightforward. Within months, our son had an offer and a cricket scholarship to a school we had only dreamed of.
The team understood cricket, but more importantly they understood me. They found a school where I could develop as a player and still aim for top universities.
As a head of admissions, I value partners who send us well-prepared, well-matched candidates. Criced does exactly that.
My family spoke to Criced and they were very helpful in navigating a path into the UK school system.
Working with the team throughout my school application process was a really positive experience. From the beginning, I was given the opportunity to explore a number of different schools, which helped me understand my options and decide which environment would be the best fit for me. Throughout the process, I was supported with arranging school visits, understanding the different opportunities available and navigating each stage of the application. I never felt pressured towards one particular school; instead, I felt that the focus was on helping me make the right decision for myself.
I am extremely grateful for the support and guidance provided throughout my brother's application to King's College Taunton. Having attended King's myself, it was particularly important to me that the process was handled properly and that my brother was given the best opportunity to follow a similar pathway. From the beginning, the service was professional, responsive and thorough. Every stage of the application was handled with care, making what can often be a stressful process feel straightforward and well organised. I would confidently recommend their services to any family looking for knowledgeable and reliable guidance when applying to schools in the UK. Their experience, attention to detail and genuine commitment to helping students find the right opportunity made a real difference to our family.
Tell us about your child and we will reply with the UK schools worth considering, realistic costs in your currency and the next steps. No fee, no obligation.
Every child is different. Tell us what you’re looking for and we’ll help you understand the UK school options available.