The Times

British independent schools are attracting record numbers of Chinese pupils as China's new elite seek the prestige of a traditional English education. More than a thousand Chinese pupils have entered Britain's leading boarding schools this term, double the number five years ago. Many are the offspring of China's new wealthy entrepreneurial classes, who can comfortably afford £20,000-a-year boarding fees, but there are some from more modest backgrounds. Most of the pupils arrive to do A levels, with the aim of gaining entry to one of Britain's leading universities, where they hope to gain professional qualifications, mainly in the sciences, accountancy, business studies and economics.