General Information about Choosing a School in the UK
Introduction One of the most important decisions that a parent makes for their child is the choice of school. Finding the right school is difficult enough for a family resident in the UK, and is a matter of great anxiety for parents moving to this country who are not familiar with its complicated and diverse education system. Our aim is to eliminate the worry and anxiety parents experience when faced with having to find schools in an unknown area. Guided by our experience and knowledge of education, parents can make decisions about schools for their children with confidence. We identify places in schools that will best suit your child and make your child’s transition to a new school in a new country or area as smooth and seamless as possible. The choice of school is dictated by the geographical restrictions of the family’s home, the availability of places, the fees (if the school is independent) and the type of school that will suit the child. It is a good idea to plan ahead especially if you are looking for places in independent, fee paying schools. Pressure for places can be great at popular independent schools but acting early increases your chance of securing a place. It is not so easy to plan ahead if you are looking for places in state schools. In areas where schools are undersubscribed places can usually be kept for six weeks, which does not include holidays. This gives a family a few weeks to find a home and move in before the term starts. For example if you found a place at the beginning of June it would be kept for your child until the beginning of the autumn term in September. However, in areas where schools are heavily oversubscribed, for example in London and its surrounding areas and in other big cities, your application may only be processed when you can prove you have an address in the area. State schools are free and independent schools are fee paying. Many state schools are very good and offer an excellent education. There are 164 state grammar in the country that nearly all offer an exceptional secondary education to children who pass an academically selective entrance test. Most independent schools offer a broader curriculum, smaller classes, more sport, music and drama, a greater variety of extra curricular activities and trips, and generally have better facilities than state schools. State schools and many independent schools follow the National Curriculum and offer GCSEs (General Certificate of Secondary Education) and A (Advanced) levels. Many independent schools and a few state schools offer the International Baccalaureate (IB) as well as, or some cases instead of A levels in the 6th form, Years 12 and 13, which are the last 2 years of school. Parents coming from abroad often want their children to continue to be educated in the system of your home country particularly if they have a child who is in the middle of preparing for national examinations. There are many National schools in England but nearly all of them are based in and around London and the south east. These include American, German, French, Japanese, Hellenic, Swedish and Spanish schools. The obvious benefit of sending children to a good, local state school is that it is free. Attending a local school will mean that your child will make friends locally and will be able to walk to school. It will also give your child the experience of an English cultural environment. They will enter a system that will allow them to move seamlessly to other British schools sited throughout the world as far apart as Stockholm and Singapore. Places however are very tight in good state schools. If there are no spaces in state schools near your home your child may be allocated a place in a school that is some distance from your home. The benefits of a state education may not be so appealing when faced with the prospect of spending hours travelling each day. Travel problems are prevalent in London and other popular locations. The British system is very exam-based. It is difficult for children to enter a secondary school after they have turned 14/15 if they do not speak English fluently. It is not generally possible for children to join in Year 11 (age 15/16) and Year 13 (age 17/18) when pupils are in the middle of 2 year courses. (click here for more details regarding the school year in the UK) Although all British state schools follow the same curriculum there are many different types of schools throughout the country including First, Middle, Primary Junior and Secondary which all transfer at different ages. Some areas have Grammar schools which are academically selective. Some Comprehensives select a proportion of their entry. A growing number of state secondary schools offer the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma course as well as the traditional Advanced Level (A Level) examinations in Years 12 and 13. There is an increasing shortage of places at the good state schools, due to increasing birth-rates and greater demand from parents feeling the pinch from the economic crisis and are no longer sending their children to independent schools. Although the state system is generally good, some schools are better than others. It is not easy to identify the good schools just by looking at the league tables, examination results and inspection reports. School Guidance can help you select the right school. For entry into any British school, children need a basic level of English. This is not so crucial in the early primary stage, as children absorb a new language quickly and English language support will quickly bring a young child up to standard. A good level of English is vital for secondary age pupils who are planning to take external examinations. Families who are relocating to the UK or are moving within the UK and looking for places for their children at a state school in a new location are often faced with a seemingly impossible task. The Local Authority will not accept your Application for a place until you have a home and can prove that you are living in the area. If your child is not offered a place at your preferred school you are entitled to go to appeal. Independent Schools in the United Kingdom pride themselves on the quality and breadth of education they provide and on their academic performance. Independent Schools are fee-paying, privately owned and are attended by approximately 7 per cent of the population. Classes are smaller than in state schools and more attention is given to individuals pupils. Academic and sporting standards are generally higher and resources are usually better in independent schools. Independent schools usually provide a broader academic curriculum than state schools. The majority of the pupils who go to independent schools come from families who are very supportive and have high expectations for their children. Independent schools provide a wider range of extra curricular activities than state schools and give their pupils the chance to achieve success and build self confidence in many different areas. Most independent schools place greater emphasis on sport than state schools and encourage pupils to take part in a wider range of sporting activities. Independent schools are fee paying. The level of the fee depends on the location of the school and the type of school. In general the nearer the school is to London the greater will be the fees. The average termly day fee at a day school is around £3,400.00. Independent schools are very individual and have their own character and ethos. School Guidance can help you find the school which is best suited to your child. There are many excellent independent boarding schools in the UK. The majority of them are situated outside London in the countryside. Many schools that take boarders also have day pupils. If your child is going to board it is important to find out if the school has a large number of boarders who stay at school over the weekend. Many so called boarding schools are practically empty at the weekend as the majority of the boarders weekly board and go home at the weekend. The days when English boarding schools were renowned for their long, Spartan dormitories and cold showers have all but disappeared. A large number of schools have spent considerable sums of money on ensuring that their boarding houses provide the comforts of a family home. Boarding was on the decline in the UK but is now again popular, especially for the older student. Schools pride themselves on their sport, music, drama and cultural activities. Many activities, such as clubs, rehearsals, matches and performances take place at the weekend. Boarding school life teaches young people how to get on with each other and turns out students who are self confident and know where they are going in life. It is also felt that having all the facilities at the school enables the pupils to experience a large number of different activities in a safe environment and gives them the time to pursue their interests to the full. A number of independent boarding schools offer courses for pupils who need to improve their English language skills. International Study Centres offer a good way into English independent boarding schools for pupils coming from abroad. Most boarding schools run a full timetable that starts early in the morning and finishes late in the evening and includes school on Saturday. This tradition allows these schools to provide sport, music and drama and extra curricula activities at a very high level. A significant part of the week (including Saturday afternoon and often Wednesday afternoons) is dedicated to Games. Many parents, when considering a British independent education for their children, are astonished to find that many of the schools that take boarders as well as day pupils require the pupils to attend on Saturday. There are Saturday morning classes at the majority of the senior boarding schools until midday. On Saturday afternoon teams play matches against other schools. This is very much the “Independent Boarding School Ethos”. Most boarding schools operate a 6 day week and Saturday is just another school day and cannot be missed. If you are living abroad and want to send your children back to the UK to board School Guidance can help you to find the school that is best suited to your child and can help your through the application process. INTERNATIONAL BACCALAUREATE (IB) Many people consider that the International Baccalaureate (IB)is the most suitable academic programme for children of internationally relocating parents. The IB Diploma was created by educationalists in post-war Europe who saw the need for rigorous, holistic and internationally-sensitive curriculum with transferrable qualifications for pupils who moved round the world with their families. The ideal of using the IB as a means of developing international awareness and understanding was part of the vision of the founders. They hoped that IB students would become a new generation of multi-lingual, broad-minded and balanced internationalists who would make their mark in diplomatic, industrial, financial and charitable organisations worldwide. The International Baccalaureate Diploma is a two-year pre-university programme that incorporates academic breadth as well as opportunities for specialisation in six academic subject areas: first and second language, a humanities subject, a science, a mathematics course, and either a creative arts, ancient languages or school-designed course, or another of the previously mentioned five courses. IB pupils must also engage in ‘CAS’, ‘Creativity, Activity, Service’ Through CAS pupils participate in an additional 150 hours developing their creative interests, partaking in physical activity and sport, and in community service. They also take part in a critical thinking course called the Theory of Knowledge. They must also write a 4,000 word research paper on a subject of their choice. The syllabus is very broad and the method of study encourages critical thinking and comparisons of cultures and systems. It is best suited to students who are well organised, highly motivated and are good all-rounders. The international character of the IB Diploma is evident in many ways. Schools are given a degree of latitude as to the topics to be studied within the academic areas. These reflect the history, environment and culture of the host country or region, and the countries of origin of the pupils. Pupils relate their knowledge to their own history and culture with the added benefit of learning about the countries of their classmates’ origin. Pupils develop a world view and tolerance for other cultures. The IB Primary Years Programme (PYP) is for children ages 3-11, and the IB Middle Years Programme (MYP) for pupils aged 11-16. These programmes embody the same characteristics as the Diploma. They are broad-based and academically rigorous and focus on inquiry and research. They provide the opportunity for pupils to link their learning to their home country and culture. There is no external examination at the end of the MYP which is equivalent to the GCSE in the English system. For international families on the move the IB is a flexible programme that enables students to more or less join at any age and at any point in the academic year. There is an inherent understanding that pupils joining with different educational experiences will require a degree of differentiation in the curriculum. It is more or less expected that teachers in IB programmes will do some modification of the curriculum to accommodate these children. Although each IB school is unique, there is continuity in the programme that feels comfortable and familiar to families transferring between them, and which significantly eases the adjustment process. The IB schools themselves have a network and easily communicate and share information about the pupils and the programme, which makes for a smoother transition. IB examinations are held in May and the results are out in early July. This gives IB applicants a head start in the race for university places because A level results are not published until mid August. The IB is accepted by universities worldwide and this can sometimes be a deciding factor for assignees concerned that their international moves disadvantage their children’s prospects for university admission. London is well served for international schools. All the international follow the IB system. Parents who relocate on a regular basis often opt for an international school for their children as it allows for a smooth transfer into another international school at their destination. Most pupils do not stay longer than 3 years at an international school. This makes for a moving population. New pupils fit in easily and are always welcomed as everyone there has the experience of being a new boy or girl. Students taking A levels usually study three or four subjects in great depth. One advantage that A levels have when compared to the IB Diploma is that students can choose what they want to study, and can mix and match academic and vocational subjects. The IB has, however maintained a high academic standard while A levels have suffered from grade inflation and are becoming increasingly formulaic. Whatever type of school you opt for your new location will dictate what is available and your range of choices. It is essential to look round the schools and if possible to talk to the Head, though the Head is not usually available in busy London senior schools. Expert advice from School Guidance consultancy will save you much time, anxiety and leg work and will give you the confidence and peace of mind in the knowledge that your child will flourish, achieve its potential and be happy at the school you select.
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||
Penny Bysshe.
School Guidance Consultancy Orchard House, High Road, Cookham, Berkshire SL6 9JT Tel. +44 (0)1628 810696. Email. consult@school-guidance.co.uk |
||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
||||||||||||||||||||||