Which English school should I send my child to? What is the atmosphere in schools? Such questions are in the minds of parents planning to give a profound education to their child.
How to choose a program and school?
The choice of school depends on the school background of each student, as well as his level of English at the time of applying to the school. It is important to take into account the child’s hobbies so that at school the favorite sport or type of creativity is at a high level. These are some points on how to prepare your child for school.
A child with an intermediate level of English (pre-intermediate) should try one trimester in a British school or start with the Pre-GCSE summer program at 13-14 years old: such programs last from 2 weeks. For admission to the GCSE program, it is recommended to smoothly integrate children into the British education system, help in language and academic terms, one of such schools is Sherborne International or Queen Ethelburga’s College.
For stronger students of 15-16 years old with a language level of at least an intermediate, you can enroll in the one-year IGCSE or Pre-A-level program: such a program will give good preparation before the A-level or IB Diploma.
For admission to leading universities and Russell groups in the UK, it is recommended to look at schools that rank high. And especially pay attention to the ratings of preparation of foreign students for admission to leading universities. In the list of such strong, rating schools, one can single out MPW London, Cambridge, Birmingham.
For those students who are fond of art, painting, design, it is recommended to choose a school in London or in the vicinity: the capital is full of cultural life, and there are many opportunities to visit exhibitions, theaters, as well as participate in international competitions.
For young athletes, schools more remote from London with a huge territory and spacious sports grounds are suitable.
4 classical English schools to choose
During a tour of the UK schools, an editor visited 4 English schools to talk with the management, assess the level of education and atmosphere, see how the students live and made a brief description of each.
Sedbergh school is a classic full board school in the north of Great Britain that combines the traditions of English education with good discipline, and students from England stay at school during the holidays. Sedbergh school is a very strong school in terms of academic preparation, sports and arts.
Giggleswick College is a new school opened, large enough, where at the moment there are no foreign-speaking children at all. The school has strong preparation for admission to first-choice universities, in addition, the supervisors offer alternative options where the student can go according to the requirements.
Stonyhurst school – the school is suitable for those who are fond of history, philosophy, literature. By the way, the famous writer Arthur Conan Doyle studied at this school. The school is in the old classical English style, surrounded by picturesque nature, but at the same time keeps pace with the times, offering both A-level and IB Diploma programs.
Rossall school is an excellent classical school, famous for the A-level and IB Diploma programs. There is also a preschool building at the school, when my child start school from 4 years old. The school has a huge territory on the coast of Great Britain near Fleetwood.
In all schools, there is an atmosphere of mentoring and respect for students on the part of teachers, tolerance, as well as a desire to help everyone achieve the best results, to reveal everyone’s personality.
But the discipline in English schools is quite strict: a student can be expelled from school for not attending classes or failing to fulfill the curriculum. In any case, the school monitors this situation, notifies the agent or family in advance about the learning outcomes and missing classes, in order to help the student cope with difficulties together.
How to enroll in the chosen school?
Requirements for admission to an English school depend on the class (year) in which the student goes:
- At the GCSE program level, it is enough to pass the school’s internal tests (usually English and mathematics) and online interviews.
- At the A-level or IB Diploma level, it is advisable to already pass IELTS, so that the student is admitted immediately to the program without additional language training. A mandatory requirement is also an extract of grades for the last 3 years of study and the presence of additional certificates and diplomas.
It is recommended to start training at least half a year or even a year in advance, since in schools with a good reputation, places for foreign children fill up early.