Getting education in the UK has long been considered prestigious and high-quality. Before choosing an educational institution, it is necessary to properly study the accepted terminology. There are private, public and independent schools in the country. They are all paid. Getting acquainted with the advertising brochures of schools, it is difficult to understand the system of training, examinations and other subtleties. To thoroughly understand, it is best to contact the educational agency. Experts will help to make the right choice and not make a mistake in such an important matter, requiring courage and determination.
Adaptation of children from abroad in British schools
They are welcome guests, especially in boarding schools in England . The reasons are simple:
- foreign children fill in the available places;
- their tuition and living expenses are paid;
- most of them are diligent and work hard;
- they are neat in the way of life.
Children from Asia very often play well on musical instruments and successfully join school orchestras.
The demand for foreign students in British schools is much higher than the supply. For British children in schools and boarding schools there are not so many places.
When choosing a school , parents should not be guided only by her fame. It is possible that the rules adopted in it to your child will not work.
Top criteria for admission to school-board with high rating
- good and excellent performance in the native school;
- a sufficiently high level of knowledge of the English language, free spoken language;
- age. British schools accept children under 11 years old, as well as 13- and 16-year-olds. Some take and 14-year-olds. Age 15 years falls in the middle of the programGCSE - the end of high school in England and the receipt of the diploma of incomplete secondary education, and 17 years - in the middle A-level , and therefore these children are not accepted.
Registration in school should begin in advance
The choice and registration of income can not be postponed until the last moment, as some parents do. Begin the study of British schools for a year or even two before the planned start of the child's study abroad. It is possible that your child is not yet fluent in English. In such cases, it is wise to contact the educational agency and pick up a quality summer language school that will help the child improve the level of preparation for regular studies. Well, if the summer school offers exactly the one where the entry is planned.
Weekends and holidays need to be taken care of
Get information about the schedule of the weekends and holidays of the selected school. In Britain, there are three types of schools:
- Weekly, in which children learn from Monday to Friday and leave on weekends;
- Flexi, where students choose themselves, stay at school for the weekend or leave;
- Full time - boarding schools. They have a day off program and one or two fixed days off for a semester. This is the most convenient option for foreign students who may have nowhere to go on holiday.
Children under 18 years will be appointed British guardian , which can be contacted on any issue. The guardianship agencies working in the country will help you choose a curator who will meet the child at the airport and escort him to the school and take care of him on vacation. If parents have friends in Britain, they can take custody of themselves.
About critical situations
And if the child is seriously offended during his studies? Parents must learn about the rules of the school for such cases. Sometimes the exclusion from school takes place very quickly, and one must be prepared for such a situation.
After the exams
In some schools it is customary to send children home for vacation right after the exams are over, without waiting until the official end date of the semester. This is not suitable for everyone. If this is not your option, choose a school that provides a program of activities from the end of the exams to the official end of the course.
Admission after 16 years
If your child has successfully passed the GCSE final exams, he can continue to study for two-year programs A-level, Pre-U or IB. But a number of private schools in England take on these programs of children only from the age of 16.
You can apply immediately to the A-level without taking GCSE exams, if the child has studied well in Russia. However, you need to know in advance about the availability of vacancies - some students for a number of reasons do not continue their studies in high school. Places in good schools are not released very often, so entering at 11 and 13 years is still a bit easier than at 16.
In most schools, the selection and selection process starts in September and October, which precedes admission. The list of available seats is offered no later than December. After that, it is very difficult to find a free place in the school. So try to get on the waiting list and monitor the appearance of the place in the chosen school. Students can switch to another program, do not pass the entrance tests, leave for family reasons, so the chance can always be found.
Summer language school is a great chance to improve knowledge
Learning English at a British summer school will give the child the opportunity to improve their knowledge and clearly see what life awaits him. Choose courses approved by the British Council, an organization that controls education. Information can be obtained from professional education consultants abroad.
International Training Centers
Many schools and colleges in Britain specially organize International Training Centers for those children whose English is not good enough for full A-level training. There take children 12-13 years old, at this age they perfectly adapt to the new environment and receive quality knowledge that will help them when entering school.
Features of preparation for exams and selection criteria for students
The vast majority of schools provide alternative examinations and entry requirements specifically for children from abroad.
Many schools allow children to take entrance exams at the school's standards at home in the educational agency.
Some schools select only the most successful and gifted children, others enroll all.
The minimum required for admission to most schools is tests in English and mathematics.
Professional help in choosing schools
Our agency will help you find the best school for your child for summer and continuing education, choose a prestigious university in the UK.
Our principle is an individual approach to each client. We offer a unique service - managing your order at each stage - or simply help you make the final choice.
Our managers are in practice familiar with the British educational system, they are in many schools and understand the importance of the right choice.
We work professionals, the agency provides assistance at reasonable prices.
Consultations of our independent specialists guarantee the most successful choice of an institution suitable for your child.
Sources of information about schools can be published ratings, interviews with foreigners, representatives of the British Council and British embassies abroad. But do not rely only on the information received from them. If possible, visit the school yourself or send a trusted person who knows your child well. Talk with the headmaster and the teachers - you can learn and understand very much on the spot.
