Albemarle Independent College

• Location: London, England
• Number of students: about 130
• Language of instruction: English
• Type: mixed.

Albemarle Independent College is an award-winning independent college for Sixth Form students from public and private schools, offering extensive A-Level and GCSE programs in science, computer science and mathematics, business and humanities, languages, arts and literature.

The institution has two goals – to help students succeed in exams and to provide them with a basis for further development, including career guidance and internships. Each student at Albermarle has a personal tutor who monitors his progress and helps them complete academic tasks. Mentors also provide assistance in the direction of future careers.

The college is famous for its excellent A-Level results: all full-time students achieve 100% of the passing score, receiving an average of 88% A*-B grades.

Students are provided with a complete set of notes for each subject, and homework is set at the end of each lesson. Students must complete all assignments on time, employees monitor all coursework.

The assessment program includes weekly tests for each subject and formal mock exams once a month. Experience shows that regular testing is important to improve the effectiveness of exams. Students who do not cope well with the learning material are assigned supervised sessions and receive additional assistance. They are also taught self-education skills and exam techniques, and their personal tutor gives advice on how to improve their scores.

Formal reports are compiled each month and are available online on the college's website, and parents and students can also view previous reports for comparison. 

Parent Evenings are held during the fall and spring periods, when parents can discuss a student's progress with their teachers and principal. During half-semesters, students receive material to review. The college offers special courses to improve essay writing and numeracy skills.

Albemarle has partnerships with a number of organisations providing student accommodation. A wide range of rooms, suites, flats and suites will allow each student to find a suitable place to stay. Basically, residential complexes differ in the age of residents, rental costs, availability of food and proximity to educational buildings.

Students under the age of 18 can only live independently if they live with a guardian from Britain. If there are no relatives in the country, students are offered host families for at least one semester, who provide half board with breakfast and dinner.

Students over the age of 18 can choose from three options:

• Host family,
• Student residence,
• Rent a house or apartment.

There are many organizations to choose from. Some of the popular with a price for accommodation in single, double rooms:

• Sandeman Allen House Hostel: 167-220£,
• Lero Property: 250-650£,
• Chapter Living Spitalfields: 289-380£,
• Chapter Living White City: 244-350£,
• Hosts International: 145-250£,
• The Curve, Whitechapel: 254£,
• Leinster House, Bayswater: 109, 50£.

The institution's extracurricular program, aimed at enriching and developing students, allows them to choose their favorite thing from a wide range of extracurricular and recreational activities. Students have the opportunity to take part in a music or film club, a photographers' association, a college magazine, a student council, a variety of cultural trips, and social events.

The most active of the student clubs are:

• Music Club

Thanks to cooperation with local organizations, such as the London School of Modern Piano, students can take individual lessons in playing musical instruments.

• Photography and Film Club

Students watch films of different genres and in different languages together, participate in the creation of short films and cartoons. Photographers lead street, studio photo shoots together with professionals.

• College Media Magazine

Every year students publish hundreds of articles, photo reports, puzzles, quests and jokes.

• Student Council

This group is focused on harmonious communication between students and college staff. Also, the guys are engaged in events and parties and manage grocery stores on the education grounds.

• Cultural trips

In the spring, all students participate in a week-long journey to European cities and capitals. Students devote the whole week to entertainment: bicycle tours, cooking courses for cooking pizza and ice cream in Italy, tango lessons in Spain, sightseeing and much more.

• Mathematical command

This competition is dedicated to various mathematical problems and the development of teamwork skills. Every year, the Albemarle team is a leader among local colleges.

Each week of the college is marked by a sports competition – students compete in team and individual directions, each time proving the superiority of the college and its sports curriculum. Sports activities include football, tennis, swimming, volleyball and basketball, badminton, aerobics and the gym.

• Excellent results of final exams over the past ten years: A*-B scores for more than 80% of graduates.
• Individual support from mentors on all issues.
• Teaching staff with many years of experience, including as examiners.
• Cooperation with leading universities in the UK: Oxford, Cambridge, LSE, Warwick, Nottingham and others. Through the partnership, college students have the opportunity to receive university scholarships.

The college campus is located in central London, making it easily accessible and close to the attractions of city life. School buildings are adjacent to Park Lane in Mayfair, Hyde Park and Marble Arch Tube Station. Students have the opportunity to use the resources of the British Library, visit museums, participate in social events and explore the cuisines of different parts of the world in restaurants, cafes and nightclubs.

Education can be considered really effective and exciting, because many different rooms are equipped for the process: lecture classes, laboratories, halls for self-education and extracurricular circles, sports departments and much more. Students can use the entire campus infrastructure during weekdays.

Classes are held from September to mid-summer. The schedule includes five education days from 9:00 to 17:00. Each lesson lasts 50 minutes, there are breaks between them. Individual and additional lessons are held on Saturdays.

Additional costs:

• Supplement to the international fee – £3000 per year,
• Registration fee – 250£,
• Use of subject laboratories – £500 per year per item,
• Materials for art, photography – £ 500 per subject annually,
• Deposit – £ 1250 before the start of the semester,
• Accommodation, meals,
• Public transport, leisure activities off campus.

To enter the college, you must fill out a questionnaire on the official website. After receiving a response from the admissions committee, all applicants undergo a personal interview with the director, following which enrollment takes place.

In the 2021 academic year, students of the one-year A-Level program received places at many leading universities in the UK, including Cambridge, Imperial, UCL, London School of Economics, Warwick, Edinburgh, Bristol and Durham.

For admission to Albemarle Independent College, applicants must provide:

• Certificate of the last passed stage of schooling, scorecard,
• Personal documents: foreign passport, medical insurance, student visa, etc.,
• The results of the English language test: TOEFL, IELTS, Duolingo, etc. If the language knowledge does not reach the required minimum, the applicant can enroll in EFL courses.

Albemarle has partnerships with a number of leading uk universities. Students are selected for scholarships at Oxford, Cambridge, LSE, Warwick, Imperial and Nottingham universities by co-heads James Aitle and Beverly Mellon. 

Many students are provided with full or partial scholarships in a variety of degree programs, including economics, engineering, business, computer science, accounting, mathematics, and medical sciences.

• Guardianship services during the studies
• Student supervision