Education received in the UK, for many years, is considered to be prestigious both from the academic point of view, and with the educational. This is not surprising, because the British educational system has been formed for years, relying on the best traditions of classical education. Today, it harmoniously combines the valuable experience of the past, modern technologies and new educational techniques that make it possible to keep pace with the times.
That is why the equipment of the leading British private schools and the curriculum are often not worse than in the universities. In addition, in modern, frequent schools in England, there is less emphasis on the rigor and obedience of students, as before. Now much more attention is paid to supporting students and creating a comfortable atmosphere for them. Nowadays, the educational program of English boarding schools is designed to raise a personality in schoolchildren and adolescents that will be comprehensively developed, as well as possess all the qualities that are necessary for adulthood.
In total, there are about 2,000 private schools in Britain, and 1 in 4 is a boarding school. Annually, according to the results of GCSE or A-level final examinations, students of each institution compile a national ranking of schools that are leading in academic terms and not only. The successes of graduates are taken into account both among private secondary schools with a full-time form of education, and in educational institutions with boarding.
In this article, SMAPSE experts will tell you about TOP British schools, which occupy leading positions in the lists of TOP-10, TOP-50 and TOP-100 secondary schools in the United Kingdom.
According to the ranking agency Te Telegraph in 2017, the list of prestigious, leading and advanced schools in the UK included the following:
- Cardiff Sixth Form College
- The Perse School, Cambridge
- Westminster School
- King's College School Wimbledon (private day school of King's College School Wimbledon)
- Queen Ethelburga's College, York (College of Queen Ethelburg in York)
- Concord College, Shrewsbury (Concord School in Shrewsbury)
- City of London School for girls
- Haberdashers' Monmouth School for boys
- St. John's College, Cardiff
- King Edward's School, Birmingham
- Magdalen College School, Oxford
- North London Collegiate School (Northern London Collegiate School)
- Royal Grammar School Guildford (Royal Grammar Guildford School)
- Alleyn's School, Dulwich
- Haberdashers' Monmouth School for girls
- The Faculty of Queen Ethelburga's (the department of Queen Ethelburga School in York)
- Brighton College
- St. Mary's School Ascot (St. Mary's School in Ascot)
- Hampton School (a school for boys in Hampton).
British schools take the first positions in the world lists of the best scientific institutions, because they meet the key requirements for educational institutions of the European level. These are teachers who are graduates of prestigious universities, these are the results of final examinations of students, this is a great infrastructure of school campuses (equipping audiences, various sites for research, as well as sports or creativity, personal library, residence, dining room, medical center, laundry and much more. ), a rich extracurricular program, etc.
When choosing an English school, SMAPSE experts recommend to pay attention to a few nuances that will help you make the most accurate choice:
- disciplines in the institution that will be important in the future for your child
- qualifications of the teaching staff (especially the teachers in the relevant subjects)
- information about graduates' admission to TOP universities in Britain
- confirmation of these indicators in different rankings
Thus, you can choose for your child the best school, after which he will be able to enter the university in demanded specialties.
How to enter an English school: admission and tuition fees
Parents who understand all the benefits of studying at school abroad, in particular in England, as a rule, immediately ask themselves how to proceed and what is needed for this. The answer is simple - a foreign student can become a student of one of the British private schools in the event that he meets several criteria. First of all, entering an English school will require the student to pre-linguistic (and sometimes academic) preparation - this is due to some difference between educational systems.
For admission, foreign students also must successfully pass exams - usually Mathematics and English, but some schools add to this list natural sciences. Usually, applicants are tested several months before the start of the school year. In addition, all students undergo a personal interview with representatives of the admissions office of the school. Also, a future student of the British school should prepare, translate into English and send to the potential educational institution the following list of documents:
- A report card with grades that reflects the student's progress in the last 2-3 years of schooling in a secondary school
- Certificate of English proficiency (IELTS or TOEFL)
- Recommendation letters with the characteristics of a student from teachers of Mathematics and English
- Motivation letter or essay of the applicant.
This is the minimum list of required papers, depending on the conditions of a particular school, this one can be expanded or changed.
Usually, British institutions start accepting applications from foreign students in February-March, and the review begins in May-June. After that, the student receives a response - an invitation to the school, or a notice about the inclusion of the student in the reserve list. In order to increase the chances, students abroad send applications not in one educational institution, but immediately in several. SMAPSE experts encourage parents and students to follow a similar strategy.
As for the question of financial costs, the cost of studying at a British private school will largely depend on the institution: a boarding school or a day school, location in a large city or suburb, the total number of students and many other factors.
On average, for one year of study in a British private school, a foreign student will need about 20,000-25,000 pounds sterling. The cost of studying in England may not be the lowest, but the money invested and time will necessarily pay off in the future, and the child will be grateful to you for the opportunity to have a really high-quality education and get an unforgettable life experience.
