Re:locate magazine, autumn 2005

Right child, right school

Picking a school for your child is particularly tricky if you’re not originally from the UK. The good news is that there are options within both the state and private sectors to suit everyone – Rosy Kempston assesses the possibilities.

The choice of UK school for relocating parents is dictated by four main factors: geography, availability, cost and what is right for your own individual child. If it is possible to plan well ahead, this will help considerably, as pressure for places in good schools within any educational system can be very high.

Nationwide the choice focuses on state or independent schools following the UK national curriculum, with some places offering the International Baccalaureate (IB). In London and the south east the selection is much broader, with different national curricula and international qualifications available. The luxury of choice here includes British, American, International, French, German, Hellenic, Japanese and Swedish schools.

The difference between the British state and independent, fee-paying sectors essentially comes down to cost and class sizes. State schools follow the national curriculum and are free. The education authority (LEA) has to find your child a place at a school if you have a local address or proof of a letting agreement. Schools can also allocate a place in advance of a family moving into an area, if you can provide a letter from your employer giving details of the forthcoming relocation.

State versus independent

The benefits of a strong state school are not only cost-savings, but also the experience that it will give your child of going into an English speaking cultural environment. They will also enter a system that means they can move to British schools throughout the world, and there are many of these as far apart as Stockholm and Hong Kong.

The social experience for a child attending a local school is very important. Gill Bowker, an independent education consultant, points out that it is a big advantage for them to have friends close by, and perhaps to be able to walk to and from school. Inevitably this advantage falls down if the school closest to your address has no free spaces and your child has to spend hours travelling each day. This can be a chronic problem in London and other popular locations, where pressure on school places is tight. There is an appeals process for parents who want to get their children into a specific school, but it is complicated and success is by no means guaranteed.

The British system is also heavily exam-based and this makes for a certain level of inflexibility, particularly when children are gearing up for GCSEs and A’ Levels. Gill Bowker gives the ideal entry cut off age as 12, although there are always exceptions. “We had a 14-year-old girl from the States trying to get into a school in Cheshire. The headmaster just said, ‘don’t worry…we’ll love her and get her through’ – and they did.”

Although British schools follow the same curriculum, it is important to be aware that there can be local differences over the age at which a child transfers from primary to secondary school, selection processes and even the number of terms in an academic year. Although the state system is very good, inevitably some schools are better than others and it is important to seek advice – particularly if moving at short notice. The deciding factor between state and independent schools often comes down to who pays the bill. The costs of a London preparatory day school can be over £10,000, while in the north or midlands it is about £5,000-£7,000 a year. Preparatory schools are cheaper than senior schools, and some girls’ schools are cheaper than boys’ or co-educational education. The cost of senior boarding schools can vary from £17,000 to £22,000 a year.

Peter Jennings, the director of the schools advice service for educational consultants Gabbitas, says the advantage of private, independent education is smaller schools and class sizes, and more individual attention. He also stresses the, “more holistic environment” and the wider range of opportunities available to children. “There is a strong academic focus but also a very well rounded approach that looks at education as a whole – and this includes art, sport, music, drama, IT and many other opportunities.” He says that boarding is particularly important because students learn a complete set of life skills, including excellent communication, tolerance and an ability to get on with other people. All schools have special entry tests for overseas students, and will offer English as a Foreign Language (EFL) support.

One of the leaders in this field is the preparatory boarding school, Windlesham House, near Worthing on the English south coast. It currently caters for 21 different nationalities, including Spaniards, Russians and Japanese, together with a host of British children whose parents are based all over the world. The headmaster Philip Lough says the school offers a much broader education than ordinary primary schools and it encourages children to learn to relate to each other and gain in confidence. EFL tuition is provided in very small groups, or individually, if appropriate.

Says Philip Lough, “When we get a child joining the school from overseas our pastoral system goes into overdrive. The new pupil will have their own child host and special adult tutor, and we make sure that communications are very good between the school and parents.”

IB accepted

At senior level, children at both British state and independent schools take the same GCSEs and A’ Level exams, although an increasing number of schools and colleges are now choosing to follow the International Baccalaureate syllabus instead of A’ Levels. The IB Diploma is recognised and accepted by 1,079 universities worldwide and offered by 49 independent and state schools in the UK from Aberdeen to Cornwall.

For entry into any British school, whether state or fee paying, experts stress that children need a basic level of English. This is not crucial in the early primary stage, as effective English language teaching can quickly bring a young child up to speed. However, it becomes more important when children are older and getting into the serious exam stage.

Peter Jennings from Gabbitas suggests doing a summer course in English, and there are many of these on offer at British or international schools or smaller private language schools throughout the country. An alternative for an older child is to attend one of the International Study Centres, for example at Sherbourne International in Dorset, that offer courses varying from one term to a full academic year, and always on a boarding basis. These will teach academic subjects with a focus on acquiring sophisticated English language skills at the same time.

For those relocated close to London, the choice of school systems expands dramatically. Both the international schools and the American schools emphasise the advantages that they can offer by having flexible systems without the continuous pressure of exams. They make the same point as the British schools; it is important to register as early as possible because a delay could see a child losing a place and ending up at the bottom of a long waiting list. Parents also need to check exactly which system each school offers, as this can vary between the American Preparatory, the IB, the British programmes or a mixture.

Brenda Murray, the deputy head of the International Community School in London, which has 65 nationalities among its pupils, says that a lot of parents are put off the British system by its rigidity and the need to make subject choices very early on. “The international approach is to teach much more on a project basis, which is easier to transfer,” she says, “We develop critical thinking and analytical skills, and encourage children to take responsibility for their own work. It is a learning based, and not a product-led, approach.”

Many educationalists prefer children to keep a link with their own mother tongue while also taking lessons in English. They stress that a complete break with a child’s first language can lead to confusion and lack of learning fluency. The International School of London (ISL) gets round this by teaching classes in 19 different languages. Similarly, Southbank International School, which has three campuses in the heart of London, at Hampstead, Kensington and Westminster, currently teaches 17 different languages in its secondary school. Teaching groups are small – with around 16 pupils per class and a student:teacher ratio of almost 8:1. Like the other international schools, Southbank has long taught the IB programme.

The American system is also flexible and very portable, with schools in and around London. Says Maura Power, director of communications, at TASIS, The American School in England, “Our students can follow the traditional American curriculum and choose Advanced Placement courses, if they qualify, or the International Baccalaureate. Offering a choice helps them find the best fit for their interests and abilities.”

It is worth noting that there is no specific accreditation for primary or secondary schools that ensures recognition by higher education institutions. However, parents are urged to look at statistics that show where former students ended up, and to talk to students or their parents. TASIS, for example gets its students into universities in the UK, the US, Europe and all over the world.

We're all different

Everyone involved with relocating parents and finding schools emphasises that it is vital to choose the right school for your particular child. Recommendation and hearsay is useful, but children are individuals – and what suits one may not be suitable for another. Education consultant Gill Bowker stresses that parents must talk to the head teacher and ask the right questions. These should revolve round details of any buddy system, pastoral care, communicating with parents and English language support. If your child is the only one in the class who has lived overseas, it is helpful to have teachers who can iron out any difficulties that may arise in class or in the playground.

As children get older, it becomes tougher to slot into the British system and their level of English needs to be very good. Moving a youngster aged 15 or 17 is particularly problematic because of imminent GSCEs and A’Levels.

A further factor, often overlooked by overseas parents, is the pattern of school vacations in the UK, which may vary quite significantly from that in other countries. Schools in the UK take an extremely dim view of children missing school during term time to take holidays, as this affects not only their education but also the amount of time teachers and pupils can spend with others if one youngster is continually catching up. It might be worth discussing this at any interview if there are likely to be serious vacation clashes.

The final choice faced by many parents is whether to send their child to boarding school back home and not put them into UK schools at all. Usually this depends on the age of your child, whether your country has adequate boarding schools and whether you have a strong support network at home in case of problems.

Whatever type of school you opt for, the final decision is a matter of common sense. Your new location will dictate what is available and your range of choice. Interviews with head teachers are a must if time allows, and advice from educational relocation specialists is always a good idea.

At the end of the day, though, the UK does have a broad range of schools that offer a good education – and they’re open to those relocating to all parts of the country.

Photo courtesy of Southbank International School