Blog

Once again, we hope you are keeping well, staying safe and staying at home.

During these strange and unsettling times, with the situation ever changing, it can be hard to strike the right balance between taking each day as it comes and looking ahead to when the storm has passed. The British boarding schools we recommend are doing well on that score, adjusting their offering to best serve their students and the communities around them right now, while also ensuring their Admissions departments are staffed and ready to take applications for this September and beyond.

All of us here at Dickinson School Consulting hope that you and yours are staying well at this difficult time.

The coronavirus, and trying to avoid it, is affecting life everywhere in a wide variety of ways and we wanted to provide a brief update as to how the British boarding schools we work with are responding to its many challenges.

Hockey is the main sport during this spring term at many British boarding schools, with high levels of competition across the age ranges and in all parts of the country.

For example, Aldenham School has recently been celebrating the success of its girls’ hockey teams at U14 and U15 level, both having been crowned district champions after winning a competitive tournament against other schools from the local area.

The Sixth Form is the pinnacle of any school. Bridging that gap between childhood and adulthood, preparing the young people in their care for arguably some of the toughest exams of their lives and for life beyond school, all the British boarding schools we work with challenge their Sixth Form students to achieve their potential and be excellent role models for their younger pupils.

The Principal of Gordonstoun, Lisa Kerr, made headlines recently for speaking out about the Scottish boarding school’s decision to ban mobile phones. Here she shares with us her thinking behind the move.

“Our 200 acres of beautiful woodland, classrooms, playing fields and performance spaces are once again noisy with the sound of excited chatter and shared stories.

Truro High School for Girls recently informed us that it is hosting the international debut of an interactive, residential, medical experience this summer – Future Medics LIVE.

Aimed at preparing the next generation of medical, dental and veterinary professionals to gain places on these highly competitive courses, the brand-new, week-long course will offer delegates the chance to follow an in-depth medical course, set in simulated emergency situations and surgery facilities.

Season's Greetings!

Our offices will be closed from Monday 23^rd December until Friday 3^rd January inclusive. We are back as usual from Monday 6^th January!

Dear Gina,

Time flies and we're already more than halfway through term. Charlotte is really happy at Durham, so we wanted to thank you again for your excellent advice.

At every stage of the process we felt the benefit of your individual attention and always had the impression that you really wanted to find the right setting for Charlotte, knowing the schools as you do and getting to know her. That was very reassuring for us, and really important as we negotiated the jungle that is the British school system and all its various opportunities.

Leighton Park School recently shared a number of updates with us. The first is their brand new website, where you can find out more about this small day and boarding school in Reading, just 30 minutes from London.

At British schools, the Headmaster or Headmistress is not the only head of school. One or more representative from their last year at school is elected or appointed Head Girl and/or Head Boy.