Academic

Exam season is in full swing, with students sitting IB, A Level, BTEC and GCSE papers, so how do British boarding schools prepare pupils for exams? Here are a couple of good examples from two non-selective schools we recommend for encouraging the very best from their students.

‘Summertime and the living is easy.’ Unless you’re a 16- or 18-year-old anxiously awaiting results…

While all our British boarding schools nurture enterprise via Business Studies and/or Economics courses, as well as entering students into schemes such as the Young Enterprise programme, I was struck by recent news from Charterhouse.

Finding the right school for a child is always complex – weighing up their academic strengths and weaknesses, outside interests and talents, and their emotional requirements – and any Special Educational Needs and/or Disabilities (SEND) can further complicate matters. Fortunately, Gina’s years of experience, and her knowledge of the hundreds of boarding schools in England, Scotland and Wales, mean that she can advise on any child’s education.

International Baccalaureate scores are the first external examination results released each year, in early July. As usual, the British boarding schools we work with have done very well, with their students exceeding the global average score of 31.98 out of a possible maximum of 45.

The IB programme is offered by over 3,000 schools all over the world and 170,000 candidates are entered for the diploma each year.

It is no secret that Britain’s attitude towards learning foreign languages would have to be marked “could do better” if it had a school report. Arguably it was ever thus but sadly, in recent years, it has got worse. At too many state schools, children are permitted to drop their language learning in Year 9 and it can be hard to take more than one language to GCSE level, let alone in 6^th Form.

Recently, Ellesmere College was awarded High Performance Learning (HPL) World Class School Accreditation. Following two years of rigorous assessment, the award recognises its hard work and dedication in demonstrating a world class quality of education throughout the school.

As the new academic year gets underway, we’d like to recognise the achievements of students who got their exam results over the summer. Always newsworthy, this past two years’ grades have generated even closer scrutiny due to disruption caused by the pandemic.

This time we turn our attention to the academic side of school life to focus on Classics.

Eminent historian Mary Beard recently announced she would fund scholarships for two students to study Classics at Cambridge University, as a “retirement present” after almost 40 years of teaching and research. Having brought ancient history to a wider, modern audience via television, the Cambridge professor wants to help widen the reach of Classics as a subject.

A recent newsletter from Rossall School reminded us it could be worth highlighting the fact that British boarding schools are suitable for everyone. Of course we could be wrong, but there may be an idea that all schools are highly selective, with daunting entrance examinations ensuring only the most academic of pupils are accepted.