The characteristics of admission to private schools in London depend on the chosen educational institution - each school has its own procedures. Therefore, an action plan is usually developed after creating a list of several schools that the student will enter. Applications to most educational institutions are made online, which greatly simplifies the life of potential students from other countries. However, the documentation must fully comply with the school's criteria - the presence of inaccuracies reduces the chances of admission, as it does not describe the prospective student in the best light.
How to choose the right school in London?
What types of secondary schools are available in the UK?
Schools can be divided into two main types - private and public. This is an obvious fact known to everyone living in this country. But perhaps not everyone knows that although only 7% of school-age children attend private schools, according to various sources, Oxbridge (the UK's most prestigious university, Oxford and Cambridge) goes there from private schools. Although not all private schools offer a strong academic education and can boast final exam results and graduates to top universities. There are many private schools with completely different goals and objectives and completely different outcomes. While there are very strong public schools that will present opportunities for many private schools.
Public Schools
If first assess the level of academic preparation and the makeup of the child, then can distinguish between two main types of public schools - selective and non-selective. Simply put, these are those that enroll based on test scores, and those that do not require testing. Traditionally, elite schools are known as grammar schools and non-elite comprehensive schools.
Choosing a school in London
If you decide that your child needs an academically strong school, it makes sense to start the selection process by following these options.
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Explore school rankings
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Choose a school that you can visit geographically
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Attend an open day at the selected school
From point one to point five, you will gradually select the few schools that interest you. As a result, the initial confusion will be simplified and streamlined into a neat list which is already available.
More about the stages of selection.
Ratings
Yes, many copies are broken when it comes to criticism of rating philosophy, preparation methods, criteria selection, rating trust, objectivity, etc. Nevertheless, it is difficult to imagine a more adequate first step in the process of choosing a strong school. In any case, test scores (i.e., they are the main criteria for compiling rankings) demonstrate the academic level of graduates, their competitiveness, and their prospects of entering a top university.
School location
Of course, ratings cover the entire territory of the UK, and it is unlikely that you live in a very specific place and are prepared to move to another city or another county in order to attend school. Although some families do just that. However, let's not go to extremes and take for granted that you are looking for a school that is easily accessible from your home. Of course, if you decide to go to a public school, then you need to check their coverage area. So, naturally, only a few of the top 20 schools will remain on your list.
Open Days
Of course, open days are an obvious and wonderful tool that should be actively used. They are run by both private and public schools. You will be able to hear the director speak about the school's mission, policies, values, methodology, principles, results and outlook. The director's character determines a lot in the school and is worth listening and watching carefully. You will also take a tour of the school, with the students acting as guides. Try to take the initiative and ask the children if they like the school and what they think of it. This happens to be very useful. Talk to the teachers. Prepare a list of questions ahead of time. Try to use your tour time as efficiently as possible, but don't forget that the open house is where they are going to show you pictures and draw your own conclusions.
What documents are needed to get into a private school in the UK?
There is no single answer to this question - educational institutions provide a full list of documents on their websites and in their applicant handbooks. Many schools will list things like "other documents (if any)" so that you can add to the package.
Documents required for admission.
Current school academic record information - sometimes required for the current academic year only, and in some cases for the first two or three academic years. Often, educational institutions will require transcripts, which are excerpts indicating subjects passed, credit hours, and grades. Teacher Recommendations - The number of these documents may also vary. In some places, a letter from the classroom teacher or principal will suffice; in others, letters of recommendation from English and math teachers will be required. Student Behavior Report or Student Profile - Some schools require that student behavior records be released as a separate document that has been carefully reviewed. However, the document may still be referred to as an additional document.
Of course, these documents must be translated into English.
Cost of studying at the best secondary schools in London
There are many schools in London. Their tuition fees can vary considerably, although it cannot be said that the higher the rating of the school, the higher the cost of education.
The cost of education consists of the following components.
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the tuition fee for one semester.
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a non-refundable registration fee (about £150).
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Tuition fee deposit (starting at £1,000, currently averaging £3,000 in London, sometimes reaching 50% of the first three months, or over £3,000. The refund of the deposit is subject to timely notice of departure - usually on the first day of the last trimester or the last day of the penultimate trimester).
You will also need to consider the cost of circles, sections and clubs, lunches, uniforms, trips, etc.
Don't forget that there are many state schools in London and education is provided free of charge. Some schools excel at A levels or otherwise, but if it is a state school, you don't have to worry about someone sending a bill home.
The problem with public schools is that they are extremely competitive and the entry requirements are quite high. There are also some very good schools in London where you don't need to pass an exam. The main problem is getting into these schools because they recruit where they live and the radius from home to school is usually reduced to a few hundred meters