How to carefully plan for children to study in Britain at a young age? The following will be interpreted in detail from three key aspects: British education stage division, application time planning and application school planning to help parents lay a solid foundation for their children‘s future development.
At the moment when the global education level is improving day by day, many parents turn their attention to studying abroad at a young age, and Britain, with a complete education system and the highest academic level in the world, has become one of the popular choices. So how do you carefully plan for your children to study in the UK at a young age? The following will be interpreted in detail from three key aspects: British education stage division, application time planning and application school planning to help parents lay a solid foundation for their children's future development.
Division of educational stages in Britain
British private schools have a long history and excellent educational traditions, and they have always been the focus of many parents when sending their children abroad to study. Such schools are favored by their unique advantages such as small class teaching, comprehensive personalized counseling, high-quality teachers and rich courses. Let's take a closer look at each stage:
1、Primary Education：
In Britain, children start their compulsory education journey at the age of 5, but before that, they can attend a "Reception class" for one year (similar to a large kindergarten class in China), and then formally enter the primary school stage from Year 1. The primary school lasts for 6 years, and usually the children finish their primary school studies around the age of 11. If you want to enter a top public school like "Nine Public Schools", you need to pass a strict entrance examination. Many parents will arrange for their children to attend a preparatory school. Because of their high-quality teachers and perfect curriculum system, they can help their children to lay a solid academic foundation in advance and stand out in the entrance examination.
2. Secondary Education：
The middle school stage is of great significance in the British education system, generally starting from Year 7(11-12 years old). Private schools mostly enroll a large number of new students in Year 7 and Year 9, which are important nodes for application. In Year 10 and Year 11, students will study GCSE courses and take the GCSE test in Year 11 (equivalent to the domestic senior high school entrance examination), and the test results will have a great influence on the subsequent academic planning and further studies. After completing the GCSE exam, students have two main options: one is to continue their studies in Sixth Form(Year 12 and Year 13) and take A-Level or IB courses to prepare for applying for universities; The second is to enter a Vocational School, learn professional skills, and get employment directly or receive higher-level vocational training after graduation.
3. Sixth Form:
In the Sixth Form stage in the UK (Year 12-13), students set out to prepare for university applications. According to their own educational ideas and advantages, private schools provide a variety of curriculum systems for students to choose from, mainly including the following:
A-Level curriculum: This is a traditional and mainstream senior high school curriculum system in Britain. Students generally choose 3-4 subjects for in-depth study and focus on academic research, which is of great help to apply for top universities in Britain.
IB course (International Diploma): Emphasis is placed on the cultivation of comprehensive quality. Students should choose six subjects and complete core courses (expanding papers, knowledge theory courses and creative activity services). This course is widely recognized and suitable for students who intend to apply for global universities.
Pre-U course: a course with more academic challenges, which emphasizes independent research and academic ability, is gradually becoming a characteristic course of some top private schools and is favored by elite universities.
Advantages of British private schools:
Teaching mode: small class teaching (5-15 students in each class) is adopted to ensure full interaction between teachers and students, facilitate teachers to provide personalized counseling and promote students' all-round academic and psychological development.
Curriculum: In addition to traditional academic courses, there are various elective courses such as art, music, drama, sports, science and technology, and international diploma courses (IB) and A-Level courses are also offered to help apply for prestigious schools.
Teaching resources: It has first-class teaching equipment, library, laboratory and sports facilities, and attaches importance to cultivating students' independent thinking and innovation ability, especially in the field of STEM.
Educational philosophy: advocate "holistic education" and pay attention to students' all-round growth, covering moral character, social skills, leadership training, etc. Graduates have obvious advantages when applying for universities (especially for top universities such as Cambridge and Oxford), and private school background and recommendation letters play an outstanding role.
Focus of each education stage:
Primary school: clear the entrance nodes and corresponding preparations, and preparatory primary schools have an auxiliary role in applying for top public schools.
Middle school: The key entry nodes are Year 7 and Year 9. GCSE courses and exams affect the follow-up trend, and there are different development paths after the exam.
Senior High School: Understand the characteristics of different curriculum systems (A-Level, IB, Pre-U) and their suitability for the crowd, so as to facilitate the selection of appropriate courses according to the children's situation and the goal of further education.
Key points of application time for studying abroad at a young age in Britain
The English school year is divided into three semesters, and the time and holidays of each semester are arranged as follows:Autumn term: September to mid-December (the last Friday before Christmas).
Spring term: from early January to March (the last Friday before Easter).
Summer term: April to early July (from the first Monday after Easter to the end of the school year).
Holidays: Christmas holidays (December-January), Easter holidays (March-April) and summer holidays (July-September).
There are many key entry points in applying for studying in private schools in the UK, and the planning path of studying abroad for children of different ages varies greatly due to the target institutions, their own age and educational background. A more secure enrollment plan should be prepared one and a half years before enrollment. Parents need to have a deep understanding of the characteristics of the British education system and the requirements of each stage, so as to tailor reasonable study abroad goals and detailed plans for their children, which is crucial for their children to smoothly integrate into British education, realize the seamless connection between Chinese and English education and further study in the future, and help their children to move forward steadily in the British education system and achieve good results.
A guide to schools applying for studying abroad for young people in the UK.
一、School visit arrangement
From May to September every year, many private schools in Britain set up open days. This is an excellent opportunity for parents and students to learn more about the school, and they can intuitively feel the school scale, teaching staff, campus environment and unique humanistic atmosphere. It should be noted that you need to make an appointment in advance for the open day. The itinerary usually includes visiting the campus with the students, interacting with the admissions counselor and visiting the dormitory on the spot.
二、Application and registration process
1, school selection considerations:
Carefully select target institutions according to children's hobbies and academic ability. Browse the official website of the school in an all-round way, explore the details of the curriculum and its related requirements in depth, and ensure that the selected school is highly compatible with the development needs of children.
2, material preparation:
Carefully prepare all kinds of application materials in strict accordance with the requirements of the school, such as passports, transcripts, letters of recommendation and personal statements. Be sure to strictly observe the deadline and submit the application materials in a timely and complete manner so as not to affect the application process.
3. Preparation for the entrance test:
UKiset test: some schools require international students to provide UKiset scores. This test focuses on evaluating English, mathematics, logical thinking and language understanding, so as to determine whether students meet the basic admission standards.
ISEB general pretest: If you apply for the 11+or 13+entrance examination, the ISEB test is essential, and its contents mainly include English, mathematics and logical reasoning. In view of the differences in specific requirements of different schools, it is necessary to confirm them carefully in advance and make targeted preparations.
Top private school test: For students who apply for top private schools such as nine public schools, after passing the ISEB pretest, they also need to take specific tests organized by the school itself. These tests are usually carried out in the autumn semester, which requires students' comprehensive quality. Therefore, it is necessary to plan ahead and make full preparations to improve their ability to take exams in all directions.
三、Admission and follow-up arrangements
From December to March of the following year, the school will issue formal admission notices one after another. Once the child successfully receives the Offer, it indicates that he has successfully passed the comprehensive evaluation system of the school. Subsequently, parents need to start to apply for their children's study visas, carefully prepare and sort out all necessary materials, submit visa applications according to the process and wait patiently for the approval results. After the visa is approved, you can book a plane ticket and make full preparations for your child to start a study abroad trip in the UK.
High-quality private schools in Britain enjoy a high reputation by virtue of their profound hundred-year education, and have cultivated many scientists, politicians and leaders from all walks of life, with far-reaching influence. Because of this, the competition for admission to these schools is extremely fierce, attracting outstanding students from all over the world to compete, and the difficulty of obtaining admission qualifications should not be underestimated.