The entrance system of private schools in Britain is quite different from that in China. It has set up a number of entrance nodes, among which 11+, 13+and 16+are the entrance opportunities that international students are familiar with and often choose.
Recently, there is a noteworthy data disclosure in the field of studying abroad in the UK. The White Paper on Studying Abroad in the UK in 2023 published by the British Boarding Association BSA shows that the number of families planning to apply for primary and secondary schools in the UK for their children two years or more in advance shows a significant growth trend, and its proportion has greatly increased from 26.5% in the past to 38.9%. This change reflects that parents are paying more and more attention to the application planning of primary and secondary schools in Britain.
The entrance system of private schools in Britain is quite different from that in China. It has set up a number of entrance nodes, among which 11+, 13+and 16+are the entrance opportunities that international students are familiar with and often choose. For parents who intend to send their children to primary and secondary schools in Britain, after determining their intention to study abroad, the determination of admission time is undoubtedly the key first step to start the whole preparation for studying abroad. This is not only related to the orderly development of a series of subsequent preparations, but also involves all-round consideration of different admission stages. For example, it is necessary to carefully consider the advantages and disadvantages of different admission stages, explore whether the earlier admission time means more competitiveness in the future entrance process, and how long should parents start preparing application materials and planning related exams in advance for each specific admission stage? These are all issues that parents need to think deeply and urgently solve.
Comparison between the three major enrollment time points of British primary and secondary schools and the domestic academic system
There are 11+ (corresponding to English Year 7, the sixth grade in China), 13+ (corresponding to English Year 9, the eighth grade in China) and 16+ (corresponding to English Year 12, the eleventh grade in China) for international students in British primary and secondary schools, which are obviously different from the domestic academic system.
11+Admission time:
Some private secondary schools in Britain, especially girls' schools and some mixed schools, will enroll students at this stage, and the number of enrollment places is relatively large. The assessment subjects mainly cover English, mathematics, literal and nonverbal reasoning, etc., and an interview session will also be set up.
At this time, students are young, can integrate into the British local culture earlier, adapt to its education system, and have two years to prepare for entering a better middle school if they enter the seventh grade in a private preparatory school first.
However, enrollment at this stage is relatively rare in top boys' schools, and some schools do not provide CAS (Confirmation Letter of Learning Admission) to applicants, unless parents work in the UK with a T1 visa or their children have a British passport and permanent residence status.
13+Admission time:
Most mixed schools and boys' schools enroll students from this stage, which can make international students familiar with the British education system one year in advance and lay the foundation for the subsequent GCSE courses (grades 10 to 11).
ISEB Common Pre-test is often used in the first round of screening, and some private schools use their own entrance examinations for selection. According to previous data, it is very common for China students to apply for 13+in British private schools.
However, it should be noted that because students will take the pre-examination at the age of 10-11, the relevant preparations for applying for the exam have to be carefully prepared 2-3 years in advance.
16+Admission time:
At this stage, students should first determine the subjects they are interested in, take the corresponding entrance test, and start a two-year A-Level or IB course after enrollment.
This time point is a good opportunity to enter some colleges with special enrollment conditions, such as some male schools starting to recruit female students and some day schools starting to recruit boarders. Moreover, considering the high tuition fees of private schools, choosing 16+admission and two years' study time can reduce the family's economic burden to some extent.
However, due to only two years' study time, the academic ability of students is very high. Students enter A-Level study without a transitional stage, and there is a lot of pressure to overcome many obstacles such as culture and language in a short time.
In short, these three enrollment time points have their own advantages and disadvantages. Parents and students need to comprehensively consider their own situation, academic planning and future development goals to make appropriate enrollment choices.
In the British primary and secondary education system, there are strict school age regulations, and it is the basic principle to enter school according to school age. The number of places in each grade is fixed, and there is basically no repetition or skipping. Even if parents want their children to re-read a certain grade, once they exceed the corresponding age range, most schools will refuse to accept them.
This highlights the key significance of applying for the school timeline. Junior high school students in Britain are usually 14 to 15 years old, while senior high school students are 16 to 17 years old. Under normal circumstances, the application for admission must be submitted one year before the corresponding stage, and high-quality private schools generally do not allow students to attend classes.
Therefore, parents must grasp the key time nodes. When their children are 13 years old, they should start to consider junior high school applications, and when they are 15 years old, they should include high school applications in key planning areas. These decision-making moments are extremely important, and parents need to think and discuss them thoroughly and make comprehensive plans in advance, otherwise they may miss the best opportunity for their children to enter school and affect their education in primary and secondary schools in the UK.