Senior school entry pre-tests and assessments or 11+ - why a rejection letter is not the end of the world.

At this time of year, many parents are faced with results from their child’s recent senior school entry pre-tests, interviews, assessments or for some, the 11+. Our consultants have been congratulating many who have received the good news they were hoping for from their first choice school.

However, sadly there have also been parents who have come to us to ask for help since their outcome was not so positive. Here are a few tips from our team of consultants which have come in handy recently, while we have been offering advice and support to parents at what can be a very tricky time for all.

Bad news on the result front presents a confusing challenge for parents as to choosing the right alternative. It tends to lead to a worried frenzy of reviewing your child’s academic potential. Asking if you applied to the right schools, seeking to identify curriculum areas where your child may have struggled in the entry process, questioning whether you should have prepared or tutored them more, are all factors which seem to spring into parents’ minds at this time.

Coupled with questioning your school application and preparation strategy, there’s also the primary concern of how you support your child through the sense of rejection they may feel at a young and sensitive age. This can be a knock to both confidence and self-esteem for some and needs careful handling.

Always talk about your list of potential school choices in a positive way. Until you have a confirmed outcome, it is important for your child to believe they will succeed and you will be proud of them, whatever school they join. Your child will thrive better if they attend a school which challenges at the right level, rather than scraping in by their finger nails and battling their way through the next 5 years, just to keep their head above water.

Phil Hallworth adds a few key points on supporting your child at this tricky time below:

Don't confuse your own feelings of disappointment with those your child - they are very different things. However you feel about it remember that he or she will be feeling wretched about letting you down and will feel a 'failure' - however hard they tried and however bright they are. Don't allow your own crushed aspirations to prevent you from doing the right thing for your child by way of love and support at this difficult time. He or she needs to know that there is a right school for them where they will be happy and where they will succeed (and remember, TIEC can help you find it!)

Finally, Phil suggests accepting that maybe you chose the wrong school in the first place and now need to re-think school choice more realistically in the light of this rejection.

To start this process, the first port of call should be your prep school Head or senior schools adviser. If the results are unexpected or there are unusual circumstances which may have affected your child’s performance, these are better presented to the senior school admissions team as an objective opinion from your current school, rather than the emotional pleas of a worried parent. Prep schools are called this for a reason, so ask them to use their relationship to support your appeal, if they confirm that one is appropriate. Hence, as soon as possible, seek guidance on the next steps from your current school and follow their advice.

If they advise revisiting your school choices, try to disregard confusing dinner party banter and school gate chatter. Torturing yourself with the success stories of others while you are handling disappointment will not help your mood. Your child will have different strengths, interests, personality and learning needs compared with many of their peers. Remain positive, think through pros and cons of alternative schools via evidence from your own experience of visits to the schools and you will more quickly find a way to resolve things.

For those yet to face the gauntlet of 11+ or senior school pre-test, interview or assessment results, the most important advice of all is to be realistic from the outset and plan your senior school applications accordingly. Listen to advice from their current Head and other senior staff and make every effort to match up their academic level or other talents and interests, to the right senior school choices. Aiming high is important as children will often respond to a challenge by performing better. However, make the goals and challenge realistic, not pie in the sky.

We are blessed with a whole range of senior school choices across both the state and independent sectors. Whatever your child’s strengths, interests and learning needs there is a right school for them, if you remain open-minded and realistic.

Do you need some advice on planning your senior school choices after a recent rejection letter? Our friendly team of consultants are here, waiting for your call.

Call Claire on +44 (0)1865 522066

Email consultants@inependenteducationconsultants.co.uk

Visit our website via the link http://independenteducationconsultants.co.uk/prep-to-senior-school-choices-at-11-or-13/

Choosing the best #school for your child's #education

Gathered from his own experiences as both a teacher and parent, here are some thoughts on State vs. Independent schools from Brian McGee, our Director of Consultancy Services.

With many parents in the middle of the annual round of open days and school visits, the issue of how to choose the best school for your child is at the forefront of our minds.

With so many leading figures in our society coming from independent schools, it seems that the 7% of pupils attending these schools gain an enormous advantage later on. This would lead us to think that paying for an independent education is an obvious step up for our child – if we can afford it. Independent schools offer academic excellence, confidence and a well-rounded approach to sport, the arts and culture. The recent TV programme ‘School Swap – the Class Divide’ could not have highlighted more effectively the difference in opportunity between the young people from the good state school and the obviously successful independent school.

My own experience as a parent, having sent my children to both state and independent schools, is somewhat mixed, however, and as a head of Sixth Form in an excellent state school, I frequently came across pupils who needed to be rescued from a damaged experience at an independent school. This was not a fault of the schools, but simply that a particular school may quite simply be wrong for the child. All schools, state or independent, have their own character and this gives them their ability to offer a child a nurturing environment. But sometimes the style of the school creates an environment which is just not right for the child, perhaps because they react badly to academic hothousing or the pressure to achieve on the sports field.

Of course, money is also a huge factor. I recently spoke to a family who had decided that, rather than spend the considerable cost of school fees at an independent school, they were choosing good state schools and topping up their child’s education with private lessons and clubs, and high quality family holidays. Others who have decided that a boarding education will offer their child the all-round education they will thrive on have chosen one of the many excellent state boarding schools (see www.sbsa.org) which offer outstanding opportunities at a third of the price of an independent school.

The key is to make good use of the visit or open day opportunities and gauge your child’s feelings carefully. The fixed open days are often a showcase event which gives some insight and information, but to truly get the feel for the school it is important to visit on a normal day and walk around while classes are on. Meet some teachers and talk to pupils – they are very honest! Of course, talking to other parents is also valuable, but do remember that your child is an individual and what is right for someone else’s child may not be right for them. We ended up sending our children to different schools because their needs were different. Start with your child and who they are and what they enjoy and you will not go far wrong.

For details of how our team of friendly, experienced consultants give advice on choosing the right school for your child, please give us a call on +44 (0)1865 522066

Or you can email Claire Coker on consultants@indepedenteducationconsultants.co.uk 

Or visit our website via this link http://independenteducationconsultants.co.uk/choosing-a-school/choosing-a-school-age-5-7-11-13-or-16/

10 Tips for getting started on the framework and first draft of your Personal Statement for #UCAS application

Now the Sept term is in full swing, many year 13 students will be turning their minds to university courses for next year and getting started on draafting a personal statement for their university application. 

Here are our 10 quick tips to get you started. Often first putting pen to paper can be the hardest part.

1. Start with your interest in the course. This is your chance to show why this course is what you want. This should take 60-75% of your statement.
2. Be reflective. Where did your interest in the subject start? Don’t say ‘From an early age’! Be specific. A little narrative here is good, but get into some detail which is academic.
3. Give some detail: books you’ve read which have deepened your knowledge or thinking; lectures or TED talks you’ve heard. Don’t just list them, engage with the subject and ideas. Don’t lie – only cite books you have actually read.
4. DO talk about your A levels or IB! You are applying for an academic subject and these reflect your academic interest and experience. Relate them to the course without forcing the connection.
5. Broader experience related to the course is very valuable indeed. If you haven’t had a chance to set some up before applying it’s still worth trying to organise it and say what you’re planning, as this could come up at interview.
6. Relate your Work Experience to the course. Even if it’s a retail job you will have learnt transferable skills.
7. The UCAS plagiarism software is incredibly sensitive. DO NOT copy models from the internet.
8. Write in a formal style but DO NOT get your Mum to write it – it will be obvious.
9. If you can, give some idea of your career aspirations, even if these are likely to change. It gives an insight into who you are.
10. Don’t mention any problems or health issues – the statement should all be positive. These issues should be dealt with in the reference.

We are offering one lucky winner the chance to win a free hour with one of our team of consultants to kick-start the draft of their personal statement. To enter before the closing date of the 24th September enter your email address by CLICKING HERE

For more details about our services to support teenagers with making a strong application to a UK University through UCAS, visit our website by CLICKING HERE

#Parents - Is your child starting #boardingschool this September? A few tips from our experts on handling #homesickness.

Receiving countless sobbing phone calls and miserable emails from your child when they have just started at boarding school for the first time is a heart wrenching experience for parents. The mobile phone call, text and email has made this particularly challenging to manage as a parent, since it makes contact with home so easy and available at times of sadness. 

Here are a few pointers below which may be useful in terms of coping with this situation as a distressed parent which may help to see your child settled and happy at boarding school as soon as possible:

1. On the first drop off day, try not to hang around in the boarding house for too long before saying your goodbyes. Help your child to unpack and to make their space feel homely, ensure they have met up with someone else in their dorm to chat to and then, with as little fuss as possible, take your leave.
2. Listen to your child’s Housemaster or Housemistress and trust their experience and competence in supporting homesick children. If they are in regular communication with you to reassure you that there is no need for concern as they have the situation well in hand, then believe them. Houseparents take their responsibilities very seriously indeed and you can rest assured that if, in their experience, they felt there was a need for concern as your child was experiencing greater distress than is usual for a child who is away from home for the first time, they will immediately let you know and discuss with you how best to address the situation.
3. Children are kept very active and engaged during their first few weeks at boarding school. They will be taking part in a very busy programme of study and extra-curricular activity. It is only in the odd few moments of downtime that your child will start to feel sad and to miss home, since there really isn’t opportunity for this most of the time. Sadly, it is in these occasional miserable moments when your child will tend to phone, text or email you, leading you to believe that they are feeling sad and distressed all of the time.
4. Don’t give in to emotional blackmail. You have chosen to give your child an amazing opportunity to develop independence and experience a diverse range of opportunities within their education. They will make close friends that last a lifetime. You have made this choice for the right reasons so try not to take seriously any miserable communications from your child, which may imply that you do not care or are in some way cruel. Quite the opposite. You have made a self-less decision in giving your child what you believe to be an amazing opportunity. Your child will look back on their time when they are older and thank you for the decision you made, you just have to hang in there through the rough part at the beginning.
5. Never let your child know that you are upset too. If you can feel yourself welling up when talking to them on the phone, let them know quickly that you must hang up the phone as you have a pan boiling over, someone is at the door or something similar. If you are worried that this may happen try to communicate with your child by email when they cannot see that the happy cheerful messages from you are written through sobbing eyes!
6. Likewise try not to get cross and angry, rather provide a listening ear as to how your child is feeling. Getting cross may lead to your child thinking that you are not on their side in dealing with their homesickness. They must know that you are aware and understand the difficulties they are facing and that they have your full support in learning to cope.
7. Try not to contact your child too often during their first few weeks. Some boarding schools do not allow phone calls to and from home in the first few weeks, but even if the one your child attends does, try to resist the temptation to do this too often. You are bound to be worried about how they are settling in, worrying if they have made friends and what they are up to. Remember, if your child is happy and busy, it can be very unsettling and upsetting to suddenly take a call from home, reminding them that they are away from you for the first time. If you are worried or feeling out of the loop as you have not had any contact with your child for a while, get in touch with their Housemaster or Housemistress, who will happily update you on their progress in settling in. The school will call you if they are in any way concerned. Ask yourself are you contacting your child for your benefit as you are missing them, or for their benefit?
8. If you have family friends with an older child at the same school, try to seek discreet information via them as to your child’s welfare.  It may reassure you to know there is an older student looking out for them. Hearing from another pupil that they experienced the same feelings of homesickness and got through it and are now happy, can sometimes be more convincing than hearing it from you. They may be able to share some gems of information as to how they coped. Children can often respond better to peers who are closer to the experience and who command respect.
9. Try to avoid discussions with your child over the phone about what you have been up to with their younger siblings who are still at home, as this only emphasises what they are missing out on in being away. Instead focus your conversations on asking your child what they have been doing, who are their teachers, what friends have they made, what sport and other activities have they been doing, and what are they looking forward to in the following week?
10. Set benchmarks of things for your child to look forward to so the first term can be divided into small chunks of time that is easier to cope with at the start. E.g. Give them a calendar for their wall and write on it the first time you can go to school to see them play in a sports match, the first exeat and the exciting things you have planned for them when they come home.
11. Never make a promise you have no intention of keeping, for example to take them away from the school if they are still unhappy at half term, Christmas etc. Once your child feels that there is a way out for them if they do not settle, they may dig their heels in and be determined to remain miserable until your deadline has passed so they can come home. Better to let them know that there is no alternative in terms of school option and that they need to try harder to settle in.
12. Praise and reward your child and let them know how proud you are of their efforts and achievements. 
13. Most importantly of all, remember you are not alone in supporting your homesick child. Try to meet up with friends over a coffee and share your experiences and concerns. Knowing that you are not alone and what you and are child are going through has been faced and overcome before will be a great reassurance and support at what can be a very difficult and challenging time for any parent.

Do you need some help with reviewing boarding school options for your child at age 11+, 13+, or 16+? 

Give Claire a call on 01865 522066 to find out how our team of friendly experts can help you or email her via consultants@independenteducationconsultants.co.uk

Visit our website for more details http://independenteducationconsultants.co.uk/international-parents-choosing-the-right-boarding-school/

Thinking of applying to #university at Oxford or Cambridge?

A few thoughts this week from our Director of Consultancy Services, Brian McGee, in answer to those who perhaps feel the Oxbridge application process is unfair.

We frequently hear news about super-bright students who fail to get a place at Oxford or Cambridge and the cry goes up that they are biased against candidates from particular groups. The truth is quite the opposite in my experience.

Oxford and Cambridge universities have worked incredibly hard to make their selection processes as comprehensive and fair as they possibly can, with a raft of procedures to ensure that only the very best candidates in each cohort are offered a place. This is in stark contrast to other elite universities in the UK, who appear to be so overwhelmed by the number of applicants for each place that their systems sometimes seem quite simply a lottery and quite unfair to many candidates.

Oxford and Cambridge have the advantage of the college system, which means that applications are directed to the admissions tutors in each college, who, along with their admissions teams, assess each application individually against carefully constructed selection criteria for each subject. These criteria are open and transparent and published clearly on their websites.

Students applying to Oxford and Cambridge will have submitted their prior qualifications and marks, predicted grades from teachers, a detailed personal statement and a reference from their teachers. In addition to this, Cambridge ask for extra detail about results and an additional statement to address the candidate’s specific interest in the Cambridge course, as they realise that the UCAS statement requires a broad brush expression of interest in five possibly quite different courses. Oxford have increasingly developed their own tests to supplement the increasingly unreliable predicted grades.

Both universities interview significant numbers of applicants in order to ensure that they haven’t missed something on an application and to iron out the problem of highly-crafted personal statements which are not a reflection of the candidate’s own interests and aptitudes. Far from being the threatening and eccentric experience of folklore, these interviews are carefully structured in order to test an applicant’s thinking skills, usually aiming to move away from the student’s comfort-zone to areas they have not considered before, so that the true signs of critical thinking and curiosity begin to emerge. The interview process is explained very clearly on the university websites and in the various visits they make to schools and colleges, so that candidates will know what to expect.

Once this process is complete, both universities then carry out a systematic moderation across colleges, so that a good candidate in one college is not compromised by an unusually strong cohort for that year. Oxford does this during the interview days, with applicants often being interviewed by two or three different colleges during their stay. Cambridge uses the Pool system, which enables college tutors to draw an exceptional candidate from the pool if they feel they deserve a look; they may then re-interview that candidate before making a decision.

No system is perfect and both universities acknowledge that many very good candidates will be disappointed, but compare this with other universities, some of whom simply do not even appear to have read some applications, and it becomes clear that these two institutions have truly tried everything they can to develop open, transparent and fair systems.

Do you need help with planning and writing your Oxbridge application or preparing for interview? 

We have a range of services which are tailor-made to support teenagers with each stage of this process.

For an informal discussion call Claire on 01865 522066 

Or email consultants@independenteducationconsultants.co.uk

For more information, visit our website via the link  http://independenteducationconsultants.co.uk/oxford-and-cambridge-university-applications/

As #GCSE results day approaches, here are a few tips on making the right subject choices for #Alevel or #IB

Year 11 pupils receiving their results this week may wish to review their A level or IB choices before the start of term. 

It’s very tempting to be swayed by strong results in some subjects, but you need to think very carefully about the combination you are choosing, so that you don’t close off any future pathways. Equally, don’t be persuaded to take subjects you really don’t enjoy because you have been advised that they are necessary. 

It’s certainly true that some professions require particular subjects. If you want to become a doctor you really do need to study chemistry. Similarly for many biomedical courses. For a degree in maths, further maths is critical and if your school doesn’t offer it you might want to think about switching institutions even at this stage. For engineering and computer science, maths and physics are the core choices. Many university courses have no required subjects, however. Law, for example, is completely open, though I’m always surprised by how much admissions tutors favour maths even here. 

Many universities now publish lists of ‘facilitating’ subjects, indicating the A level or IB higher level subjects they regard as being more rigorous. They also publish essential and desirable subjects for specific courses, so if you have an idea of what course you wish to study at university, it is certainly worth browsing through these. 

There is a lot of publicity around the science and technology (STEM) subjects, and the worldwide shortage of students with these skills. Students and parents might well be swayed by this, with good reason. But if you are a more creative or literary person, there is no point in trying to force yourself into a programme you will simply not enjoy or succeed at. It’s the most important choice you are likely to have made so far and it’s very important that you follow your own ambitions and interests. The UK is still a world leader in the creative industries and there are many opportunities for those with flair, talent and determination. 

Many able students study a language alongside other subjects such as sciences. This is clearly an advantage in the international world of work and is often looked on favourably by university admissions officers. Universities find it increasingly difficult to recruit students to languages courses, which seems so short-sighted in this global age.

Overall, a combination which suits your interests, grade profile and aspirations will work out best in the long run.

If you feel you need to talk through your choices at A level or IB, talk to your teachers or alternatively call our team of friendly, experienced consultants via the contact details below.

 
You can call Claire on +44 (0)1865 522066 or email Claire on consultants@independenteducationconsultants.co.uk

Visit our website to find out more via the link http://independenteducationconsultants.co.uk/choosing-sixth-form-subjects-and-career-planning/

One more sleep until #ALevelresults and #Clearing starts. Here are our last-minute tips to make tomorrow as stress free as possible.

Fingers crossed tomorrow brings more press coverage of 'the best A level results ever'! However, for those not so fortunate to secure their university place, here are a few tips from our team of education consultants on how best to handle the Clearing process.

1. UCAS Track might update overnight, so you can check your status online before collecting your results
2. Be prepared. Have your UCAS ID and personal statement to hand when you pick up your results
3. If you go into Clearing, available courses are updated regularly on the UCAS website and individual university websites. They are also published in the Telegraph.
4. You will be given a Clearing number, which you will need to hand before contacting the universities.
5. If you find a course you are interested in, call the university to check. They may give you a verbal offer there and then.  You can take time to think before confirming your choice on UCAS.
6. If you go into Adjustment, seriously consider this as a possibility – there are some great courses out there which you could upgrade to.
7. The process is similar to Clearing. Call the universities first before applying online.
8. If you do not get the course you are hoping for, you may wish to take time to consider other options, maybe a gap year with relevant work experience. Don’t accept a degree course which is not what you want.
9. If you get a place on a course which is not your original choice, ask the university about accommodation and finance before making your final decision.
10. Dont sit around and worry alone. Seek help and support so you gain the reassurance of being on the right path to finding the right solution for your future as soon as possible. Our friendly, experienced consultants are on hand all day and for the weeks to come. You can call Claire on +44 (0)1865 522066 or email Claire on consultants@independenteducationconsultants.co.uk

Visit our website to find out more via the linkhttp://independenteducationconsultants.co.uk/ucas-clearing-advice/