Best public schools in UK: requirements

British education is a brand recognized all over the world. And although the school system is constantly criticized within the country, the flow of families sending their children to study in prestigious English educational institutions does not decrease.

Why do so many parents want their children to graduate from British schools or boarding schools? Apparently, this is due to the prestige of English universities. English higher education is one of the most expensive in the world, and foreigners pay one and a half to two times more expensive than citizens and residents. The path to a good university often begins at a good school. But you can't get into top secondary schools just for money: they are accepted there according to the results of the "11+" exam, which they pass at the age of 11. It includes mathematics, English, and sometimes additional tasks that every private school has the right to develop. Usually these are tasks for logic and understanding of literary texts, essays and very often interviews, where you can be asked to tell about anything: about a student's hobbies and achievements or to express your opinion about Brexit and other events in everyday life. and foreign policy. If a child did poorly in elementary school and has low grades on final exams( SATS), then there is very little chance of getting into a prestigious institution of the next stage.

It's all about private schools. By law, everyone must enroll in state educational institutions. However, public schools are also very different - the results of final exams, reputation, the general atmosphere. There are always more people who want to enroll in educational institutions with good ratings than the school can accept. Therefore, most parents begin to be interested in this problem when their child is still wearing diapers. Almost every English family for whom education is valuable has a history of what tricks they went to to get a child a place in a good school. You can move to an area where educational institutions are on average better, or you can specifically rent an apartment for a year or two next to a rating school-just to get there.

What schools are there and how to get into them

Education in England is mandatory for all children, starting from the age of 4. From 4 to 11 years old, children go to primary school (primary school), from 11 to 18-to secondary school (secondary school).

All schools, both primary and senior, can be divided into two main types: public (public schools) and private (private schools, they are also called state or independent schools). Public education is legally free for all children. Parents pay only for school uniforms, school trips in high school and clubs in junior classes. Private tuition fees start at £ 12,000 per year.

In public schools, children are distributed according to their place of residence: the closer you live, the more chances you have to get a place. You just need to submit your application on time. Every year, within the time limits set by the municipality (until the end of October for secondary schools and until mid-January for primary schools), parents fill out a form, indicate several schools of their choice, and then wait for the district administration to respond. "about four months. Not everyone manages to get to the school they want to go to, and the closer X-day is (in March for secondary schools and in April for primary schools), the greater the excitement of parents and heated discussions on the Internet.

The fact is that not all schools are the same. The standards of education in England allow every school, even a state one, to develop its own curriculum. Only a general basis is required. For example, in the primary school standard there is a section "Changes in Britain from the Stone Age to the Iron Age". Each school can determine for itself what and how to study within the framework of this large topic. "Students can study hunting in the Neolithic era, early agriculture, Bronze Age religion, technologies and achievements such as Stonehenge; the culture and art of the Iron Age, " the National Educational Standard says. "Can", but not "should". That is, these are only examples and recommendations, the document emphasizes the optional nature of their implementation. One school will give a huge list of literature to study, organize a trip to Stonehenge. On another day, the children will be taken to the British Museum in London and invited to give a lecture at the School of Art Critics. And the third one will be limited to photos and materials on the board. There are no textbooks, especially the same for everyone, either, in primary school children are given printouts and sheets with tasks pasted in a notebook.

The material base in different institutions is very different: somewhere in each class there is an iPad for each student, and somewhere paper dictionaries are still used.

Until you arrive at the school, it is almost impossible to see the details. Therefore, parents actively exchange information and go to various tricks, trying to get a child to a school with a good reputation.

There is a special type of public schools - religious schools. There are about a third of such schools in England. They are free for parents, but are funded not only by the state, but also by church organizations. They adhere to the same educational standard as regular schools, but with additional study of the relevant religion.

In England, children are readily enrolled in religious schools, even if the family is an unbeliever or considers itself professing another faith, because according to the ratings, religious educational institutions are almost always better than ordinary state ones. Catholic schools stand out especially from the general background. They are known for their discipline, rigor, and since there is a certain contingent of children there, the learning results are better.

The most likely chance to get into a religious school is given by the official confirmation of the priest that the child regularly goes to church, attends all services for at least two years. Otherwise, all other things being equal, the place is given to the one who lives closer to the school, as in other public schools. Since most of the budget comes from the state, religious schools are required to accept some children from non-religious families or those who consider themselves professing other religions. But there are few such places allocated: on average, 15-20% of the total number. Often, parents begin to take their child to church specifically in advance to get a place in a good school. Schools understand this and try to weed out pseudo-believers. In many Catholic schools, in addition to the letter of the pastor, they are now asked to bring a certificate of baptism of children and parents.

Another type of free schools for children over the age of 11 is gymnasiums. These are public secondary schools, which are not inferior to private ones in terms of education. For capable and hardworking students from not too well-off families, this is a rare success and a happy chance to "break out into people". But there are not many such schools, and the competition for admission is huge: sometimes 20-30 people per place.