A very international British education


AS THE INTERNATIONAL-SCHOOLS MARKET GOES FROM STRENGTH TO STRENGTH, EVIDENCE SUGGESTS THAT A BRITISH CURRICULUM IS LIKELY TO INCREASE ITS DOMINANCE IN INTERNATIONAL SCHOOLS ACROSS THE GLOBE, AND THAT OVERSEAS FAMILIES WILL CONTINUE TO SEEK PLACES AT INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS IN THE UK. REBECCA MARRIAGE REPORTS.


ccording to the Independent Schools Council’s (ISC) 2016 Census, pupil numbers at independent schools in the UK have exceeded their pre-recession high, and now stand at their highest level since records began in 1974. Barnaby Lenon, chairman of the ISC, puts this down to


A


consistently high standards and a “tremendous record” of academic achievement, but also to stimulating opportunities for pupils outside the classroom and a professional approach to pastoral care. “It is no surprise that British independent schools are seen as amongst the best in the world,” says Mr Lenon. The ISC Census shows that many families relocating to


the UK would agree. There are currently 19,752 non-British pupils whose parents live in the UK. In addition, there are over 27,000 non-British pupils whose parents live overseas. The government is not only keen to increase those numbers,


but also recognises the diversity international students in the UK bring to the education sector, helping to provide an international dimension which, it believes, benefits all students. In its report International Education Strategy: Global Growth and Prosperity, the government went some way to acknowledging the importance of an international element to British education, including welcoming overseas students into schools and higher-education institutions in Britain. “Engagement in international education enhances the reputation of UK institutions,” says the report. “The experience of students in UK education helps to create good relations that will enable successful engagement with the next generation of global leaders. International education also helps to strengthen overseas business, research, social and cultural links.” Tim Jones, deputy head (academic) of Sevenoaks School, in Kent, a coeducational day and boarding school for pupils aged 11–18, agrees, and believes that there are huge benefits to learning alongside students from other countries and cultures. Students of over 50 nationalities currently study at Sevenoaks. “Many


of the world’s problems stem from


miscommunication, and solutions tend to come from familiarity and shared ground,” says Mr Jones. “It is important to us


that everyone can celebrate their cultural identity and their languages. In this way, we construe international-mindedness as a panacea against closed-minded nationalism.”


EXPORTING UK EDUCATION But it is the export of a British education that has seen the


biggest growth over the past few years. While there are only 46 overseas campuses operated by ISC schools, these campuses are just a small part of the growing number of British schools overseas (BSOs). The International Schools Consultancy, which researches and analyses data from the international schools sector, estimates that there are more than 3,700 BSOs, representing around half of all English-medium international schools worldwide.


independent


Overseas campuses of some of the best-known British schools


are already positioned in global


relocation hotspots, such as Haileybury Astana, in Kazakhstan. Dulwich College has had a school in Shanghai since 2003, and Harrow and Wellington also have outposts in China. New school projects have been approved in Hong Kong, including Shrewsbury School, which also has a campus in Bangkok.


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