26 EDUCATION MERCHISTON COMPASS SCHOOL
Day pupil or boarder? If you are considering boarding, you need to decide whether you would like your child to be a full boarder or to come home at the weekends. Ask the school about all their boarding options and make sure they offer what you are looking for. It is worth finding out how many of the students at the school are boarders and how many are day pupils. By doing this, you can find out whether a large number of pupils or just a handful stay at the school during weekends. Children do not usually board before the age of seven or eight.
WHEN TO START?
Entry can usually be at any age, depending on the school’s capacity, but traditional entry points are the start of nursery, primary or senior education. Some parents like a child to join a school in the final year of primary, so that they are settled before moving up to the senior school. Each school has its own admission policy, entry requirements and procedures, these will be clearly described in the school’s prospectus and website.
Nursery school (age 3+) Entry at nursery level can be a great way of getting a feel for the school and it raises your chances of being offered a place in the primary class. But a word of warning: a nursery place is not an absolute guarantee that your child will be offered a place in the primary school.
Primary 1 (age 5+) Most schools have a large intake in the first year of primary, at age four or five. Usually your child is invited to the school in the early part of the year, where s/he will be subtly assessed in a play-based session.
Prep School (age 7+) Ages seven-plus are the normal ages to start a preparatory school.
Primary 7 (age 10+) At this age most schools will invite a child to an interview and assessment and possibly entrance exams.
Senior 1 (age 11+) Is the optimum entry point, although most schools will try to consider applications at all stages to accommodate families moving to the area. Entry to senior schools is usually by way of written exam, often combined with an interview, although schools may admit pupils from their primary school without examination. S5/Sixth-form entry for pupils who have qualified for Highers and Advanced Highers or A-levels is mainly based on exam results, interview and previous school report.
SCHOOL VISITS
Ideally you should visit a shortlist of schools. You can attend an open day or you can arrange a personal appointment to meet the Head or Admissions Department. Meeting the Head in a personal appointment will give you a sense of the school ethos, but you will need to go prepared with the day- to-day questions that are specific to your needs. You should also be able to get a feel for the school and be able to see it “in action” as you are taken round. Open days can be slightly
www.nurseryandschoolguide.co.uk
ST GEORGES
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