CHOOSING & APPLYING


For example, if a long-term or permanent relocation


to the UK is planned, a local school, either state or fee- charging, would be an obvious choice. If successive family moves are likely, international schools will bring the benefits of a consistent education. They are also set up to receive relocating pupils, and have systems in place to help children to settle.


Karin Purcell, director of development and communications at Marymount International School London, believes that the very nature of an international school helps new students to settle in quickly and painlessly. “With over 40 nationalities in a student body of only 260 students,” she says, “the default position at our school is to be welcoming and sincerely interested in new students and their families.”


WHERE TO LOOK


Finding a school has never been easier; with online directories and parent forums, there is an overwhelming amount of information on the web. Many national


newspapers publish their own directories of state and independent schools, ranking them according to academic achievement and other factors.


DECIDING WHICH SCHOOL IS BEST There are a number of ways of creating a shortlist. These include comparing facts and figures, such as the league tables and exam results that can be found on the Department for Education’s website (www.gov.uk/school- performance-tables), which will help to measure each school’s performance.


Inspection reports by Ofsted or the Independent Schools Inspectorate can also be useful. Schools may publish their results and leavers’ destinations on their websites. However, there is no substitute for hearing what pupils and teachers have to say, so the best advice is to visit the school. Many schools hold official open days – typically twice a year, in spring and autumn – but they are likely to welcome families and prospective pupils at any time during the academic year.


ST MARY’S CALNE Top performing independent school in the South West


(The Sunday Times Schools Guide 2018, Parent Power, Nov. 2017). Contact admissions@stmaryscalne.org


St Mary’s Calne, Wiltshire, United Kingdom, SN11 0DF A Leading Independent Boarding & Day School For Girls Aged 11-18


+44 (0)1249 857200 stmaryscalne.org


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