The Centre of London: Trafalgar Square.
Westminster School – close to Trafalgar Square and the ISC office – is a leading Public school in London, founded 14th century. Famous alumni include Sir Christopher Wren and A.A. Milne
One of the oldest schools in Wales – founded 1608. Cowbridge Grammar School. Most famous alumnus is Sir Anthony Hopkins
Cardiff and Vale College. The largest college in Wales: 30,000 students. With the Principal Mrs. Kay Martin. (Full disclosure she is a family member – very proud of Kay!)
Independent Schools Council regulatory body. ISC boarding and day schools educate more than 500,000 children in the UK.
Broadening School Horizons
With the spectre of uncertainty for Asian students being placed in US or Canadian schools, I took a trip to Britain in August to take a look at a range of schools there.
The admissions concerns in Canada can be seen in the latest worrying statistics and statement from ICEF:
“Nearly four in ten applicants for Canadian study permits (39%) have been rejected in the first five months of this year. This compares to an overall rejection rate of roughly 28% in all of 2014.Visa officers may deny a study permit application if there are any issues with the student’s medical exam or finances, or if they conclude the student does not have a legitimate study plan for Canada.”
While this is mostly a factor for university applicants, in the boarding school world we are experiencing similar concerns and are carefully monitoring student visa rejections. Toronto-based immigration lawyer Andrew Carvajal has explained that “ an immigration officer may simply conclude that the applicant does not have a legitimate study plan for Canada, and may be using the study permit route as a way to quickly and legally enter the country.”
As a consultant it is my responsibility to have detailed knowledge for students, families and educational institutions around the world. With my clients, I work on a detailed educational plan so that there is a coherent student profile to present to visa officers at consulates for Canada, the US or the UK when accepted at a school.
My trip to Britain saw me have a brief chat with one of the leaders at the Independent Schools Council in London. The staff were very busy tabulating and analyzing the national A Level results the day I was there. These examination results are the major element in university acceptances. The UK has experienced a 25% increase in university acceptances from Asia this year.
Last week the Labour Party conference approved a motion to abolish UK private schools - the schools which generally have the best examination results! This revolutionary measure will never come to place surely - but more uncertainty! Think Eton, Harrow, Charterhouse, Winchester gone! The history, the talent and the striving for excellence that these private schools (called Public schools in the UK) are world-renowned for are at risk at the ballot box. I dropped by Westminster School for which I have great memories when working closely with them on the Shawnigan Centennial. They had, unsurprisingly, just achieved a 98 per cent success rate in the A level exams.
The world is getting smaller and families are researching multiple markets for the best schools.
