contactus@regencyeducation.co.uk
Friday June 30th, 2023
Although the academic year is drawing to a close, in this issue we’ll be looking at new beginnings and how we can best prepare for them. For example, if you’re applying to study at a new school or university, what do you need to consider?
Have a look below at our suggested questions to ask schools (and see also comparing schools in our February ’23 blog, as well as entry tests and timings for schools and universities in our November ’19 and ’22 issues.)
Whenever you’re approaching what feels like a game-changing situation, do you feel the pressure build? It’s completely natural to feel the weight of responsibility when you’ve got an interview, important meeting or any sort of interrogation looming. Whether you’re looking beyond the autumn (Oxbridge) or early 2024 UCAS application deadlines to university interviews – or visiting prospective schools with a view to sitting entrance tests later this year or early next – it can help to flip the perspective.
As with any job interview, when you get to meet representatives of your chosen place of work or study in person, it’s always a two-way process. It can be easy to feel you’re being judged or scored (because, in some situations at least, let’s face it – you are!) But don’t forget that this is your opportunity to ‘score’ your prospective place of work / study too. Taking time to think about the sorts of questions you’d like to put to the people you’re meeting has at least three benefits:
– Thinking about questions in advance can have a calming effect. It focuses your mind on what really matters to you.
– Asking insightful questions shows your ‘interviewer’ that you’re serious about the subject / establishment / role. And it showcases your unique personality.
– It’s the answers to these questions that will give you the most helpful insight into an organisation’s ethos and enable you to make informed decisions.
So, in summary, remember the three ‘p’s – preparation, personality, perspective. Get prepared, show your personality, maintain perspective (i.e. this is as much your chance to make choices as theirs!) Never feel embarrassed about asking challenging questions: insightful people – tuned-in to current issues and open to discussion about them – are an asset to any organisation, especially those dedicated to educating the next generation.
We can assist with the preparation – but the personality and perspective are down to you! Ultimately, the ideal approach for interview or meeting preparation is no different to that for a written text or exam. (More on that in our March ’23 and April ’19 issues.) Identify the system that works best for you, but generally you’re starting broad and getting more detailed as you go. We’ve put together some examples of the sort of questions you might like to consider when you’re looking at prospective schools. (Some of the questions could work well for university interviews too.)
Of course, you may wish to seek advice about other important aspects (fees, funding – given most schools are funded on a per-pupils basis and primary school numbers are reducing – and the trend for the number of Oxbridge places secured). But here we’ve focused on three questions that will give you greater insights into a school’s values and ethos as well as supplying the facts you need to help you in your decision making.
This is two questions in one really, but both relating to the school’s learning ethos. In our busy lives, learning for the joy of learning can get overlooked. Some people may even consider it a luxury. But ultimately, it’s what sets us apart as humans and, arguably, what helps us lead fully rounded, fulfilled lives. So, it can be worth asking schools which subjects they offer that aren’t examined but simply designed to stretch pupil’s powers of thought, reflection and evaluation.
Examples of such programmes include Winchester College’s multi-disciplinary ‘Div’. Borrowing from the arts, philosophy and the history of science, Div is designed to ‘help pupils think critically, to question and assimilate complex ideas, and to articulate their thoughts with clarity and confidence’. Putney School’s Athena programme is a similar concept, supporting students ‘as they learn to think differently and explore their academic passions outside the classroom…in preparation for entry to the top Higher Education institutions’.
Resources, facilities and timetabling for extra-curricular activities such as sports, music, drama and debating can also help you form a fuller picture of a school’s suitability for you. These groups and clubs can foster the lifelong skills, confidence and networks that often may influence career trajectory just as much as academic success.
Do get in touch if you’d like to find out more about non-examined subjects and the programmes that independent UK schools offer.
This is an important and very topical question. It’s a hugely controversial area for obvious reasons, not least in its application to education. Since the launch of the latest release of the technological giants’ chatbots (see our March ’23 blog for more on this) – UK independent schools have begun to complement their workforce with experts in the AI field.
Cottesmore School in West Sussex believes it’s vital to prepare pupils for a future of living and working with artificial intelligence and is recruiting an AI expert to embed the technology into the curriculum accordingly. Meanwhile, with a view to advising and protecting schools from the risks of AI, the head of Epsom College is leading a cross-sector body.
Whatever your personal beliefs about or stance on AI, it remains an inescapable issue that will affect our children in their education and beyond. So, it’s important to frame a question around the topic to understand more about how prospective schools plan to approach it and why.
Questions around these issues have always been important, but never more so than now, in an era where social media holds so much sway. With so few restrictions set by the platforms themselves, schools can play a crucial role in contextualising and combatting potentially damaging influencer views. Disturbingly, teachers have related how misogynistic, racist and other prejudiced attitudes espoused by online influencers are translating into playground chat and classroom behaviour. Some schools have already introduced programmes to tackle such issues. Understanding how a school contends with bigoted beliefs and real-life behaviour deriving from social media is paramount for any parent.
When you’re thinking ahead to university, the long summer break can be the ideal time to get ahead. We talked in our July ’22 blog about how to approach your personal statement, in September ‘19 about timescales for uni applications, and in September ‘21 about what to pack. But, back up a bit… here we’re advocating the long game. Rewind to the preparation (key theme in this issue) you can be doing now to set yourself up in future. Find out how can you make the most of the summer break to be in the best place possible for the competitive application process.
Use your summer holidays to take a deeper dive into the subjects you’re considering for university. So-called ‘super-curricular learning’ means you can test the scope of your interest in a chosen subject AND get ready to impress the admissions team with your dedication. We’ve talked before (in our July ’19 and ’21 blogs) about voluntary work and other activities you can do to gain valuable experience and material for your personal statement. This is more about the wider reading, listening and thinking you can do academically to stand out from the crowd. It shows that you can research independently, take on board new information, and think critically about it. Not only will it help prepare you for university learning, but it can also help you decide on the best course and subject combination for your skills, interests and aspirations.
Often, schools will offer suggestions for super-curricular learning. In addition, you can find full reading lists by subject area on most universities’ websites. Ask us for advice if you’re unsure. As well as more formal reading lists, there are some great interactive sites such as oxplore.org, which encourage critical thinking and debating skills. (Oxplore even has a book club for 11- to 14-year-olds that runs from October to March, designed to introduce students to texts they may not have come across at school. Worth bookmarking for the autumn term – and proof that it’s never too early to begin your super-curricular education!)
Another useful site is University College Oxford’s. The oldest Oxbridge college, it features the reading bank and resource hub ‘Staircase12’, designed for students thinking about applying to top universities. We agree with the site’s promise that ‘you’ll find plenty of ideas here for stretching yourself beyond the school syllabus’. The site also explains a bit more about the importance and benefits of super-curricular learning.
Still not convinced you want to spend your summer hols learning? Get in touch to discover how super-curricular learning can be fun as well as informative!
Until next time…
“ Regency Education helped all three of our boys get into a wonderful school where they now thrive. ”
“ REGENCY EDUCATION WAS ABLE TO HELP US WITH EVERY STEP OF THE SCHOOL APPLICATION PROCESS ENSURING THE EDUCATIONAL SUCCESS OF OUR CHILDREN. AN INVALUABLE SERVICE. ”
“ REGENCY EDUCATION WAS ABLE TO HELP US WITH EVERY STEP OF THE APPLICATION PROCESS ENSURING THE EDUCATIONAL SUCCESS OF OUR CHILDREN - AN INVALUABLE SERVICE. ”
