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Thursday November 21st, 2024
Welcome to your November edition. First snow fell on Englad this week. Not enough to close schools and offices.
In this issue, we’ll look at some practical aspects about an independent education in the UK, as well as exploring some of the many benefits.
Here are some of the questions we often get asked by parents considering a UK independent education for their children…
How is the school year split up?
In answering this, it’s useful to compare the state school term/holiday timetable – which is dictated by local authorities and is consistent across the UK – with the greater autonomy enjoyed by independent schools. In both cases, children essentially do six ‘chunks’ of education, separated by holidays of varying lengths. But how these chunks are divided up varies too…
State schools typically follow a standard academic calendar that’s consistent across the country. The three equal trimesters or ‘terms’, each one 12 to 14 weeks long, are the Autumn Term, (September to December), Spring Term (January to April), and Summer Term (April to July). And each of these is split into two ‘half terms’, with each 6-to-7-week chunk of term time separated by holiday. Pupils attending state schools in the UK tend to have one week off at each half-term point (in February, May/June and October), two weeks off at Christmas and Easter, and then six weeks off for the summer holidays.
In contrast, independent schools can set their own term dates and aren’t bound by local authorities. Most boarding schools might extend their teaching hours into the evenings or weekend, allowing for longer holidays. This is often more practical for families, especially overseas students. Unlike state schools, the length of each trimester varies across the academic year (and even between schools). Some independent schools extend their Autumn and Spring terms by a couple of weeks, allowing for a shorter summer term and a longer summer break. In addition, they might have two weeks off at half term, which gives families greater flexibility. This is particularly important for children who are boarding; having at least two weeks’ downtime offers more opportunities to travel home.
Example of term dates for next term in a typical independent school:
What’s an exeat weekend?
Derived from a Latin word meaning to ‘let him or her go out’, it means pupils can (and in some cases must) leave the school premises. Most UK independent boarding schools have two exeat weekends per term, typically either side of the half term breaks. For example, many schools had their first exeat of the new academic year at the end of September and will have another towards the end of this month. They are opportunities for downtime for staff as well as students, which is why some schools close completely. Others will stay open for overseas students for whom it might be impractical to travel home for just two nights.
At Regency Education, we offer a homestay service where children can choose to stay in a carefully selected family. They’ll have a fun weekend of activities with their host family, maybe visiting museums or theme parks, going bowling or shopping or on theatre trips or to see a film at the cinema. It can be the ideal solution for children whose family live far away, as it offers a great mix of relaxation, fun and opportunities to experience a British way of life – as well as a chance to keep practising your English if it’s not your first language. Some host families offer longer stays too, so do get in touch if you think this might work for your child during school holidays or exeat weekends.
Why would you recommend a UK independent education?
The timetabling at UK independent schools, especially boarding schools, allows for a faster pace of learning. As we’ve already touched upon, school days are often longer, and sometimes teaching spread over six days instead of five. Typically geared towards creating more time for academic pursuits, the extra time also gives children regular opportunities for extracurricular activities. In addition, it allows for a more personalised learning experience. The intense nature of boarding school life is offset by longer breaks, offering greater flexibility for travel, homestays and all-important downtime. Striking this balance (for hundreds of years in many cases) is what makes the UK’s independent schools so good at empowering children to fulfil their potential in all areas. And for pupils who come from overseas to study, these schools – and the support systems set up around them – offer unrivalled advantages. Learning a second language, a different culture, another way of life are all invaluable assets for our young people. Building a network of connections and accessing some of the best extra-curricular facilities across sports and the arts, international students benefit from more than just the academic excellence promised by the top UK independent schools. An independent education in the UK can truly enhance a young person’s future career prospects. Chat to us today to find out more.
“ 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. ”
