Dates: between Sept and July
Duration: academic year
Age: from 11 to 18 years
Price: year from 13.537 €
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St. Marks Admissions photo shoot. 11/27-11/28
State schools in the UK offer free education for British students and for those from the European Union. Most of them are secular (non descriptive), mixed and follow the national curriculum, though there are faith schools as well and those who offer the international baccalaureate, where you can attend for a few weeks, a term or a whole year. We also have around 30 state schools with accommodation in halls of residence, minimum stay a year.
Without going into detail about the different types of state schools in the United Kingdom (Community Schools, Foundations, Voluntary Schools, Academies, Grammar Schools, Faith Schools, etc.), Welfare has personally selected those with high academic standards and whose characteristics are considered most relevant to help international students adapt easily. We also look for schools with few students from your country of origin and in areas of good economic and social standards.
These schools promote creativity and give students freedom to innovate and experiment on their own. Research, projects and team work are the norm. Class participation is highly valued and teachers encourage students to share ideas with classmates and to participate in activities, debates and contests. The objective is to be involved in learning, with a strong sense of motivation and fun.
Education is mandatory from 5-16 years of age.
PRIMARY EDUCATION
Finishes at 10-11 years old, in year 6.
In this time, students gain general knowledge in multiple subjects and their talent is guided towards future studies.
SECONDARY EDUCATION
Finishes at year 11 with the GCSE exams.
These grades will determine subjects to be taken for A Levels.
A LEVELS
These are the two years known as Sixth Form (years 12 and 13), a period to concentrate in depth in few subjects, chosen according to which university the student would like to attend. GCE exams are taken along the two years. The national curriculum is the most common, but there’s a small number of state and private schools that offer the International Baccalaureate.
SCHOOL YEARS
Primary and secondary
SCHOOL SYSTEM
National curriculum or International Baccalaureate
FAITH
Mostly secular
AREAS
England
Accommodation in boarding schools is usually located in the school grounds within walking distance. There are visits and organised activities for students on weekends. Some schools have a lot of English students, whereas others only have English students from Monday to Friday, and some schools only host international students.
The halls of residence are like a home, and are fully prepared with facilities like living rooms, entertainment, studies, canteen and spacious shared bedrooms for younger students, double and individual rooms for the older ones. There is a person in charge of the students’ wellbeing and basic necessities.
First term: September- December
Second term: January- March
Third term: April- July
There is a half term break of about 10 days in each of the terms of the school year, when you can go back home or stay in the U.K., either at the school, a British campsite or with a carefully selected family.
Then, you also have Christmas and Easter break.
School year: 13.537 € – 17.845 € (£ 11.100 – £ 14.633)
*Includes school fees, accommodation and meals.
*Same price from schools, no added fees.
*A whole school year accounts for around slightly less than the price of a term, times three.
*Payment in euros or pounds.
*Welfare services are optional.
A whole school year in the UK can be validated seamlessly, as long as the student achieves the minimum required qualifications, as laid out by the Education Department of the country of origin. Our coordinator will make sure the student chooses the relevant subjects to comply with the set requirements, and will take care of the procedures to obtain the certification.
Students must pass at least two A Levels at their GCEs. This process doesn’t include the procedure to access university.
Please note that if you study both years of A Levels you can obtain access to university with your median grades, and opt to take the exams to raise your grades.
