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International IB schools uk

68 replies

BBEA · 07/05/2016 19:03

Hello,
We are moving from Luxembourg to the UK. My child is 14; coming from the bilingual ( French/English) school. Previously at IB school.
I am looking for academic, challenging IB education, north London/Hertfordshire location.
I would appreciate any advices, I need to find something suitable before summer 2016.

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BBEA · 07/05/2016 19:04

Please, anyone can help.

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LIZS · 07/05/2016 19:15

Presumably you are looking for the Middle Years programme which very few UK schools offer. Many more offer the diploma instead of/as well as A levels or Pre U. Look at www.ibo.org/programmes/find-an-ib-school/?SearchFields.Region=&SearchFields.Country=&SearchFields.Keywords=&SearchFields.Language=&SearchFields.BoardingFacilities=&SearchFields.SchoolGender=&SearchFields.ProgrammeMYP=true . Otherwise you might like to look at a school such as Hockerill which is strong on languages but very difficult to get into , especially at non standard entry points,

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LIZS · 07/05/2016 19:20

These are the 13 UK schools offering IB myp , many of which are fee paying and South of London .

International IB schools uk
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lifeisunjust · 07/05/2016 20:09

Hockerill would be best fit.
www.hockerill.com/

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BBEA · 07/05/2016 21:46

Any feedback? I just read about the opening of the new IB school in Buckinghamshire Newlands College? Cam anyone share their experience about the school. I will also visit Hillingdon ACS?

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BBEA · 07/05/2016 21:47

Thank you so much Lizs. We are expecting to pay fees but cannot be south of London. Too far for my husband to commute every day to Hertfordshire.

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BBEA · 07/05/2016 21:49

Thank you lifers unjust. I did call Hockeril but they entry requirement are soooo difficult. We don't even have an address near to the school.

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BBEA · 07/05/2016 21:53

Anyone has experience with ACS Hillingdon ?

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lifeisunjust · 08/05/2016 08:52

Does it absolutely have to be IB?
Your child can suitably challenged with GCSEs and A levels available at state and private schools (if you wish to buy into the "better" claim).

If your child is very able and has French, there is no disadvantage to doing GCSEs and A levels and you can sit those exams as "second language" French and "mother tongue" French. The former is a gift, very hard not to get A stars. The latter requires the same level of work as mother tongue English exams.

Your child won't lose French, if they've been in French for years. My son is at a state UK school, taking French A level (a crafty way of getting an A star for university entry) as well as 3 other A levels. His end UCAS score would get him into Oxbridge. He was previously in French education. He's been suitably challenged by A levels.

There is only one disadvantage to not going to privileged schools such as ACS Cobham and that is "networking" advantage. As for academics, well if you have the brains, you'll be fine in any decent state school.

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BBEA · 08/05/2016 15:15

Thank you lifeisunjust,
You are right about private versus normal schools. I dont care about networking and ' having contacts' from private schools. this is at the bottom of my list.
The only problem is that the good not private or grammar schools are full when I call, also , as my daughter never been in the British school, she doesn't know English kids mentality at all. And I am scared that they are very different from international / expats children . Simply I a m afraid she won't fit in. We had a short trial period and my daughter hated uniforms and she said she had nothing in common with English girls.
That is the other reason why I need an international , open minded feeling of the school. Even if it is not IB.
I am searching for almost a year now to find the suitable place.
Of course money is an issue , as we cannot afford to live on the doorstep of Marylbone to send her to to top central London IB schools.
Running out of ideas!!!

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LIZS · 08/05/2016 15:32

I can't believe no place has come up in a year but if you are non resident many local authorities (state) won't consider your dd for a place until you have moved. Will she 14 or 15 on September 1st as particularly if 15 you may be looking at a very difficult age and even if 14 most gcse courses would be well underway by end of year 9. Most children of this age will stay put until 16 so few places open up. There are other curriculum schools such French Lycée in London which might be worth looking at.

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BBEA · 08/05/2016 16:08

She is 14 now; so she must start in September in year 10; 2 years before GCSE. The selective state schools are full and we don't have an address yet and the feedback from independent is that if she doesn't join now inseptember 2016 then she has to wait till 16 plus intake bc they don't want to take new students ' during' GCSE years.
This means we will have to live in two countries for an other 2 years as my husband is already working in the uk, that is why I started looking at international schools.
Will check the French lycee, it could be an other option . Do you know anyone with kids there?

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lifeisunjust · 08/05/2016 16:10

Private schools are going to be no more internationally minded than state schools, especially in the London area. Some private schools will also have a high proportion of just a few nationalities, whereas your typical London state school could have more nationalities.

The only schools which are likely to be like the international school you're coming from are ACS Cobham, ACS Hillingdon, Marymount, ISL etc and remember that international schools spend a considerable time and money and energy satisfying the visible stuff for parents such as shows, bright wall displays, just like private schools do, whereas a state school is there to educate!

Private schools (outside the international niche market) are more likely to have uniforms than state schools. Really I think this is a minor issue.

Have you actually applied for any UK state school at all?

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lifeisunjust · 08/05/2016 16:14

There is the College Francais bilingue de Londres in north London but it goes to age 15 and then you have to transfer to the LF lycee for 15-18. The curriculum is going to be far less like what your daughter is doing now, the state and private UK schools in English will be nearer. French curriculum is very different.

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SoGodhelpme · 08/05/2016 16:16

OP, Haileybury College sounds perfect for you. Excellent independent school with fantastic IB record, good pastoral care, lots boarding and in Hertfordshire.

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crazycatguy · 08/05/2016 16:19

I teach at a small indie on the Herts/Barnet borders. All our students must do French and outside the languages department, two or three teachers speak it as a second language (myself included!).

A levels/ i-A Levels and GCSE/iGCSEs have equal merit to IB. We send students to universities all over the UK and some in previous years have successfully gone and studied overseas.

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lifeisunjust · 08/05/2016 16:48

Have you thought of looking at more state boarding schools which also take day students? Some of them now have a signifcant minority of EU students and if you're a day student, it's free. If you were to consider boarding coming home at weekends, then you might increase your chances of a place?
www.sbsa.org.uk/find-state-boarding-school

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Blondie1984 · 08/05/2016 16:50

There is the Anglo European School - it's in Essex - not sure if that's an area you would consider?

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lifeisunjust · 08/05/2016 16:51

Or European School Culham?
www.esculham.eu/

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BBEA · 08/05/2016 17:05

Thank you so much for all help. I really appreciate it. Big help.
I will check culham Europ school ( this is exactly same system as she is now in).
I did look at Haileybury - great school but Saturday school till 4pm- absolutely unacceptable , never heard in Europe about going to school 6 times per week. Certainly not for us.
Crazycatguy, what is the name of the school you mentioned, location would be great for us. I would love to check this school.

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BBEA · 08/05/2016 17:09

Anglo European school in Essex - not very high standard.
We are not considering boarding at all.

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BBEA · 08/05/2016 17:11

Maybe is a silly question- but do day kids must go to school on Saturday as well like boarders ( looking at haileybury again). Really loved this school apart of Saturday

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lifeisunjust · 08/05/2016 17:27

Schools which do boarding and day do usually have the children on the same timetable. Saturday school is only usual in state or private boarding schools. My son's school is Saturday to 13.00 but school on Wednesdays and Fridays equally to 13.00. It's boarding only, so it can do this, wouldn't work if it had day students. I too would not be too pleased with Saturday to 16.00. Is there another day where school finishes early to compensate?

I wouldn't dismiss a school because of apparent non high standards though. My son goes to a UK school where results are fine but not outstanding. However, he's taking 5 A levels (4 if you don't count GS waste of time). He's expecting A, A, A, B/A. If a child is academically competent, so long as the school is not completely incompetent, the final grades should be a reflection of the child not the school.

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lifeisunjust · 08/05/2016 17:34

It looks like classes finish at 11.25 at Haileybury on Saturdays, as Saturday afternoon is just activities. It does however have very late finishes on other days. That is the downside to private schools with boarders.

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MrsSchadenfreude · 08/05/2016 17:47

DD1 is at ACS Cobham. She is bilingual (English and French) and they've supported her very well. I think of the ACS schools, only Egham does the IB MYP, the other two follow a broadly American curriculum with elements of the UK system and MYP.

The fees at ACS are eye watering -full boarding is around £44K next school year. We get help with fees from my employer - if DD1 hadn't been 15 when we returned to UK and too late for GCSEs, I'd have put her back into the UK system with no question!

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