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Connect with other parents whose children are starting secondary school on this forum.

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Connect with other parents whose children are starting secondary school on this forum.

Secondary education

[Need help] About UK boarding School

48 replies

abcdabe · 05/12/2013 12:39

I'm a HK student and I'm going to study in the U.K. for my A-level next year.
But since I'm not familiar with the schools, so I want to ask for some help.
These are the schools that have offered me for a place, please comment about them :

Epsom College
Shrewsbury School
Warwick school

( The academic results aren't the most important requirement, but the learning environment and the students are what I'm looking for. )

Thank you :)

OP posts:

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MillyMollyMama · 20/12/2013 00:19

The best advice is to join in and not just talk to people from HK. There will be lots of opportunities to make friends so take them. Lots of the Chinese girls at my DDs school came into the 6th form and stayed in their rooms and worked. Very few joined in with drama, sport, house activities etc which made them increasingly separate and very few made friends as a result. Be yourself and you will be fine.

Mutteroo · 18/12/2013 13:50

I dont know anything about the three schools you mention but could I offer a little insight on your other query? My daughter is very good friends with a girl from HK. This school has large numbers of Chinese pupils & one problem her HK friend found was that the Chinese girls spent a large amount of their time together rather than mixing with the other pupils & speaking English. If you would like to improve your English, maybe a school with less pupils from HK & China would be better? Also a school with more full boarders would give you more opportunities at weekends. Many UK boarding schools have more weekly boarders who go home at weekends & so do check the boarding statistics at your chosen schools.

Congratulations on gaining places at all three schools & good luck.

KepekCrumbs · 17/12/2013 18:50

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

KepekCrumbs · 17/12/2013 18:47

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

pacificjade · 14/12/2013 19:17

Shrewsbury has lots of clubs and activities - music, arts, science, drama, as well as sport. And as a previous poster said , you will be in a house so will have plenty of opportunities to make friends with other students. Your house master will also be making sure that all students are looked after and are integrating into school life.

bethbryant · 13/12/2013 22:54

Just wondered if you had considered the Scottish schools offering A level courses such as Glenalmond? Are you keen to be in the London area only?

Xpatmama88 · 11/12/2013 18:58

Just be yourself, let your own character shines through, be friendly, if you are interested in sports, then play sport, football, rugby, tennis or whether you enjoy. It takes time to get settle, and you may feel homesick to start with.
Remember, all the teenagers are similar everywhere you go, they like music, sports, cinema, computer game, all latest gadgets, what's cool, and what's not. You will find friends that has similar interest to yours, don't worry.

senua · 11/12/2013 18:42

Good choice OP

I'm guessing that Shrewsbury is the same as most boarding schools: your primary loyalty will be to the school, but running a close second is your loyalty to your Boarding House. I'm also guessing that there will be lots of inter-House competition. Find something that you can do to help your House shine and you will gain acceptance from your Housemates.
Sport is always the easy way for boys to make friends but anything that helps towards the inter-House cup will be good. These things (music, drama, debating, etc) will help you, too, as they will be group activities and bring you into contact with other like-minded pupils.

Good luck!

abcdabe · 11/12/2013 15:12

Thankyou for all of your advice. It really helped me, and me and my parents decided to go for Shrewsbury. This school seems to have very good reputation, and I'm sure that I will have a good time. But my only concern now is how can I be friends with the local students. Through sports? Or what??

OP posts:

Kenlee · 10/12/2013 22:46

Xpatman...my father used to take Cathy Pacific direct flight HKG to MAN....Then they stopped its cheaper anyway to fly emirates and change at Dubai...

I still need direct flights as my dsughter is still young but her cousin also boarding in the UK...takes Emirates....

I forgot to mention if you are a student to get through immigration is best to have a letter of acceptance from the school. It also helps if you have a contact number in the UK who can verfiy who you are and what you are doing in the UK....

LIZS · 10/12/2013 18:12

There are still a significant number of o/s students at Epsom . In fact one of ds' peers left partly because there were so few native English speakers in his house and he felt quite isolated , even as a weekly boarder.

Xpatmama88 · 10/12/2013 11:20

I think nowadays many prefer weekly boarding, so many boarding schools adopted to that and it is never easy for overseas students, that why I go for full boarding school for my DCs
Same for Shrewsbury, many head home on weekends too. The overseas students will stick together, chill out, go to town, watch a movie, play computer game or study over the weekend, and some may be invited home by their friends.
And Kenlee, I do not know they stop direct flight to Manchester. Many year agos when we retuned from Far East and spent a few years in Cheshire, we flew into Manchester.

Eastpoint · 10/12/2013 06:59

I think Epsom has lots of weekly boarders so less going on at the weekend.

Kenlee · 09/12/2013 23:34

xpatman....I dont think there are direct flights to Manchester now.....

Xpatmama88 · 08/12/2013 19:48

I think if you have offers from Epsom and Shrewsbury, you are pretty solid academically. They are both good schools, I know a family whose both sons are music scholars in Shrewsbury, and are very happy with the school.
My nieces all went to Epsom, all gained straight A and A* and all now in RG universities. From what I heard, both schools are good. Sorry, don't know much about Warwick.
First of all, have you visited any of these schools, if you are going to board for your A level, you need to check out the boarding facilities, and school environment. Both schools have overseas students, so you won't be the only one. And where do your guardian live, or do you need the school to arrange one for you. You need to have a feel of the school and talk to the teachers and housemasters.
Shrewsbury, you will be flying to Manchester, whereas, Espom you will fly to either Gatwick or Heathrow. I think they may have National express bus from Heathrow to Shrewsbury, you need to check the bus route. But it will be a very long ride nearly 6 hours and change in Birmingham, So logistic nightmare, but Manchester is a closer airports and have direct flight to HK.
Espom is a lot closer for Int'l flight transfer and more airlines have flights to these 2 airports from HK. It is a good school, and strong for potential medic, and what I know the boys and girls do study hard and play hard, my nieces are no bookworms they love their parties, but they all did well and gained great results.

happygardening · 08/12/2013 10:07

The OP asked about three schools but we seem to be confusing the situation by naming others. If he's looking for a 6th form place for 2014 I suspect he's already missed the boat for schools like Charterhouse and others of a similar ilk who've already selected their pupils for next years sixth form.

LIZS · 08/12/2013 09:21

Train not direct to Epsom from LGW . Could do Reigate and get bus/taxi or change at Clapham Junction.

Kenlee · 08/12/2013 04:28

Btw Charter house although very good....Is full of very rich HK chinese...and Mainland chinese . They even have a firework display for the Chinese kids at Chinese new year...

Pooka · 07/12/2013 23:48

Monty python.

Pooka · 07/12/2013 23:46

My cousin and three great uncles all went to Shrewsbury. As did Michael palin (month python). Obviously great uncles were some many years ago. But cousin left 2 years ago and went to Oxford to read English lit. He thrived.

I'm very keen on the town too. Lovely setting.

chickydoo · 07/12/2013 23:45

Epsom very good for sport, well regarded.

pacificjade · 07/12/2013 23:43

But why are you assuming that the OP is flying into Heathrow? It's not the only option.

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Kenlee · 07/12/2013 23:31

o btw just a suggestion if you catch emirates abd change at dubai....The plane ticket is cheaper and you will land at Gatwick . ..they might be a train direct to Epsom or Reigate ...Im not sure but good idea ti check

MillyMollyMama · 07/12/2013 22:20

Actually Shrewsbury is remote if you are flying into Heathrow. Same applies to quite a lot of the co-ed boarding schools. Charterhouse might be a bit nearer to Heathrow.

MillyMollyMama · 07/12/2013 22:13

Many, many apologies. I am living in a girls' world!!!
In that case, look at Rugby, Oundle or Uppingham .

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