What secondary schools teach Mandarin GCSE ?

[maisiewaysie]

I'm thinking of moving back to UK from HK within the next year and am searching for a state school/independent secondary school that teaches GCSE mandarin for my son who is now 13 (which is Year 8). Hopefully to find one in the surrey area as I have relatives living in Cheam (Surrey) area. I'm hoping to find one where he can take mandarin as an alternative to French/Spanish etc. So one less language to pick up as he will already have to speed up his English Language knowledge.

[PeanutButterOnly]

Piggott in Wargrave Berks

[AmazingDisgrace]

Grey Court in Richmond. State comp

[mushroom3]

Haberdashers Aske Hatcham, Mandarin is available from year 8

[Cloud2]

Mandarin Chinese GCSE is very simple, the standard is like year 2 or year3 in Chinese Primary school. So OP, you DS's Chinese must already be very good, so he does not need to take a GCSE mandarin course. Just find a school which let him do the GCSE exam. I think most school would allow him to sit the exam.

Maybe you can find a Chinese school nearby, which normally operate during weekend for 2 hours, so he can do some GCSE paper's with the GCSE class. And he can take A levels later. There are should be lots of these kind of weekend school, like London, Woking , Portsmouth, Southampton etc.

[DontWorryBeHappyNow]

Kings College Wimbledon do, I believe. The work displayed outside their Mandarin classrooms looks incredibly impressive.

[purplegirl16]

Hampton- although it's a new thing. dd's at Putney high and one of the mandarin teachers moved there last year to start it up.

[halvedfees]

And of course Wellington College Berkshire :)

[sussexmumdp]

Might be worth considering Brighton College - they do compulsory Mandarin for years 9-10 and also GCSE and A-Level. Lots of weekly boarders I think from Surrey, Hampshire etc. It's co-ed.

[Rivercam]

Maidstone grammar, and Cornwallis school, both teach mandarin, in Maidstone , Kent.

[TeddTess]

caringdad66 i don't see how that is different to any other MFL GCSE/A level (i have GCSE in french and italian and A level french and am anything other than fluent!!) unless you live for years in a country living, breathing it every day it is impossible to be fluent. but unless you have the grounding (GCSE/A level) you'll never get fluent!

[Cafeconleche]

UCL Academy London NW3 - Mandarin is taught from Year 7

[caringdad66]

Although useful,please remember that GCSE Mandarin is a very basic qualification.
A grade 'A', result, would crudely equate to understanding 5% of the language.
A grade 'A' at A level,would equate to understanding 20% of the language.
Please don't kid yourself that by gaining a Gcse I'm mandarins,your child will be fluent.
Must reiterate ,that it's still worth doing though.

[yellowdaisies]

At my DS's state comprehensive kids who already speak another language can take it as an extra GCSE with very little input from the school. Most get As. If English isn't their first language they can also miss one other GCSE option (eg French) and spend the time doing extra English.

I think this kind of thing is quite common in state schools I'm areas where there are quite a few pupils who've moved from abroad

[LIZS]

Overseas students at dc school take eal lessons on the timetable. Often a native language is taken earlier than others so there is still time to take other options.

[happygardening]

OP perhaps you should speak to the individual schools directly, if he's not completely fluent in English then they may let him off learning a foreign language in favour of extra English lessons. Mandarin might then be possible as an alternative.
You are also leaving it a rather late to get a place for this September in some of those suggested above; Kingston Grammar Hampton and Whitgift will already have filled their vacancies for September many having pre tested in yr6 and will have waiting lists.
Would you consider boarding? Putting aside a handful of very big names you stand a better chance of getting a place for this yr at a boarding school.

[Alana1975]

A slight deviation from the topic. Can anybody recommend, please, mandarin group lessons for children or Sunday school around Richmond/kingston area. The child has an intermediate level.

[maisiewaysie]

Whitgift need you take 3 mfl! that's madness.
i was hoping to be able to find a school that doesn't make it compulsory to take up a mfl & even if it was a must then to continue with his mandarin that he's been learning.
thinking whether i should still go ahead with the move or just wait till he finishes high school here & then do his A levels.

[PettsWoodParadise]

Some schools do it as a 'twilight' course' for example Newstead in Orpington. I gather this means it is half supported, half expected students will fill in the gaps themselves. My point being that it may not be fully advertised, but may be an option. Good luck with the move.

[ShipwreckedAndComatose]

Sorry, I don't think George Abbott does now I look

[happygardening]

At DS2's super selective independent you're not allowed to do (I)GCSE in Mandarin if you already speak it. This applies to any MFL you already speak fluently because it your native tongue so do check.
You might be interested to know that all boys joining the school from Hong Kong have to do Latin and French IGCSE many have not done it or not had many lessons before they arrive. All seem to pick both languages up quickly and at the end of three years get top grades.

[ShipwreckedAndComatose]

I think George Abbott in Guildford, Surrey, does. But you would need to confirm that

[Ingles2]

My son is taking GCSE mandarin at his comp in Kent.. It's a large, rural comp, not selective.. A really great school though. He loves it and is going to China for 3 weeks with them next year :)

[TeddTess]

I believe kingston grammar are now doing it as taster classes within the MFL curriculum but not as a stand alone GCSE. For the next intake anyway (may be different for those already there)

[Leeds2]

My friend's DS did Mandarin GCSE at Trinity. Found it difficult, as he was the only one in his class who didn't speak Mandarin at home. That was three or four years ago.