Brandon Learning Centre: British Education - process, preparation and practicalities

 As we all know, there is more to a school than rankings! They don't show the rich cultural or sporting lives of a school or indeed differentiate between schools with selective and unselective intakes.   Every year, the Sunday Times produces a ranking of all the schools in the UK based on GCSE and A level performance. This year, the 29th Sunday Times Parent Power rankings have taken an average of results from 2017 - 2019 for their 2021 results (formal exams were disrupted due to the pandemic so schools used centre assessed grades in 2021) and the top ten schools are:   1: St Paul's Girls 2: King's College School, Wimbledon 3: Wycombe Abbey School  4: Magdalen College School 5: Guildford High School  6: St Paul's School  7: Westminster School  8 (joint) Brighton College - City of London School for Girls 10: Sevenoaks We've had Brandon students going on to all schools! Also enormously popular this year for our students are Eton College (11th), Radley (58th) Downe Hou

Searching for inspiration? In no particular order, books which might inspire  this Christmas. Buy them from a local independent bookshop and preserve our access to good reading. I loved the BBC series tracing world history through objects which is now available to pick through; this book is another way into a fascinating subject. Aimed at ages 8+ or so.      The idea of a poem a day isn't new but this new anthology has a varied range of styles and poets (Maya Angelou and Robert Burns!) Read a poem and journal or share your reactions. An inspiring workbook for 9+ boys and girls. Learn step by step how to develop confidence and be true to your talents.

  Interview Season  If you child is going into year 6 and you are applying to UK selective schools, you will be heading into interview season! Remember these stages:  1: Create your timetable. The first step is going to be taking the ISEB Pre-test (Winchester, Eton, Westminster, St Paul's, Tonbridge) and you need to be ready for this. Try the mock tests on www.pre-quest.com. 2: Think about the different interview styles you might encounter. Will they be group interviews (Wycombe, Downe House, Wellington), individual sessions + testing (St Paul's, Eton) or even academic interviews (Westminster, Winchester). Talk to your child about what to expect. 3: AVOID memorising answers! Schools hate this... INSTEAD... start discussions with your child about their interests and try to encourage them to develop their answers.  4: Choose a book, reading it together and discuss ideas.  5: Look for experiences which will develop your child's interests: visit a museum or gallery, talk about

You get through the ISEB Pre-test, fly through the interviews... only to get a waiting list offer.  Don't despair!  A waiting list place is NOT a rejection. You are still in the picture. In 2020, five of my boys moved from reserve to general places at Winchester. One of my boys moved from the Eton waiting list and one of my girls has just moved off the waiting list at Downe House to the delight of her parents.   Why do schools have waiting lists?  It is no secret that families apply to multiple schools. If a school makes 10 offers, they can assume that a proportion of the candidates will not accept, or may drop our later. Hence the waiting list.  Why do students move from the waiting list? Some students may have a couple of options to consider. Once they give up their places, the schools will go to the waiting list to fill the gaps.  Other places will become available after scholarship exams take place. For example, Winchester candidates for Election will generally be holding offe

Which schools ask for the ISEB pretest? The list has grown! Check here:   Schools like Eton, Winchester, Charterhouse and Wellington will ask your child to sit the ISEB Pre-test ahead of inviting them for an interview. Other schools such as Benenden will ask for the test in addition to their assessment day. Check the admissions pages of the school websites. Top Ten questions from Brandon parents!  1: How do I enter for the ISEB pretest? Once you have registered with your senior schools, they will enter your child once the appropriate year comes around.  2: Where do I take the test? Brandon, of course! Notify your senior school that you are taking the test with us and they will send us test codes.  3: When do I take the test?  Your school will give you a window during which the test must be taken. Some schools have early deadlines. You need to check!  4: So what does the pre-test consist of? The test is taken online and there are four sections: Maths (50 mins) English (25 mins) Non-Verb

  Many of our students have mentioned that they have started to feel isolated over the last year so we have put together a group for them to start discussing their ideas. We have girls from all over the world joining our first forum in February. Together, they will discuss big topics and start to think of ways they can change their world, a step at a time.  Sometimes, we avoid action because our problems overwhelm us. By working together, our students will make a difference.