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

 Imagine that you are a ten year old boy and you are asked to write a quick descriptive piece ahead of your school interview. Where do you even start? Panic fills you, your mind refuses to co-operate and you are left with a blank sheet of paper.  If you are looking at Winchester College, your child will be asked to write a descriptive piece ahead of their interview.   Skills building depends on repetition; the more you practise, the easier you can access the skills under pressure. Think of an athlete repeating drills.  Stop the panic, learn a framework!  Here is a quick start for you.   Remember the five senses: sight, hearing, touch, taste, smell. Count them off on each finger.  Imagine that your prompt is: the cave, or a picture of a cave.  Sight: what can you see? Write it down Hearing: what sounds are arounding you? Are they different volumes? Write them down Touch: can you reach over and touch anything? Can you feel the gr...

  This year, only one Hong Kong-based boy was chosen to join College, the prestigious scholars’ house at Winches ter College. He is Brandon and DBS student, Zachary. Only one Hong Kong-based boy was awarded an Exhibition, recognising academic excellence. He is a Brandon and GSIS student, Victor. Both boys are part of our selective Elite Scholars programme which trains our students to excel through lessons in critical thinking, writing, English, science, humanities, maths and even Latin. Our results speak for themselves. We have an incredible seven boys joining Winchester College Commoner houses in September and are very proud of all our boys and their teachers.  Congratulations to all our new Wykhamists!

This post is part of an occasional series based on meetings with school registrars. Brandon had a visit from Mr Andrew Shedden, Registrar of Winchester College this week. Winchester is an extraordinary institution and, for a wonderful month a year over five years, I was blessed to be a part of it. To summarise some of Mr Shedden's points: Who thrives at Winchester? Academically curious, engaged boys who are willing to think beyond the classroom. How does the school identify suitable students? The first stage is the ISEB pre-test. Should your son do well in the pre-test, he will be invited to an interview during which he may be given a verbal, non-verbal and logic test and school reference will be requested. What is a Winchester interview like? Unexpected! The purpose of the interview is to try to see what makes the boys 'tick'. Wise words? Boys need to be guided to develop resilience and independence. They should be willing to take risks and to learn how to ...

Here are my top five rules for interviews, none of which are earth-shattering news to most parents but all of which are worth bearing in mind! 5: Understand the format of the interview: will your child be tested (Eton, Westminster) if so, what style is the test? Is there a group interview?  4: Do you have to bring anything to the interview ? A school exercise book? An item to discuss? If so, spend some time discussing the items with your child. Flick through the work book and ask your child to select the piece of work they are proudest of. Ask them why they chose their special item. Choose your own item and compare. Have fun finding out about your child!  3: Is there a dress code? Some schools (e.g. Downe House) ask girls to bring sports kit as part of the day includes a group exercise activity. If you are unsure, call the school. Wearing school uniform is always a safe bet and may help your son or daughter to put themselves into school-mode. If you opt to buy a sui...