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

Many selective schools are now using group interviews as part of their selection process. The theory is simple: look at students in relation to each other; do they interact? Do they support each other? Do they stay with students from their own schools or countries? The group interview is a way of predicting how your year group will behave. There are a few favoured styles for group interviews: - the debate or discussion - a teacher uses an article or a few ideas in order to prompt a discussion. This is a feature of the Wycombe Abbey interview - a sports activity - students are expected to follow instructions. Downe House sees how the girls work as a team by using sport. - a science lesson - Tonbridge see how boys follow guidance, work as a team and use their intellect to engage with experiments - a treasure hunt - great fun at Benenden. and my personal favourite... baking at Downe House! As we all know from Gordon Ramsey- a team which works together in the kitchen is always a

Anyone remember the old rhyme? Latin is a dead tongue, As dead as dead can be. First it killed the Romans, Now its killing me! Anyone who struggled with "Kennedy's Shorter Latin Primer" might agree... so why study Latin? Clarity of thought  - Latin follows strict grammatical rules; no place for waffling here. Access to broader vocabulary - many English words have Latin roots. A link with the past - imagine the joy of being able to decipher that tricky Latin motto, even puzzle through the writing on Roman artefacts. We've been teaching Latin at Brandon over the summer and it has been fabulous to see how quickly our students make significant progress. And best of all... Latin never changes, learn it now you know it forever!

Fed up with the classroom? So are we... which is why our summer courses this year will take place in Ocean Park. Every year, British schools from Winchester to Wycombe try to see what motivates their candidates. Kids need experiences which will allow them to take risks, learn about their own strengths (and weaknesses) and taste the excitement of driving their own learning. I was the Academic Co-ordinator for the Duke TIP programme and watched how transformative experiential learning can be. Hence... the Brandon pop-up at Ocean Park. We're bringing in journalists, videographers and TV editors to teach experiential learning programmes. We'll use case studies, real-life examples and project work. We'll run around the Park, becoming journalists, documentary makers, entrepreneurs and even CEOs. We will be amazing! Communication is key; our students will present, interview and create TED style talks Never let it be said that we stand still. This will be a summer like

We had some wonderful news today: one of our Brandon boys has won an Eton College King's Scholarship award. This has been a particularly good year for our students who seem to be scooping up scholarships and exhibitions in a multitude of schools. The girls have won scholarships at: CLC, Wycombe and exhibitions at Benenden. The boys have aced: Eton, Radley, and Oundle. Brandon has been preparing students for scholarships for over 13 years now.  If you are considering the scholarship route for your son or daughter, the following will help: 1: Understand your child; are they a natural scholar? Some children thrive in academic competitions, others less so. Be honest! 2: Consider a reading list; most prep schools will have a decent list tucked away or the school library is a good place to start. Incorporate fiction, non-fiction and even (gasp) poetry! 3: Be aware of the requirements; do you need to do languages? Cover science? Humanities? What on earth is a General paper? 4:

Times are changing and boarding schools are alive to the need to offer options. The traditional single-sex or co-ed division has changed. The diamond structure of schooling (mixed until 11 - single sex until 16 - mixed sixth form)  is possible when single-sex schools are in close proximity. Students benefit from having time to develop at their own pace but can take advantage of a greater range of facilities. Examples include: Berkhamsted School with more to follow (for more information, look at this article from the Spectator:   Insight into diamond schools) Mixed Sixth forms allow schools to offer a breadth of subjects and to introduce a new cohort at 16+. Successful examples include: Westminster and Charterhouse (who recently announced that they will be going fully co-ed!) Schools which remain single-sex but take advantage of geographical proximity to offer joint activities  throughout the school include: Sherborne Girls partnering with Sherborne Boys and St Mary's Ascot wi

The first part of a poem by Vachel Lindsay: The Leaden-Eyed Let not young souls be smothered out before They do quaint deeds and fully flaunt their pride. It is the world's one crime its babes grow dull Its poor are ox-like, limp and leaden-eyed. How will your child do quaint deeds and flaunt their pride this week?

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