Metropolis announces the International Boarders of the Year for 2008
Publishing Group Metropolis has announced the three winners of the International Boarders of the Year Awards for 2008.
Now in their fourth year, these annual Awards celebrate the contribution that pupils from overseas make to all aspects of UK boarding school life.
Heads of all of the UK boarding schools in membership of one or more of the constituent associations of the Independent Schools Council (ISC) will be invited to nominate a boarder for one or more of the three age categories. The chosen boarders were then asked to write an essay relating to their experience as an international boarder in the UK, and each entry had to be endorsed by a representative of the student's school. The 2008 Awards attracted a great number of entries, and an impressive variety of nationalities were represented.
The finalists for each category were invited to London for a fun day of sight-seeing, which included a boat trip along the Thames and a ride on the London Eye. The boarders' big day out culminated in the Awards ceremony in front of delegates at Metropolis's annual Marketing and Recruitment Conference for UK Boarding Schools at Shakespeare's Globe Theatre, where the winners were announced and all the finalists were presented with their trophies by broadcaster and writer Libby Purves.
The winners of the 2008 Awards' three categories were:
Year 8 or below – Zi-yuan Qu, Windlesham House School (pictured above)
Years 9–11 – Claudia Medina Moralejo, St Teresa’s School
Years 12–13 – Lina Al-Araj, St Mary's School, Cambridge.
So if you're currently an international boarder at a UK school and think you have what it takes, why not put yourself forward as a potential candidate for next year's Awards? You never know – this time next year you may be holding the title of International Boarder of the Year 2009 for your age group!
Click here to find out more about this year's winners and runners-up.
Top UK boarding schools to adopt the Cambridge Pre-U
A number of leading UK independent boarding schools have confirmed their decision to introduce a new alternative to A-levels that has been developed in by University of Cambridge International Examinations (CIE), beginning in the next academic year.
Winchester, Eton, Dulwich and Rugby are among a number of schools and colleges in piloting the Cambridge Pre-U examinations from September 2008. The move reflects growing concern over the potential of A-levels to challenge and distinguish the most able students. The Cambridge Pre-U examination is an attempt by Cambridge International Examinations to respond to the complaints of leading schools that modular examinations and unlimited resits have led to a focus on exam success rather than rounded education.
The Cambridge Pre-U diploma, which has received widespread support from universities across the UK, is a two-year course with all exams taken at the end of the second year instead of in stages throughout the course as they are at A-level. Pre-U teachers will spend less time preparing pupils for tests and more covering the subject in depth – each subject studied at Pre-U involves 400 teaching hours, against 360 for A-levels. The exams will be graded using a detailed scale, and the Pre-U's top grade will flag up a higher standard of achievement than even an A* at A-level, a new grade being added in 2010.
Graham Able, Master of Dulwich College, said: 'We are adopting the Pre-U in classics and history of art from September and all students will sit a central research course and do an extended essay under the Cambridge syllabus. We will keep a watching eye over the next few years and consider a wholesale move as things develop.'
Another school adopting the new qualification in September is Walthamstow Hall, which is replacing A-levels in English, maths, further maths and history with Pre-U equivalents. The school's headmistress Jill Milner commented: 'It will combine the depth and breadth of studying specialist subjects with the enrichment of additional skills. The response from parents and girls has been excellent and we have every confidence that the girls will meet the challenge with enthusiasm and success.'
Find out more about the Pre-U from the CIE website.
Rise in pupils from independent schools entering top UK universities
The Annual Universities Survey by the Independent Schools Council (ISC) has revealed a 3.1% rise in the acceptance rate of pupils from ISC schools at Russell Group universities, an association of 20 major research-intensive universities in the UK.
The ISC survey, which is based on 34,700 applications to 4,500 courses at 217 universities from 139 ISC schools with sixth forms, showed that the acceptance rate had risen from 62.5% in 2006 to 65.6% in 2007. Acceptance rates for ISC pupils applying to Russell Group universities were especially high (over 80%) in biological sciences, physical sciences, mathematical and computer sciences, and technologies subjects.
Analysis of the results shows that gaining three As or Bs at A-level is the key to admission to leading universities. Quality is more important than quantity: it is better to have three high quality A-level grades than the same A-level points score made up from a larger number of less good results.
Commenting on the findings of the survey, ISC Chief Executive Jonathan Shephard said: 'These results show once again the superb job done by ISC schools in preparing pupils for entry to leading universities. Our research also shows that A-level point scores can be misleading as a measure of achievement: it is quality, not quantity, that counts.'
Rossall creates scholarship for Manchester pupil
Rossall School has created the ‘Governors’ All Rounder Award’ to provide an 11-year-old from the Greater Manchester area with the opportunity to join the school as a boarder. The scholarship, which will cover 100% of the basic weekly or full boarding fee and some extras, could be worth around £150,000 for a pupil staying until the age of 18.
The 163-year-old school has devised the Award to celebrate its close ties with Manchester and the city’s former army regiments, which date back to the school’s foundation during the early years of Queen Victoria’s reign. Rossall has an array of modern sporting and academic facilities, and is one of only six schools in the UK with a self-contained international study centre, resulting in a truly cosmopolitan campus. The School is also home to the Lawrence House Astronomy & Space Science Centre, the UK’s only all-levels education centre for astronomy and space science, which houses a planetarium and a space observatory.
Commenting on the Award, Rossall School headmaster Tim Wilbur said: ‘This Award recognises the role Manchester has played in the School’s history and could provide one child from any walk of life with a truly enriching school experience.’
The Award will go to a pupil with the best all-round ability, able to demonstrate strengths in three or more areas, one of which must be academic capability. The other strengths can be displayed in languages, sport, art, music, drama or extracurricular activity. Candidates will sit an entrance examination in January 2008, the results of which will determine the recipient.
Parents can obtain further information on the award and application forms by calling 01253 774201 or by emailing enquiries@rossallcorporation.co.uk.
New issue of Boarding UK out now
The latest edition of a fun and informative magazine designed especially for students considering studying ata UK boarding school is out now.
Boarding UK is full of information about what boarding in the UK is like, how to understand the UK school system, what activities you can do outside the classroom, and how to prepare for the UK boarding experience. There are also plenty of fun features like competitions, blogs and first-hand accounts from current boarders, the views of celebrity former boarders, and a look at the UK's world-famous music, fashion and sport scenes.
Deciding to go to boarding school in the UK is a big decision, and Boarding UK will help students find out more about what it will really be like. You can get your copy at your local British Council Office, through many UK boarding schools, or by e-mailing Metropolis (the first 20 people to send email each month will be sent a free copy).
Life begins at 40 for ACS
The current academic year marks the 40th anniversary of ACS, which was founded in 1967 when Mr E J Poularas (a Greek shipping executive) and Mr G E Speed (an American educator working in London) realised there was a need to create an American and international educational environment to serve the needs of London’s ever-growing expatriate community.
The pair opened their first school in north London in September 1967 with 35 students. Forty years on from the launch, ACS International's three state-of-the-art London area campuses at Cobham, Egham and Hillingdon are home to over 2,500 students and 580 staff from over 70 countries.
The co-educational schools teach students from 2½ to 18 years of age in a truly multicultural community – the multinational students and staff speak more than 40 first languages. ACS students follow International Baccalaureate programmes or an American curriculum including Advanced Placement courses.
There are a number of key events and activities planned during ACS International's 40th year – find out more from its 40th anniversary microsite.
Latest census reveals over 20,000 international pupils at UK schools
A census undertaken by the Independent Schools Council (ISC) has shown that there are 20,852 pupils from overseas currently at ISC schools.
The census also showed that, in 2006, 8,454 new overseas pupils joined ISC schools. Approximately one third of these were from Hong Kong and China and another third were from Europe.
In all, there are now 509,093 children in ISC schools. Of these:
67,335 are boarders and 441,758 are day pupils
260,361 are boys and 248,732 are girls
42,814 are nursery age (0–4)
161,452 are primary age (5–10)
223,360 are senior age (11–15)
81,467 are sixth form age (16–19).
In schools that were members of ISC in 2007 and 2006, numbers rose from one year to the next. There was a 0.1% rise (around 500 pupils). Numbers have risen in 17 out of the last 21 years. Total pupil numbers in 2007 have reached an all-time record.
The full 2007 ISC census can be downloaded from the ISC website.
Half of A-level entries from pupils at ISC-member schools are awarded grade A
A-level exam results from 476 Independent Schools Council (ISC) schools show that this year – for the first time ever – half of all entries have received an A grade. In addition, more than 75% of entries were graded A or B, also for the first time.
Commenting on the high proportion of A grades this year (25.3% nationally, 50% at ISC schools), Jonathan Shephard, ISC Chief Executive, said: 'These results at ISC schools reflect the ability and effort of the pupils taking the exams and the skills of their teachers.'
The aggregate data from provisional A-level results achieved by 31,347 candidates from 476 ISC schools show that:
99.4% of all entries received pass (A–E) grades (national average 96.9%)
50% of entries were awarded the top A grade (national average 25.3%)
76.1% of entries were graded A or B (national average 49.7%).
Record number of pupils at ISC schools awarded A* at GCSE
GCSE exam results from 577 Independent Schools Council (ISC) schools show that this year 26.8% of GCSE entries achieved grade A*. This is the third consecutive yearly rise. In addition, more than 1 in 2 entries were graded A* or A.
Commenting on the high proportion of A*–A grades this year (57.4% at ISC schools, 19.5% nationally), Jonathan Shephard, ISC Chief Executive, said: 'These results show that ISC schools continue to deliver a winning combination of teaching and learning. Both pupils and teachers should be congratulated on this outstanding success.'
Provisional GCSE results for 41,525 candidates from 577 schools show even greater achievement than in 2006. Candidates in ISC schools took an average of 9.4 subjects each, and:
more than 1 entry in 4 (26.8%) received the A* grade, up from 26.5% last year (national average 6.4%, up from 6.3% in 2006)
57.4% of all exam entries were graded A* or A, up from 57.2% in 2006
19 out of 20 entries (95%) achieved grades A* –C (nationally, 63.3% were graded A* to C, compared with 62.4% last year)
92.9% achieved five GCSEs at grades A* –C including maths and English; 81.8% achieved five GCSEs at grades A* –C including maths, English, a science and a modern foreign language (nationally, 44% last year)
in 231 schools (40% of the total), every pupil achieved five or more A* –C grades. In a further 159 schools (a further 28% of the total), 95% or more of pupils achieved this standard.
Publishing Group Metropolis has announced the three winners of the International Boarders of the Year Awards for 2008. 
The Annual Universities Survey by the 
Rossall School has created the ‘Governors’ All Rounder Award’ to provide an 11-year-old from the Greater Manchester area with the opportunity to join the school as a boarder. The scholarship, which will cover 100% of the basic weekly or full boarding fee and some extras, could be worth around £150,000 for a pupil staying until the age of 18. 
The latest edition of a fun and informative magazine designed especially for students considering studying at a UK boarding school is out now.
A census undertaken by the Independent Schools Council (ISC) has shown that there are 20,852 pupils from overseas currently at ISC schools.
A-level exam results from 476 Independent Schools Council (ISC) schools show that this year – for the first time ever – half of all entries have received an A grade. In addition, more than 75% of entries were graded A or B, also for the first time.
