Choosing the best UK school for your child

Thursday November 22nd, 2018

Regency Education advises families to visit five schools and apply to at least three of those.  If you receive offers from equally ‘good’ schools then consider other aspects such as the size of the school: is your child outgoing and confident?  Then they are likely to excel in a larger senior school (up to 1,200 pupils).  If your child is quieter by nature then a smaller school might suit him or her better – maybe no more than 250-450 pupils in total.

You might find yourself trying to choose between a very structured, traditional style of school and a bubblier, creative establishment.  Ultimately this choice should come down to your child’s preference; their strengths and the way they like to study.  If you’re unsure, visit the school again.  Observe your child there and try to imagine them as one of the pupils.  Try to withhold your own feelings and preferences and judge through the eyes of your child.

From UK nurseries to schools and universities

This advice is equally relevant for any stage of your child’s schooling in fact.  When a family we know visited nurseries for their one-year-old son, all the adults (mum, dad, Grandma) loved the feeling of space created by large, airy rooms with high ceilings in one nursery.  But their little boy was clearly more at home in the smaller, more compact rooms of another establishment, which actually felt slightly cramped from a grown-up’s perspective! It can be hard to look beyond your preferences – but it is crucial for your child’s wellbeing, happiness and success at all stages of their schooling.  We can help you do that with our in-depth knowledge of education establishments from nurseries to junior and senior schools and universities.  Combined with our personalised approach to assessing every individual child on their academic ability, character traits and learning style, we can help you find the very best match for your child. Contact us to find out more about our school selection service.

UK sixth form: the route to your UK university of choice

 At each stage of your child’s education, try and plan ahead for the next stage too; consider which education establishments alumni attend and that can help inform your choice as well.  For example, we know that from November until January students will be sitting entrance exams for sixth form entry.  There’s a great deal to consider with your choice of UK sixth form: look for opportunities to develop your child’s strengths; consider which universities are a popular choice with the school’s alumni; understand the style of teaching and the teachers’ specialisms.  Our school selection service can help you with all of this.  Get in touch if we can help with sixth form choices at UK schools or at any stage in your child’s UK education.

Subject-specific tutoring  

Our tutoring service is always popular with pupils during holiday periods.  Many students living abroad take up our offer of one-to-one sessions over Skype during the school holidays.  All our tutors are carefully selected and DBS-checked.  All of them will have attained at least a degree level qualification in the relevant subject.  Tutoring can be a great way to keep on top – or even get ahead – of the syllabus.  It’s perfect for students preparing for school entry in the UK, allowing them to improve their confidence and their ability in any subject as well as their conversational English with a native speaker.  Talk to us about our tutoring service.