Introduction
Most South Africans arriving on “the island” are young and restless. Their priorities tend to revolve around a vibrant SA community and a pub serving Castle. Yet, there are also those who arrive with a family in tow, and your criteria for easing in and settling down are somewhat different, with schooling for the children right up there near the top of the list. Most parents who arrive in the UK feel – often justifiably so – that they have dragged their children from a life of friends, fun and sunshine to the cold, wet and misery of a new life north of the Equator. Finding the right school for your child is vitally important, as it will go a long way towards helping the whole family settle into their new lifestyle that much more quickly.
The basics of English schools
Education is compulsory in the UK for children between the ages of five and sixteen. Education in the maintained (government) school sector is not related in any way to the nationality of the child. Education has to be provided for all children who are of compulsory school age (5-16 years), regardless of nationality, if it is "practical and expedient" to do so.
Children start school at the beginning of the academic year in which they turn 5 years old. Pupils write their GCSE examinations in Year 11 (at age 16 usually), and then have the option to leave school or continue on to do their A-levels.
The academic year runs from the beginning of September to the end of August. Schools run a three-term calendar, and the long summer holiday runs from mid-July to early September.
Types of schools
The vast majority of children are educated in the Government sector in 'Maintained’ or ‘State’ schools. These schools are funded from public funds, provided either by Local Education Authorities or central government. State schooling is free.
Parents have the choice of where they want to send their children, but in practice you might be limited by factors such as proximity to the school or church-aided schools giving priority to church members. All state-funded schools have to follow the formal National Curriculum.
Independent schools are also known as 'Private’ – or, confusingly, ‘Public’ schools (so called because anyone from the Public can attend the school as long as they have the money to attend; and often this is a pile of dosh up to 20,000 Pounds for leading boarding establishments!)
Grammar schools occupy a politically turbulent space in the middle. These are academically selective state schools which set entry criteria for pupils and charge fees. The Labour Party does not sit comfortably with the idea of selective education.
A proportion of scholars who wish to study A-levels leave their secondary schools and move on to specialist Sixth Form Colleges. These tend to be more relaxed and laissez-faire than secondary schools. The school uniform is disbanded, smoking is de rigueur and the appeal to the ordinary teenager is understandably over-whelming. Many parents are stricken by the idea of their children leaving the structure and routine of their present place of education, yet - in fairness - there are a number of outstanding Sixth Form Colleges around. They can be a pleasantly successful bridge between school and university, and it can really help some children mature and integrate into their ‘new’ way of life.
The best schools for South Africans
For many South Africans an independent school would best reflect the standards of discipline and levels of expectation that your child would have experienced in SA. However, it would be wrong to assume that private schools offer facilities or opportunities that are lacking in the government sector. Despite the current crisis in school funding among LEA’s, many state schools have outstanding facilities in the classroom, and in the artistic and sporting arenas.
It will help to remember that the best way of choosing the right school is to find out as much as you possibly can. It is easy to get lists of schools in your area or to formally check on their results and OFSTED reports on the web. But, as with choosing a house, you will want to drive around the area, talk to locals, and visit the schools yourself. As a former teacher, I always found the acid test for the prospective parent was the ‘surprise’ visit. Make a last-minute appointment for a quick guide around the school, preferably during break-time. You will soon know if this is a school you could send your child to.
Where to find more information
When trying to decide on a school or college try the following invaluable sources of info:
www.dfes.gov.uk- Click on the “Parents” link for tons of useful stuff
www.britishcouncil.org/education/- the links to “Education Information Sheets” are especially helpful for those exploring secondary and tertiary education options.
www.ofsted.gov.uk – Office for Standards in Education publish regular reports on state schools.
www.clickclick2.net/family-schools.html- has a number of very good links
If your budget, or an employment incentive, means you can stretch to the independent sector here are a number of organisations that will help you find an independent school in the UK.
www.isis.org.uk – for schools accredited by the Independent School Council.
www.isbi.com - the Independent Schools of the British Isles website
If web-related investigating leaves you cold, buy a copy of the perennially popular, “Good Schools Guide”. Happy hunting!
