Home > Types of Schools
Day schools
Entry to day schools can be very competitive, especially in London. In choosing
day schools, factors to consider include how long your child will take to
travel to school and back home. Do not assume that, because you can drive
to a school in 20 minutes, your child can do the same if it involves several
forms of transport and changes. Find out what time pupils leave school at
the end of the day and whether they are expected to be there at weekends.
Some schools where boarding predominates have a very extended day, and expect
day pupils to play a full part (some have a separate category of 'day-boarders',
who often do not leave until 9pm).
Junior schools
Many independent secondary schools have their own junior schools. These may
take children from 5 onwards, sometimes from as young as 2½ or even
providing nursery care from birth. Some are physically integrated in the
main school, so pupils remain in the same environment throughout their school
careers; others are on a separate site, so there is a real feeling of new
horizons when pupils move up to the senior school. The junior school may
benefit from the senior school's sports grounds and specialist facilities
even when it is housed separately. The School reports concentrate on secondary
schools and only mention junior schools where they are part of the senior
school or are a significant feeder school. Junior ISC schools are inspected
separately from the senior schools and school inspection reports are published
on the ISI website (www.isinspect.org.uk).
Some parents assume they can guarantee entry into competitive senior schools
by entering their child for the junior school. Transfer is not normally
guaranteed although the junior school pupils will undoubtedly be well prepared
for the senior school's entrance exam and interview.
Parents should choose a junior school to suit their children, rather than
as a feeder school to a favoured secondary school. Junior schools are often
very different from their senior school: a junior school may be small, cosy
and supportive while its senior school is large, boisterous and competitive.
And it is worth reviewing your choice periodically in your children's
development, particularly at ages 8 and 11.
Prep schools
Preparatory (or prep) schools traditionally prepared pupils for Common Entrance
(CE) - although the term has recently been highjacked by other junior schools,
not involved with CE. Prep schools take pupils from the age of 7 or 8 and
may have pre-prep departments, taking pupils from age 5.
Pupils stay until they take Common Entrance, which may be at 11, 12 or 13.
Prep schools will prepare pupils for CE at the age demanded by the schools
they regularly feed but will only rarely be geared to CE at all three ages.
It is important to ensure your chosen prep and secondary schools dovetail.
Some have links with, or are prep departments of, specific secondary schools.
In other schools the pupils go on to secondary schools all over the country.
Heads of good prep schools will know the ropes and are experienced at matching
their pupils to the secondary schools they feed.
Private schools
Strictly, these are schools owned by private individuals. There are quite
a number of prep schools but very few secondary. The term is often used to
describe independent schools generally.
Public schools
The exact definition of a public school is unclear. Usually it is used to
refer to independent schools whose Heads are members of the HMC or GSA. Some
boys' public schools are enormously well endowed and can afford outstanding
facilities. Public schools can be sub-divided into major and minor, depending
on the viewpoint and the alma mater of those using the expression.
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