Westminster School: Admissions explained

Is this school The Best (academically) in the UK? Many say that yes, this school is the best school in the UK. In academic terms, Westminster School which is situated in central London, just 5 minutes walk from the Big Ben, a London landmark.

Like Eton College, I have had an experience with their admissions system. For the same reasons, I won’t tell you if I was successful as this would give away which school I went to. In comparison to Eton College, this school is far open to underprivileged and ‘new family’ students as Eton gives advantage to students with family history relating to Eton College.

First things first, entry to this school, in my opinion, is almost as competitive as Oxbridge universities. I say this because around 50% of their leavers go onto either Cambridge or Oxford. The rest go to Harvard, Yale and other top UK universities (LSE, KCL, Imperial etc.). Their exam results are one of the best in the country. Westminster has continuously come top 5 on the national school leagues tables. In 2008 they came third with only Magdalen College School and Wycombe Abby School in front. This made Westminster the best school that a boy could go to (Westminster becomes a co-educational school in the Sixth form but it is only male for lower years). Boarding is also possible.

The entry process is one of the most competitive and demanding system for entry into a school. There are 2 entry points into the school 13+ and 16+. The 13+ entry is only available to boys but 16+ is available to both boys and girls.

13+ Entry
The 13+ entry system is quite similar to the Eton College entry system. This involves testing whilst the boy is in year 6 or aged 10. They will be tested in mathematics, English and Reasoning. A school report/reference is requested and they are also interviewed. Successful candidates are given conditional places (conditional upon passing the common entrance exam or the scholarship exam).

Waiting lists are also made in case a candidate with a conditional offer pulls out. Westminster also recognises that some students may be disadvantaged because candidates must register 2/3 years before entry. Therefore Westminster reserves some places for any gifted students who did not register before the deadline.

The 13+ interview tests the student’s extra-curricular involvement and tests their logical ability.
16+ Entry
This entry point is perhaps the most competitive out of the two. Both girls and boys can apply and this is the only entry point for girls. Registrations open in June and close in the second Wednesday in October. Registrations are completed on the internet. You will create an account which you will access to check results and to submit details. You will need to submit a recent report, details, personal statement and exam results. You will also need to pay the registration fee through Paypal on their website. Entry exams are held in November and this is taken by both UK students and International students. Those applying abroad may take their exams at a British Council or their school having met certain criteria set by Westminster to assess if their school is suitable as a exam centre.

As you take 4 subjects at A-level, 4 subjects must be chosen for the exams. The only exception is if a candidate chooses Further Mathematics (a more challenging course of Maths), they will only need to take 3 subjects as Further Maths is worth 2 A-level grades. They will also take the same maths exam as those doing single (normal) maths. However Further Maths candidates will be expected to gain much higher marks than single maths candidates. Another exception is Art, Art candidates will be required to submit their portfolio.

The 2008 entry exams (for entry in 2009) for UK candidates were held in Central Hall which is not owned by Westminster School but it is just across the road from Westminster School. This provision was made because of the sheer volume of applicants and Westminster was physically not able to provide enough space for the entry exams. The applicant is given a timetable of exams prior to the exams. The 2008 entry ratio of applicants to places were 3 or 4 applicants to 1 place.

After the exams, successful candidates are invited to come for interviews. There are 5 interviews, 4 subject interviews and 1 general interview. Sometimes, eg. Maths, the interviewer may go through the incorrect answers with the candidate. The interview is a vital process as the exams separated exceptionally gifted candidates from the applicants and the interview is used to separate candidates who can think for themselves. This is not a skill that can be learnt, Westminster does not look for ‘spoon-fed’ students. Even at the interview stage is quite competitive, 2 applicants to 1 place.

By December applicants will be notified if they have been given a conditional place (Conditional upon achieving at least 5 A grades and 1 B grade but overseas candidates who attends a school not doing the GCSEs, will not be required to fulfill this requirement). Others will be put onto a waiting list.
So, as you can see the entry process for the top academic school is not easy. In my opinion, Westminster produces the best exam results because of the entry process. They only allow entry to the top students and Westminster simply nurtures and challenge them. Westminster School does not turn an average student into a top performing student.

Due to its location, Westminster faces major problems as a school. If sport and recreation comes high on your list of important things a school must have, Westminster School is not for you. Due to expensive land prices Westminster uses a single large field for football, cricket and hockey. Swimming is in a nearby publicly shared pool. Therefore their sports are mainly low area sports such as fencing, shooting and rock climbing. Also due to this land problem, many classrooms are located in high rise buildings and for example, in order to reach the Biology department, one must walk 3 or 4 flight of stairs and this can be quite tiring. Many classrooms are located in a large area of publicly used area therefore students need to cross many busy roads and pass offices, public buildings etc. in order to go from A to B.

I hope you can think carefully about the pros and cons of Westminster School before registering as although it may be a top performing school but there are also negative aspects of the school.

Guide to UK Student Visas

For all international students, coming to the UK, should check if you need a visa. Previously, it was quite a simple process to apply for a UK student visa but laws and procedures have changed and I will explain what you will need to know.

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Who needs a UK Visa?

You will need a UK visa if you are not an EU or an EEA national. EU and EEA nationals have unrestricted stay and unrestricted permission to work in any EU or EEA countries including the UK. However if you are from outside the EU or the EEA (e.g. USA) you will need a visa.

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Ok, so how do I get one?

You should apply in the country of your current residence. If you are school aged, you must apply to a private school. In some cases you will have to apply directly to the British Embassy but now as the UK is receiving so many applications the UK Border Agency is using commercial agencies that will handle your application. These companies do not make any decisions but they will process your application for the agency.
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Do I need a Biometric ID card?
Any non EU or EEA student will need one. This is compulsory. This was a response to the increase in illegal immigration. The card will show your immigration status; eligibility to work, nationality and your biometric data (fingerprints and digital photo) will be stored on the card.

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What is the Points-Based System Tier 4?
The British Government has introduced the points-based tier system. This system is quite similar to that of the Australian Visa system where you will need a certain amount of points to qualify for a visa. International students are placed in Tier 4 and there are two subgroups (Child student and General student). A prospective student must accumulate 40 points. 30 Points is awarded for CAS (Certificate of Acceptance of Study). This will be the proof that you have been accepted into a school/course and you have paid for it. Only the place of study can issue this certificate. 10 Points is available for Maintenance and Funds. This will prove that you have the necessary money and funds to support yourself without having to claim ‘Benefits’ or public funds. For courses less than 1 year, £800 is needed per month. For courses lasting more that a year, £9,600 is needed in your bank account. You may want to bring dependants (children, husbands, etc). They will be eligible for Free State education and may be eligible to work. However on top of your initial funds you must also have £535 per month for each dependant you wish to bring.
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Can I work?
Those with a full student visa may be allowed to work. This all depends on what it says on your ID card. If it reads, ‘no work’, this means no work and you will be deported if you are found to be engaging in any paid or un-paid work. However for some, it may read ‘Able to work as authorised by the Secretary of State’. This will allow you to work for 20 hours maximum during term time and 40 hours during the holidays. It will be clear whether you are allowed to work or not. However it is important to follow the rules as illegal work is taken very seriously.
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Do I have to register with the police?
If your ID card or visa states that you need to register with the police, then you must do this. Those aged under 16 will not have to do this. If you don’t do it, it may have very serious consequences for any future UK visa applications and you could be banned from entering the UK (for any reasons) for 1 year or up to 10 years in some cases.
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These rules may seem very strict and harsh, however unfortunately it is a measure that the UK had to take in order to prevent the abuse of the system by a minority. Nevertheless, the UK welcomes every student and will make sure that you have the best time!

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some useful information:

Official UK Visa website: http://www.ukvisas.gov.uk/en/howtoapply/infs/inf5students

Admissions Guide: Eton College

Eton College is the icon of British private schools and even those who may never have visited the UK may know Eton College. Eton College is located in Windsor, close to Windsor Castle. This school has produced the most Prime Ministers than any other schools and a favorite for the Royal family with the likes of Prince Harry and Prince William. It has also become to some extent, a tourist attraction with scheduled tours and a museum. It produces some of the best exam results in the country. With its prestige and long history, it has become one of the hardest schools to get in. You can look at their website and it will tell you all you need to know but I will not only tell you that but also what actually happens inside! I have personal recent experience of their admission system. I won't tell you my results as that will give away what school I eventually went to!

The Basics (What the website tells you)
The prospective student tour (not the tourist one!) should be taken at age 10 and this tour includes areas of the school that are not normally seen by the tourists. The candidate must be registered by the age of 10.6 years. At age 11 or the candidate will be invited for 'pre-assessment'. This consists of an interview, a reasoning test and a report from the candidate's current school. If successful the candidate is offered a conditional place and then must pass the Common Entrance Examinations at age 13 or pass the scholarship exam. About a third receive offers and others are placed on a waiting list and others are declined. Those declined or placed on a waiting list may gain admission by being awarded the 'King's Scholarship' or the Music Scholarship. This is very challenging and very rare to happen.

So, you are probably thinking 'wow that's very competitive!'. Well hold that thought and read my version of their admissions system.

On the day of the admissions assessment day
There 2 groups with around 10-15 other boys and the boy is put into one of them. This is totally random and means nothing. With parents, you meet a senior staff and he/she gives a talk about Eton. Afterwards the boys split and one group is taken to the computer room for the computerised, numerical, perceptual and verbal skills test. Just before, everyone has their photo taken so that cheating is prevented. The test is a set of questions similar to verbal and non-verbal reasoning tests, except harder. One test I remember is a text on screen, which moves up at a steady speed and you must find and highlight the grammatical errors and you must work fast otherwise the text gets hidden. Then you get taken to a small classroom and while you watch the video about Eton, one by one the boy is led by a teacher into another classroom for the dreaded interview! The interview doesn't last longer than 10 minutes and it is actually quite simple. There are questions such as:

• Do you play a musical instrument?
• Tell me about a book that you've read recently. (followed by questions about the book)
• Surprisingly I wasn't asked 'Why I wanted to come to Eton'
• Any hobbies?
• Your favorite subject at school and asks you to talk about what you learnt the last time you had that subject.
• Do you have any questions about Eton?

This is probably just a VERY few questions from a whole list! but those were the questions that I was asked. Those questions may seem very straightforward and easy but for an eleven year old, it is actually quite challenging. One thing not to do is to prepare your answers as the teachers are all very experienced interviewers and they will know staight away if the boy has prepared them. I remember afterwards the lady that looked after us during the day was always saying "Everyone finds the Test hard dear!" and "don't worry honey, you'll be fine!" which was assuring back then but now thinking about it, it seems so harsh to say that, because statistically out of the 30 boys in that room, only 8.5 will get in!

Entry at 16 is very very small and around 6 Scholarships are offered each year and ONLY available to UK based students. For Sixth Form Scholarship (Link):
Reports on current progress and likely GCSE grades will be sought from schools. On the basis of these reports, short-listed candidates will be asked to come to Eton in February (bringing examples of recent work with them) for interviews in their likely AS-level subjects, an aptitude test, and a general paper.

and the normal entry (Link):
Any available places will be offered to boys of a high academic standard who are also likely to make a notable contribution to school life in sport or in the arts. The minimum qualifying standard is GCSE, or the overseas equivalent, in at least six academic subjects with A grades ; in practical terms the level expected is likely to be higher than that, and competition for the limited number of places is intense. There is no entry form and no registration fee, but if a candidate is to be considered a full report will be requested from his present school, and interviews at Eton may be required.

So there we have it, Eton admissions in a nutshell! In my opinion, one must see the 'real' school not what it is portrayed to be like. When choosing a school, the fame or the prestige should not be a factor. The name 'Eton' may be the deciding factor but one should judge the school, as a place of learning and not how famous or well know it is. Do remember that not getting into Eton is not the end, I've known lots of boys who failed to get into Eton and yet ended up in Oxbridge. Also nowadays, more and more Eton alumni (Old Etonians) are 'embarrased' to say they've attended Eton. This is mainly because of the false stereotype that the British media has portayed. It is easy to mis-judge an Old Etonian as 'posh' or 'high-calss' when most of them are just like you and me. A good but sad example is this articale written by a recovering old Etonian drug addict (Article)

I will leave you with a thought from (Link):
As the admissions tutor, William Rees, points out, of the 100 candidates who do best in the reasoning test that is part of the selection process, 20-30 per cent are not offered places. "We take an enormous variety of boys," he says. Just 25 per cent of the boys at Eton today have fathers who went there, compared to 40 percent a generation ago, and with 3.5 candidates for every place, competition is stiffer than ever. One suspects that of the two most famous fictional Old Etonians, James Bond would still get in, while Bertie Wooster would not.

Private School Admissions: General Guide

Dulwich College

There are two main points of entry for British private schools. Most students enter their school at the age of 13. This is through the Common Entrance Examinations, the school’s scholarship exam or the school’s own entrance exam. This point of entry is by far the easiest and the most popular. The other is at the age of 16. Entry at 16 is limited and only a limited number of places are available. It is definitely harder to gain admissions at this point. I will try to explain the pros and the cons of entering at the two ages. Every school’s admissions system is different. However I will explain the common patterns of every school.

Entry at 13
Registrations should be made at least 36 months or 3 years before the point of entry. Therefore planning should be done as soon as possible. The candidate is allowed to apply to as many schools as they wish. When the candidate is aged 10, the school will request a confidential report from the candidate’s current school. For more selective schools, the candidate will be invited to come to their school for a day of cognitive tests and an interview. No candidate will be able to prepare for these tests as it tests how the candidate thinks not what they know. The candidate will be told if they have been given a conditional place after around 3 months. Some unsuccessful candidates will be placed on a waiting list instead just in case someone declines the conditional place. This conditional place is conditional upon passing the Common Entrance Examinations to the required level. At around 18 months before the point of entry, parents will have to either accept or decline the conditional place. If they decide to accept, they must pay a fee which will not be refunded until the student’s last term at the school or if they fail to pass the CE exams. After their place has been accepted, gifted students may apply for scholarships such as sport, academic, music, technology or drama. The student may be guaranteed a place if they perform well in the academic scholarship exam, even if they did not receive a scholarship. If an application is received late, each application will be reviewed individually.

Entry at 16
It is very difficult to find similarities for entry at 16 at various schools but this is the main outline. Application deadlines are usually in September/October/November in the year before the entry. So application should be made in 2010 if entry is in 2011. At top private schools, selection is very competitive and places are very sought after as a consequence, it is a fierce competition to be awarded with a place. If the candidate is attending a school overseas which does not offer GCSE/IGCSEs then the GCSE requirement does not apply here. However there will be requirement for everyone else the any places awarded will be conditional upon their GCSE results. Schools will invite candidates for a day of academic tests and interviews. The candidate will be examined in the 3 or 4 subjects that they have selected for A-levels in October/November. As many students learn different curriculums in their current schools, the school will set an exam that tests their potential and background knowledge of the subject. Again, no candidate can prepare for these exams. There will be interviewed in their 4 different subjects and also a general interview. In December, the candidate will be told if they have been given a conditional place.

As you can see, there are lots of differences between entry at 13 and entry at 16. Entry at 16 is possibly the most difficult route and it is also difficult for me to generalise the admissions process for entry at 16. Therefore it is so so important that you do research on the schools you are interested in. However, hopefully this has enabled you to gain a small insight into the admissions process at different ages. I will be posting on popular and famous schools’ admissions systems as they tend to be very unique and even more demanding and competitive than what I have explained above. I am looking to do Eton, Westminster, Harrow and possibly others. If you have any other schools in mind please leave a comment. I actually have personal experiences of applying to a couple of these schools (most of them successfully!) so I will be able to tell you all about my experiences. Till then.

League Tables

By looking at school league tables, everyone can make their decision on which school is the best/worst. Sure, if you type in 'School league tables' in Google, you'll be inundated with links to school league tables. However how reliable are they?

Many media outlets (BBC, The Times, The Guardian...) produce league tables after GCSEs and A-Levels results every year. Every School in England must submit their results to the Government and they produce a leagues table as well. Many of us just rely on the media outlet. However as media tables are entirely voluntary, more and more (especially Independent schools) are refusing to submit their results. The list can be found here. Many schools withheld their results because they felt it put too much pressure on their students and teachers to perform well. It may also allow prospective parents and the general public to misjudge the school prematurely.

Another major fallback is because many Independent Schools use the IGCSEs. Although IGCSEs are much harder than normal GCSEs, it is not accepted on the league tables and many 'top' schools would now be ranked along with the nation's worst performing schools.

From The Independent:

Leading private schools are critical of today's GCSE league tables as they plummet below some of England's worst-performing comprehensives. Some of the most famous schools in the world including Eton, Harrow, Winchester and St Paul's are rooted at the foot of official rankings because of a technicality.According to the tables, no pupils at almost 100 schools achieved five GCSEs at grade C or above, including maths and English.
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But IGCSE is not recognised by the Government, which has effectively blocked state schools from offering the more challenging exam.
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Schools that register "zero" on the league tables include Dulwich College, Manchester Grammar School, King's School Canterbury, Marlborough College and Oundle School. Most score 100 per cent if IGCSEs are included.

In my opinion, school league tables are a good indicator but one must never solely use the tables to make judgements. For example if a school performed excellently in one year but poorly in the next, this is unreliable and a school may have poor facilities. Therefore it is essential to take this into account beforehand. For schools that have decided to withhold their results; their results can be usually found on their website and if not, normally schools would be happy to disclose their results to you.
Overall, league tables remain a topic to be much discussed in the UK and it is a sensitive issue to schools.

Links to league tables:

DCSF: http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/performancetables/schools_08.shtml

The Times: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/parentpower2008/league_tables.php

BBC: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/league_tables/default.stm

One site that I found that includes IGCSE results, however no state schools included:
http://www.best-schools.co.uk/best-schools.aspx

Public School & Private School: What's the difference?

So, I've noticed some people get confused between Public Schools and Private Schools. Well, I'm here to explain! Most of you people will think that public schools will be the government provided education! Actually both types of schools are fee-paying schools and what's more, 'public schools' are more exclusive than 'private schools'. Examples of public schools are schools on the Eton Group. The link was posted on the first post. I realise how confusing this may be so I will try to explain in 2 sections.

Public Schools

These schools have very long history and they have been founded centuries ago. These schools can be very expensive and are regarded as very prestigious. Some schools may be very difficult to gain admission due to strong competition. An example is Tonbridge School as pictured above. When you think about famous British Schools, you will probably be thinking about Public schools. These schools traditionally have a charitable status, this means schools do not have to pay taxes on fees. They gained the name 'public' because they provided education 'to the public' centuries ago but has now changed. They still provide scholarships and bursaries in order to retain the charitable status.

Private Schools

These schools won't be as well known as public schools. However they still have excellent facilities and good academic standards. An example would be St. Lawrence College School. These schools are relatively easy to get into and do not (normally) require CEE (Common Entrance Exams). Some private schools have charitable statuses. Essentially it is quite similar to public schools but sometimes lacks the history and fame and the continuous result of academic excellence.

So, here it is! two types of fee-paying schools, but with a difference. Please do ask any questions you may have and leave a comment!