British impartial colleges are famend for small class sizes, particular person care, and educational achievement. Examination success is among the important the explanation why mother and father select to take a position substantial sums of cash of their baby’s training.
The highest-ranked colleges for A-levels are significantly aggressive to get in to, with college students often needing to move extraordinarily difficult entrance exams and interviews.
But it surely’s a typical false impression that all personal colleges solely enrol essentially the most academically succesful college students. In keeping with the Unbiased Faculties Council (ISC) census of 2023, 18.6% of scholars in British impartial colleges have some type of particular academic want, and most of those obtain help to handle dyslexia, dyscalculia and different gentle to reasonable studying difficulties.
In fact, you don’t have to have studying difficulties to search out A-levels and their rigorous educational exams unappealing.
Not all kids are suited to academically aggressive environments, and lots of are unable to do themselves justice underneath demanding examination circumstances – so what kind of personal colleges do these kids go to?
Non-selective personal colleges
Such college students are likely to go to non-selective colleges. These colleges often connect much less significance to examination outcomes, as an alternative focussing on offering a well-rounded academic expertise. They perceive that A-levels, with their remaining grades awarded on a handful of timed written exams, are simply not appropriate for some college students. Alternative routes of studying and assessing college students’ skills and progress are required.
BTECs are nice for college students who be taught “by doing”. BTEC Nationals are taken in 6th kind (age 16-18) and might be equal to 1, 2 or 3 A-levels. Common assessments imply college students construct their grades cumulatively over the course of two years, in order that they’re not on the mercy of the “sink or swim” remaining exams of A-levels.
The rise of BTECs in personal colleges
This might properly clarify the rise of BTEC in English impartial college sixth types. Knowledge from the federal government’s college efficiency knowledge service reveals that, in 2022, over 190 impartial colleges provided at the least 1 BTEC qualification in 6th kind. In 2012, this quantity stood at underneath 60.
Many mother and father fear that their baby gained’t have the ability to go to school with BTECs, however the UCAS (Universities and Schools Admissions Service) 2020 end-of-cycle report reported that the college acceptance fee for candidates holding solely BTECS rose from 76.4% in 2011 to 87.5% in 2020. For context, the acceptance fee for college students holding solely A-levels was 90.7%, and it’s 89.6% for college students holding a mix of A-levels and BTECs.
So, there’s a really clear case for selecting BTECs in 6th kind: BTECs may give sure college students significantly better studying and college outcomes than A-levels.
The issue is to find which personal colleges supply BTECs within the UK. To get you began, listed here are the highest 5 colleges from the record of 50 greatest personal colleges for BTECs.
Faculties are ranked by what number of BTECs the common pupil took in 2022, thereby revealing the colleges the place BTECs are hottest.
1. Milton Abbey Faculty
Location: Blandford Discussion board, Dorset
Ages: 13 – 18, Day and Boarding
Gender: Co-ed
Annual 6th kind day charges: £27,570
Annual 6th kind boarding charges: £51,135
Complete variety of BTEC examination entries: 48
Variety of BTEC examination entries per pupil: 1.53
With the slogan “Study In a different way”, Milton Abbey leads the way in which to find the fitting educational pathway for every of its college students. The college gives the widest vary of BTECs of all British impartial colleges and, with round 200 college students, is sufficiently small for academics to know and help every pupil’s particular person strengths and challenges. Milton Abbey was named BTEC Faculty of the 12 months 2019 by the BTEC awarding physique, Pearson.
The attractive campus in Dorset gives loads of contemporary air and sporting actions, with the varsity even having its personal golf course. Most college students are full boarders, with native day college students making up the numbers.
The Third, Fourth and Decrease Sixth Varieties are collaborating in end-of-year journeys, spanning from browsing in Cornwall to outside adventures in Somerset. This primary replace is from the Fourth Kind kayaking on the River Frome in Purbeck. Extra to observe as we get them from journey leaders! pic.twitter.com/9CSZLKeXWI
— Milton Abbey Faculty | Study In a different way (@MiltonAbbey) July 3, 2023
2. Canbury Faculty
Location: Kingston upon Thames, Surrey
Ages: 11 – 18,
Kind: Day
Gender: Co-ed
Annual 6th kind day charges: £19,851
Complete variety of BTEC examination entries: 12
Variety of BTEC examination entries per pupil: 1.43
Nestled in a leafy Surrey suburb, Canbury Faculty is a tiny senior day college serving the local people. Class sizes are by no means any greater than 17, and roughly 75 college students attend the varsity at current. The college has a really sturdy concentrate on supporting college students with studying difficulties and, in keeping with its newest Unbiased Faculties Inspectorate (ISI) report nearly all of its college students to have an EHCP (Training, well being and care plan.)
Within the 6th kind, Canbury Faculty can supply individualised studying programmes for its college students. A handful of A-levels and BTECs are provided, and the availability of particular topics tends to alter on an annual foundation to satisfy pupil calls for.
Canbury Faculty welcomed @AniesaBlore yesterday to talk to the employees throughout INSET about #sensorydifficulties and #OT and gifted us along with her fantastic guide. pic.twitter.com/bDy7EMcMLc
— Canbury Faculty (@canbury_school) January 4, 2023
3. The School of Queen Ethelburga’s
Location: York, North Yorkshire
Ages: 14-19
Kind: Day & Boarding
Gender: Co-ed
Annual 6th kind day charges (UK college students): £20,850
Annual 6th kind boarding charges (UK college students): £37,800
Annual 6th kind boarding charges (Worldwide college students): £59,850
Complete variety of BTEC examination entries: 101
Variety of BTEC examination entries per pupil: 1.34
Queen Ethelburga’s is a powerhouse of a non-public college for kids aged 1-18, with round 800 boarders and over 350 native day college students bussed in from across the York space. Removed from a standard boarding college, QE is fashionable, and worldwide, and has some significantly spectacular services.
At age 14 the extra academically succesful college students are channelled into the “School”, with these needing a little bit extra help coming into the “School.” This permits the varsity to concentrate on college students’ educational wants, with the goal to verify every pupil fulfils their educational potential. A-levels are provided alongside a variety of BTEC Nationals equal to both 1, 2 or 3 A-levels. This provides college students a large amount of flexibility to combine and match programs and provides themselves the most effective likelihood of progressing to their goal college.
The competitors was excessive on Saturday at our annual OE vs QE occasion!
A large due to all OE college students for returning to high school and each employees member who volunteered to assist on Saturday.#TeamQE #WeAreQE pic.twitter.com/wuQQRtWnuW
— Queen Ethelburga’s (@qethelburgas) Might 2, 2023
4. Arnold Lodge
Location: Leamington Spa, West Midlands
Ages: 4-18
Kind: Day
Gender: Co-ed
Annual 6th kind day charges: £20,850
Complete variety of BTEC examination entries 2022: 17
No. of BTEC examination entries per pupil: 1.27
With round 400 pupils from ages 4-18, Arnold Lodge Faculty is a nice instance of what a non-selective impartial college ought to seem like. The precedence is to supply pleased and assured college students who’re able to face the challenges of maturity and contribute to the world. Merely put, the varsity goals to supply a genuinely “well-rounded” training.
For a non-selective college, educational outcomes are nonetheless sturdy (45% A*-A grades in A-level, 2022) and the varsity is intelligent in providing a versatile number of BTECs so college students can steadiness out their decisions to maximise their efficiency and outcomes.
We’re extremely proud to announce that ALS has been shortlisted for Co-educational Unbiased Faculty of the 12 months within the 2023 Unbiased Faculties of the 12 months Awards! An incredible testomony to all of the pupils, employees and oldsters in our neighborhood. Properly accomplished everybody! #ISOTY2023 pic.twitter.com/hTGfhVJImg
— Arnold Lodge Faculty (@ArnoldLodgeNews) July 6, 2023
5. Dover School
Location: Dover, Kent
Ages: 3-18
Kind: Day, Boarding
Gender: Co-ed
Annual 6th kind day charges: £19,677
Annual 6th kind boarding charges: £40,515
Complete variety of BTEC examination entries: 41
No. of BTEC examination entries per pupil: 1.17
Serving round 300 college students, together with 100 boarders, Dover School is one other college that’s sufficiently small to verify each pupil will get the private consideration they want. The college’s inexperienced campus is pretty central to the city however gives loads of house for college students to get pleasure from sports activities and actions within the seaside air.
Dover School continues to help college students in 6th kind, serving to them to develop confidence and maximise their potential. Most college students will take a mix of BTECs and A-levels and obtain bespoke recommendation on selecting the best topics for his or her college targets.
Prize Day 2023 has arrived, and the climate forecast is nice! We are able to’t wait to welcome pupils, their households and different pals of the School afterward this morning to have fun particular person and collective achievement this 12 months.#PrizeDay #LastDayOfTerm pic.twitter.com/KNycFZ9mTV
— Dover School (@DoverCollege) July 6, 2023
Discover out extra and go to some colleges
You may go to every college’s web site or give them a name to search out out what precisely what BTEC and A-level topics they’re providing every year. Your younger particular person might want to select the fitting mixture to satisfy the doorway necessities of their goal undergraduate programs and universities.
Work out what you might be on the lookout for in a faculty, then organize to go to them. You’ll wish to take a look at the services, get a really feel for the ethos and environment, and perceive the person studying plan they’ll put in place on your younger particular person. When you get the fitting mixture of BTECs, and doubtlessly A-levels, your younger particular person will exceed educational expectations and go away 6th kind focussed, assured, and looking out ahead to the longer term.
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