Reviews about schools

I try to attend the UK Secondary Schools Conference at least once a year precisely because the conference is followed up by agent visits to independent schools. I can choose which region I want to see schools in and go on a 3-day tour to the chosen region.This year, I chose to visit Midland School in North West Birmingham, which had some very good schools, but most of all I wanted to visit Bromesgrove School in person.Bromesgrove is a top ten UK IB school, offering such academic programmes in high school: GCSEs, after which you can take both A-levels and IBs.From the…

My visit to the boarding school SEK El Castillo in the north of Madrid took place in the fall of 2022, during my stay in Spain on the program to protect Ukrainians from war. SEK International Schools are well known in Spain and Europe and rank high in the rankings due to the high performance of IB graduates. Every year, 4-8 graduates of the Spanish schools of the group score the highest score of 45, while about 20% of IB program graduates across all schools score at least 40 points.SEK El Castillo was the first to offer the IB program in Spain in 1977 and was one of the first schools…

At the BBSW International Secondary Education Conference in London, I always try to meet new UK boarding schools to select the best schools to recommend to my clients.I have long wanted to talk to the representative of TASIS - The American School of England - as American schools near London are increasing of interest to my clients, who definitely prepare their children for admission to American universities, but are not ready to send them to the United States until they come of age. The American School of England is one of three TASIS schools. We have been cooperating with a TASIS school in…

Trinity College visited our exhibition in Kiev in February 2018 to tell Ukrainian students about a unique American program AP Capstone Diploma, which offered only by a few of schools of Canada. We discussed the feature of Capstone Diploma and other advantages of the Trinity College, Ontario.L: What students and parents need to know about Trinity College School?R: the School is located near Toronto, in the small quiet town Port Hope, Ontario. High school accommodates about 450 students from grades 9 to 12. Trinity is a boarding school, it’s a home to 60% of high…

I continue my acquaintance with Canadian private schools as I believe that Canadian secondary education is reliable preparation for successful future of the child. This year at our student fairs in Kiev and Lviv we had many schools from Canada. I interview a representative of Stanstead College as it is a very interesting school in the French-speaking province of Quebec. The school intertwines many cultures, mainly because of its location on the border with the United States. Stanstead College was accredited by the Canadian Association of independent schools CAIS, making it one of the 27 best…

Continuing the series of interviews with representatives of the schools who visited our exhibitions in Lviv and Kiev in February I talked with Abbey College in Malvern, UK. A representative of the school surprised me with a small number of students in the school, told about short-term academic programs and preparation for the University program Foundation in high school. Read more in my interview:L: What is the main advantage and feature of the school?R: Primarily, we are talking about the location – campus of our school is located in Central England in an amazingly…

For many years my students were choosing Columbia International College to complete high school in Canada. That is why school representative was happy to participate at our exhibitions in Kiev and Lviv in February. For a long time I know all about the school, what are advantages and entrance requirements. My impressions after a visit to the campus can be found in the article "Why CIC is so popular?". This time we discussed a new Pathway program at Columbia International College, which was specially designed to prepare students for entry to one of the best universities in Canada…

I met the representative of the Czech school Carlsbad International School during the exhibition ALPHE in Germany in the fall of 2017. It is a young school – only in May of last year school released the first students from International Baccalaureate program. Studying IB program in Europe continues to be in high demand and the Czech Republic is a good alternative to IB schools in Western Europe to prepare students for prestigious European or American Universities.From my interview with a representative of the Carlsbad International School:L: What people…

French education is interesting for more and more families. To find a good boarding school in France I made appointment with a representative of the Saint-Denis International School at ALPHE Secondary Focus Conference in Frankfurt. This school offers an interesting for our market program of French as a foreign language plus academic subjects. In this program international student can start studying with the initial level of French and gradually adapt to studying in French. Last year my client visited this school, gave me a good feedback but ultimately chose another school in France.In an…

Canadian universities are among the best in the world. Many parents want to send their children to high school in Canada to prepare them for admission to the prestigious University of Toronto or University of British Columbia. But not many Ukrainian families are ready to pay for pricy Independent schools. When parents come to me with such a goal, I can offer a few proven options. One of them is a secondary school with a reasonable price in Toronto that specializes in preparing international students to the admission to best Canadian universities. This time I want to tell about Braemar…

From time to time I receive requests for a private school in California with good academic results. Interest in this state on the US West coast caused by several factors. First, Los Angeles is attracting because of Hollywood, which, in parents mind, gives great opportunities for talented children. Second, the climate: staying and studying in California is comfortable year-round. Based on this, I was looking for schools in Los Angeles. I met a representative of one of the best private schools in California, which is located in Los Angels, at a conference in Frankfurt.Read my interview with…

From my experience of working with schools in the USA I know that American schools rarely accept students from our region under the age of 15. At the conference in Berlin I met a representative of a private school in Maine, which accepts students from the age of 13 and offers 24 Advanced Placement courses. The only thing that confused me was the size of the school. Knowing how parents feel about schools with over 1000 students I asked how they can provide safity at school and guaranty personalized approach to each student from teachers and schol staff. The…

Millfield School  is the biggest co-educational boarding school in UK. You will not find this school on the top of ranking pages. At the same time  it's so popular that you would need to apply to the school for the year ahead. That's despite the fact that high school  alone has more than 1,200 students. During the ICEF conference in Berlin the representative of Millfield School explained me the lackluster performance in the ratings and why the school is so popular among British and international students. 

Senior School and…

A real find for me was meeting with representatives of the National Mathematics and Science College, British school which prepares students for admission to programmes in STEM  field of best universities in the world. The concept of STEM education includes 4 key academic disciplines: science, technology, engineering, mathematics. STEM education is actively developing in the West becoming one of the most promising training program at universities, that is why the collaboration with the school of such a level I consider being very promising.

Several…

French school Ecole des Roches was founded more than 100 years and it is considered to be one of the best schools in France.  It was always prestigious and fashionable to study at the  school. Even now among the students children of famous politicians, businessmen and diplomats. Several of my students went to school where they studied French language and French Baccalaureat  to enter French universities. Before recently Ecole des Roches  offered only programs in French but now it is possible to study here in English.In my interview with a…

I was lucky to find another school in Spain with International Baccalaurate program. Every year more and more families turns to my Agency in to require about schools with program in English in Spain. Not surprising, since schools in Span are much cheaper then in Britain and most of international schools in Europe and children feel very comfortable to study there. In addition, many families often spend holidays in Spain and familiar with this country finding it safe for their children to study there. I fully support parents in choosing a secondary schools in Spain…

At the conference in Berlin I met a representative of the international boarding school in Germany – Berlin Brandenburg International School. For several years, we have partnered with this school and I know how difficult admission to the school was for our students at BBIS. The school is very popular among the Russian-speaking countries. Now, as admitted a representative of the school, they are interested in attracting students from Ukraine again, as a percentage of Russian-speaking students has decreased significantly.What caused the popularity of the Berlin Brandenburg…

Among all British schools at secondary education workshop  ALPHE I chose to meet Mill Hill due to a few reasons:first, the school is located in North London in so-called Mill Hill Village which allows students to live and learn in the British capital;second, foreign students can get into independent British school Mill Hill where there are only 5% of international students;third, in 2015 Mill Hill opened international college with carefully selected teachers and small classes that allows children to adapt  quickly to…

At the annual conference for secondary education ALPHE Frankfurt, I met with representatives of some schools I was interested in Europe and North America. One of them is the American private school Storm King School.The school is located in the suburbs of new York, which I consider as a significant advantage for teenagers who go to study in the United States. In addition, the school holds a high position in the rankings. During our conversation, the representative of the school explained me the reason for the high academic achievement of its students and also explained…

I maintain contacts with all students whom we helped to enter schools abroad. Not so long ago, back home on holidays my student Nastya. We helped her with admission to the International Baccalaureate program at  ACS Cobham International School. She eagerly agreed to give me an interview in the office of the company "Aspect" to tell about her experiences during the first semester at the school.We talked with Nastya about her adaptation to school, the features of International Baccalaureate  in ACS Cobham and also learned about her future plans to study.L: Tell us…

Recently, in the office of company "Aspect", I held a meeting with the representative of one of the ranking schools in the UK, Queen Ethelburga's College. The school is located in the suburbs of York, according to the "Time", is ranked in the top five schools in the North of England. I, first of all, interested in the ability of our students to enroll in school to get secondary education on such a high level.In the interview we discussed what the benefits of the campus of one of the largest boarding schools in the UK, why are different requirements for admission to…

Summer academic school preparation program at Lord Wandsworth College

Summer academic programs are often mistakenly choosen by the parents of children who already have a high level of English and parents want summer programme brought more benefits. As a result, the child who is diligently taught the language, but at the same time, no one sends in the foreign school, is punished that he did not see the summer holidays and studies chemistry, mathematics, economics and other subjects in English from morning till night. On the other hand, such programs are actually very necessary and…

A year ago I was approached by the parents of the student who was making good progress in mathematics and Economics in high school one of the most progressive schools in Kyiv. Gleb went on vacation programs in New York many times, was fond of economics and programming. With excellent school performance and high level of English, he was a good candidate for many foreign universities. The parents planned that Gleb graduates from school in Ukraine and enter the economy in the United States through the program of training with one of the American universities. At the same time, the goal was to…

Daniil entered the IB program in several schools in Europe and the family chose an Austrian school St. Gilgen International School. The selection was very thorough, as for admission all schools in Europe require the personal presence of the student in the school for the entrance tests and interviews. Many schools also offer trial days, putting prospective student to the classroom and the school residence for two days.In particular, such a stay is obligatory in St. Gilgen International School. Even despite the fact the year before St. Gilgen International had a reorganization and…

What I like about San Patricio school

During a recent conference on secondary schools abroad in Frankfurt, I met some very interesting participants. Among them, my attention was drawn to an IB school from Toledo San Patricio. I wanted to meet a representative of this school for two reasons.Firstly, the school San Patricio is one of the top schools in Spain according to El Mundo newspaper: San Patricio Madrid occupies second place. And even though we are talking about the campus in Madrid – schools usually value their reputation, so the quality of education will be same…

Study at state schools abroad

Few people know that a number of public schools accept international students. At the same time, the study can be either absolutely free or a symbolic fee is charged for the work of the international department. However, as a rule, schools do not engage in student accommodation and guardianship. This concern is undertaken by a foreign agency, the purpose of which is to choose for a foreign student the right school and host family, to provide local health insurance, guardianship. As a rule, study at a public school with all these services is still much…

After two years of study at the American school in Salzburg Tanya decided to transfer to another school that will prepare her for entry to the best universities of Europe. For admission were selected schools in English in Germany, Austria and Scotland.For admission to schools of Austria and Germany, a personal visit and exams at school are required. The exams are quite complicated, even for advanced students it is difficult to take all exams at a new school. It's much easier to take exams in your home country in the office of the Agency that allowed by the schools of many…

Visit of school for the purpose of entry

Tanya has been studying at an American school in Salzburg for 2 years now. For the last two years of her study, her parents decided to transfer her to a school that has an IB program to provide Tanya with the best prospects for admission to universities.Previously, according to the results of her academic performance over the 2 years of study in Salzburg and recommendations from teachers, Tanya has been invited for the entrance examinations and interview at two schools in Germany and one school in Austria.All school visits were organized…

One of my students, Tanya studied in International School-Salzburg durind grades 10 and 11. For graduation, the family decided to transfer her to a school that had an IB program.As Tanya knows German and English, I offered them international schools in Austria and Germany. After submitting the documents in the selected schools, Tanya was invited for entrance exams and interviews in two IB German schools and one school in Vienna - Amadeus.After visiting schools Tanya told me about her impressions of each school (two schools in Germany St. George's and BBIS) and why she had chosen…

Oswestry School — special approach to children

My meeting with Sarah, a representative of the British private school Oswestry, was especially interesting. Sarah has been working in the international department of the school since 2010. But she had studied the school well over the previous 12 years, as her own four children graduated one at a time from Oswestry School and went to different universities. Therefore, Sarah could talk about the school from the side of students´ parents.S: When my older children were in high school, I realized that they all need a different…