Study at a UK independent school

Study at a UK independent high school and you'll experience a modern and multicultural environment. Staff will be on hand seven days a week to help you with your studies and to organize social events, sporting activities, music, drama and much more. You'll have fantastic opportunities to develop as a person and make friends with other students from all over the world.

Gain qualifications that UK universities want

If you want to continue your studies in the UK, the qualifications you'll gain at a UK independent school can help you move on to your chosen course and institution. A UK independent school will offer you the support you need throughout your high school studies. Unlike many students who need to complete an international foundation year before embarking on a UK bachelor's degree, you'll be able move straight on to a degree.

By studying in the UK you can focus on the subjects that really interest you from an early stage. You can choose combinations such as:
 
• physics, mathematics and further mathematics
• economics, politics and sociology
• music, drama and English.

Your academic studies will have clear focus that will prepare you for a degree. You'll be picking up specialist knowledge and learning the facts and figures that you can build on at university.

Courses to study at UK independent schools

• GCSEs

GCSEs are the standard tests taken by virtually all UK students. If you come to a UK independent school before you reach 16, you'll study towards GCSE examinations in up to 12 subjects (on average, students take eight). Some subjects are compulsory, including English and mathematics, and you can select others, such as music, drama, geography and history, from a series of options. GCSEs provide a good all-round education that you can build on in the sixth-form, at college and eventually at university. Look for GCSE courses in the course finder. (internal ink)
 
• AS- and A-levels
 
AS- and A-levels are taken after GCSEs. They're the UK qualifications most widely accepted for entry to university, equivalent to the SAT or ACT in the United States. They are available in subjects such as the humanities, arts, sciences and social sciences, as well as in practical subjects such as engineering, and leisure and tourism. You can study up to four subjects simultaneously over two years. AS-level examinations are taken at the end of your first year (called the lower-sixth) and A-level qualifications at the end of your second year (called the upper-sixth). Look for AS- and A-level courses in the course finder. (internal ink)

• Music exams

At many UK independent schools, you can take part in extra-curricular activities to develop your hobbies and learn new skills. Music is a popular pastime at many schools, and you may be encouraged to take graded music exams offered by awarding bodies such as the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music, or Trinity College. The exam grades gained from these are widely accepted toward university entry requirements.

• Independent Schools Council
• Independent Schools of the British Isles
• Scottish Council of Independent Schools
• The Good Schools Guide
• The British Accreditation Council
• The Council for Independent Further Education
• The Boarding Schools Association