Written by Ebru A.
Preparing for Selective Schools from Abroad: Our Family Experience
For many families who want their child educated abroad, the process can be full of uncertainty. We went through it first-hand and wanted to share our journey. We did it without professional help, supporting our child one-to-one as best we could. In this post I want to share our experience to shed some light for families who will take the same path.
The Starting Point: School in Turkey and First Observations
Our child was at a long-established, disciplined private school in Turkey. Academically, the foundations were solid, but their English wasn't good enough, especially for selective school entrance tests. Once we noticed this, we arranged for them to attend a boarding school's summer programme in England two years in a row. Thanks to these programmes their English improved noticeably, reaching around B1 level.
Parental Support and Monitoring
One of the most important roles in this process fell to me as a parent. In previous years we had worked intensively together, but this year my child largely managed their studies on their own. I only took on the role of checking and guiding.
“I kept track of their homework, tried to identify the areas where they were behind, and stayed in constant contact with their teachers.”
Sticking to weekly plans and checking in regularly was very effective. I managed the process actively, asking questions like: where can I help, and which topics need extra work?
The Admissions Tests and Preparation
We were aiming for an independent but highly selective school ranked in the UK's top 150. The previous year we hadn't got a place because of English proficiency; this year we were better prepared. For the tests in the admissions process in particular, we downloaded verbal and non-verbal reasoning practice tests from various online sources and worked through them together.
“This practice was very useful for developing analytical thinking skills.”
Discipline and Daily Routine
One of the biggest challenges was electronic devices. A phone habit hadn't developed, but tablet use was very heavy. Getting this under control was a crucial step for being able to focus on studying.
“Once tablet time was limited, they started using their free time more productively.”
We tried to establish a regular study routine of about two hours a day. We made a point of using the time left after sport and play productively.
Scholarships and Bursaries
We had won a merit-based scholarship at another selective school, but couldn't take it up because we were moving to a different city. At our target school, awards were given only on the basis of financial need. As we didn't meet those criteria, we didn't apply.
“Finding out early what criteria a scholarship is based on saves a lot of time.”
So I'd say that when researching scholarships, you should look not only at academic criteria but at financial ones too.
3 Tips for Families Just Starting Out
- Invest early in language development. Summer schools can quickly boost a child's confidence and level.
- Limiting device use is the key to discipline. When screen time is under control, study becomes more productive.
- Stay in constant contact with teachers. Feedback is invaluable for seeing where your child needs to improve.
A Final Word
Getting into a selective school in the UK takes not only academic success, but also family support, planning and self-discipline. Professional support can certainly help, but with motivation at home and the right guidance, children can manage this process successfully.
“Most important of all: keep track of your child, support them, and give them room to take responsibility themselves.”