Studying high school in the UK: curriculum, conditions and costs

In the UK, study abroad programs are very diverse. Choosing the right training program will help you orient your learning path and improve your capacity. From there, it will help you have the most successful high school study abroad program in the UK.

1.1 GCSE Study Abroad Program

GCSE (General Certificate of Secondary Education) is a program for the lower secondary level, established and developed by the University of Cambridge. In the British diploma system, GCSE is the first academic degree.

This GCSE program is designed for international students between the ages of 14 and 16 and is recognised worldwide. To be able to study this program, students are required to complete the program in grade 8 or finish the 9th-grade program in Vietnam. Students' IELTS level needs to be 4.5 or higher. The duration of this program is 2 years, which means that you will need to go through 6 semesters.

The GCSE program was developed by the University of Cambridge

1.2 Study abroad program at level 3 A - level

A-Levels are a program for international preparatory students, usually lasting for a period of 2 years. The program is divided into 2 levels for students who have completed grade 10, over 16 years old. This program is considered equivalent to the high school program in grades 11 and 12 in Vietnam.

In the UK, the A-Levels program is considered the "gold standard", which is the entrance measure of universities. High school students must go through the A-Levels program to enter the top 6 universities such as Cambridge, Oxford, Imperial, UCL, LSE, Warwick, or schools with medical and pharmacy training. Therefore, the A-Levels program can be considered the preferred choice of many young people.

1.3 Foundation Training Program

The Foundation is for students who have graduated from high school or have completed grade 11 in Vietnam. The Foundation program is similar to a pre-university course, it will equip students with knowledge and learning skills suitable for the environment here. At the same time, they will hone their effective teamwork skills. This program is long or short mainly depending on the student's GPA and IELTS score.

This program is considered a specialized pre-university course. You can choose one of two forms of training: Preparatory study at a specialized school for international students or enrolling in a preparatory course at the same university where the student wants to study.

Foundation Program as a Specialized Pre-University Course

1.4 IB International Baccalaureate Program:

The International Baccalaureate (IB) is a pre-university education program and is internationally recognized. The program will last for 2 school years and is open to students between the ages of 16 and 18. The requirement for admission to this program is an academic ability of 7.0 or higher. and IELTS from 5.0 to 5.5 and above. In addition, in this program, students are not required to choose a major to study in advance.

You may be interested in:

• How much money does it cost to study in the UK?

High schools in the UK are also classified similarly to those in other countries including private schools, public schools, and vocational schools. However, students who study abroad in the UK often choose mainly public schools and private schools.

2.1 Private school system in the United Kingdom

• Independent Boarding School

With the form of boarding schools, the most noticeable characteristics such as 20% will be international students and 80% will be local students. The quality of training at boarding schools in the UK is very good and is among the top education in the world. This renowned boarding school accepts students of a wide range of ages and ensures that students who study here will attend the world's top universities in the UK and the world after graduating from high school.

However, the tuition fees at these boarding schools are usually quite high, which should be considered before choosing to study here.

• Tutorial Schools

In contrast to boarding schools, international private schools have an international student population of up to 80%. In particular, most of the international students studying here are students from Asia. For students from 14 years old and above, they will be able to live in the school's dormitory with native speakers.

The curriculum of international private schools focuses heavily on the quality of learning and the quality of teaching. Therefore, after graduating from high school, students who study at this school are often admitted to top-quality universities such as Russell Group, and Oxbridge. The tuition fees of international library schools will usually be lower than those of boarding schools.

International private schools account for 80% of international students

2.2 Studying abroad in high school in the UK

• Public Boarding School

It is a sponsored school and is under the management of the local education department or the government. In the UK, there are 36 public boarding schools that are rated for their good training quality and training environment. However, these schools only accept students who are citizens of the United Kingdom or countries that are members of the European Union. Boarding public school tuition is usually cheaper than private boarding schools.

• Public Day School

Local or government education, it is also the sponsor of public boarding schools similar to public boarding schools. Admission requirements for international students are 16 years of age or older. Students will be assigned to live in homestays. The tuition fee here is quite moderate, suitable for international students from Vietnam.

• Vocational Training and International Foundation

In addition to teaching pre-university classes, the university also teaches the majority of vocational courses or transfer courses to university programs. Students 16 years of age or older are eligible for admission. The tuition fees of this public vocational and high school are quite attractive for international students who do not have too much money to pay for their own study abroad.

2.3. Top 6 British high schools chosen by many international students

• Top High School: The National Mathematics and Science College

This is a high school 1 hour by train from London, located in the city of Coventry. Here, the courses are mainly aimed at training STEM subjects according to international standards and quality such as science, engineering, technology, and mathematics. For students who plan to study in the future at the world's top universities such as Cambridge, Imperial, and Oxford,... then this would be a perfect choice.

For students who are passionate about medicine, there will be a separate Medical Pathway program for these students. The tuition fee of this school will start from ₤29,505/year. In particular, the school also has many scholarships worth up to 100% of tuition fees.

• High School: Bosworth Independent College

Located in the famous city of Northampton, this school is in the Top 7 boarding schools that are considered prestigious and the best for international students. When studying at this school, many students here have achieved high achievements and had excellent results in their graduation semesters.

The tuition fee of this high school is usually around £30,300 per year and the scholarship is worth 100% of the tuition fee. Therefore, the total remaining cost is only from ₤16,779 for year 1 and around ₤10,290 for the 2nd year of study

• Abbey DLD College - a famous high school in the UK

This school has many training institutions in London, Cambridge, and Manchester. According to the most recent report, up to 44% of students attending Abbey DLD College are honored to be accepted and studied at prestigious universities affiliated with the Russell Group. In addition, many students are also admitted to study at prestigious universities such as Oxford, UCL, Cambridge, Warwick, LSE, Imperial ...

The average tuition fee at this school is £31,500 per year. In which, the scholarship is 70% of the tuition fee.

The program at Abbey DLD College is designed to be very suitable for international students

• CATS Colleges - the UK's leading academic institution

This school has academic campuses in the cities of Cambridge, Canterbury, and London. The school belongs to the UK's top education group - Cambridge Education Group (CEG). To support students, the school often makes a learning plan specific to each student, the number of students in 1 class is limited. In addition, with flexible schedules and quality training programs, students often achieve very high academic results.

The tuition fee is around £36,500 per year. Scholarships and offers up to 55%

• Oxford International College - Top Quality Boarding Schools

It is ranked in the top 1 in the Top 100 boarding schools for training courses for Pre-Uni and A-Level. This school has always achieved a high percentage of A level students attending prestigious universities such as Oxford, Cambridge, LSE, Imperial, UCL,.... In addition, many students who study here are honored to be admitted to top universities in the field of medicine around the world.

Tuition fee £27,645/year. Scholarships account for up to 50% of tuition fees.

Source: https://www.oxcoll.com/term-dates/

• Brooke House College

It is located in the city of Market Harborough and is known as the most affordable and high-quality boarding school in the UK. Classes are always limited to 10 students. Therefore, the school always has a lot of students who pass prestigious universities both in the UK and the United States. 100% of students who attend Brooke House College have been admitted to prestigious universities.

The average tuition fee is £38,910 per 3 terms. Scholarship up to 100% of tuition fees

Brooke House College is a boarding school with reasonable tuition fees and good quality in the UK

To study in the UK, students also need to meet some of the following conditions:

• Students must be between the ages of 14 and studying in grades 8 to 12 according to the Vietnamese education system or at an international school, and plan to study in the UK.

• Students achieve good academic performance, the average score of the subjects is at least 7.5. In which, the main subjects have a score of over 7.5 and the English level must be good. In particular, IELTS must be 5.0 or higher

• Before enrolling, students need to take the scholarship exam and interview with the school they want to attend.

Learn more: Conditions for applying for a scholarship to study in the UK

As a country with the highest quality of education, always chosen by international students to study abroad, the UK has many favorable conditions to help the development of students, which is a stepping stone for many students to enter famous universities in the world.

• The UK is considered home to many of the best-quality high schools in the world.

• All qualifications and certificates after completing your studies in the UK will be internationally recognized.

• The UK is considered a competitively priced study-abroad destination compared to Australia and the US.

• When studying abroad in the UK, this will be a standard environment for students to develop standard English skills like native speakers.

• With a developed education system, this place is noted as a more time-saving education system compared to many other countries.

• With many advantages, the Vietnamese international student community here is also very large.

• In addition, the procedures and documents for studying abroad are also less complicated than in other countries

The UK is home to many of the best-quality high schools in the world

5. IDP Education - International study abroad consultancy in Vietnam

Choosing a study abroad consultant will also effectively support the preparation of study abroad documents in the UK to become faster and more convenient. IDP Education Vietnam is a prestigious admissions organization for Vietnamese parents and students who have ambitions and dreams of studying abroad in high school in the UK.

Along with extensive support from reputable IDP Education networks around the globe, IDP Vietnam has expanded its education services to new and high-quality markets including the US, UK, Canada, New Zealand, and Ireland.

Free support services from IDP include:

• Free study abroad consulting, economical solutions

• Advice on choosing the right school & course

• Recommend 30-100% scholarships.

• Assistance with applying for admission, tracking progress, and receiving confirmation letters from the school.

• Practice interviews, and complete student visa applications for free with a 95% pass rate.

• Advice on accommodation, financial planning, booking air tickets, and equipping skills before traveling.

Choosing to study abroad in high school in the UK will be the right choice for those who are looking to develop themselves, improve their career abilities, and serve as a premise for their future development. Hopefully, through the above article, you have enough information to be able to choose your decision to study abroad in the UK in your high school years. If you have any questions or want to know more information about studying abroad in high school in the UK, please contact IDP directly through the website: https://www.idp.com/vietnam/ or hotline: 1900 6955 for more specific and detailed advice.

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