“A fortune a child can never spend”

In several European countries there is a growing trend for parents to place their children in independent boarding schools in the United Kingdom. Some are selecting UK schools for education from a very early age; others are looking more for an appropriate pre-university education for their sons and daughters. This trend is not  well developed in The Netherlands as yet, but there have been  increasing indications of interest recently.

There are some significant advantages for Dutch students undertaking their pre-university education in the United Kingdom.

1.           The courses offer greater freedom of choice of subjects and a greater depth of study.

The pre-university course in the United Kingdom is known as Advanced Level (A Level), undertaken in the equivalent of the last two years of the Dutch VWO. Most A Level students will study four subjects for the first year and then continue with three of them in the second year, although some will study five and then four subjects.

There is no requirement to study any specific grouping of subjects. Many students will select mixtures of sciences, humanities, arts and languages. Music, Art and Drama are also available, as is Dutch. This broad selection of subjects means that the A Level system is attractive to both VWO and HAVO students.

Most importantly, A Levels give access to both British, Dutch and American universities. There are students currently at Delft, Groningen and Leiden Universities who have been educated in the English A Level system.

Some UK schools offer the International Baccalaureate examination system, familiar to many Dutch students and their parents. This system also offers the study of fewer subjects in greater depth than VWO.

2.              Education in the UK develops fluency in English language.

Most Dutch students aged 16, 17 or 18 will have a reasonably good command of the English language, but by studying for two years in a UK school, writing and speaking skills will develop towards full fluency. The importance of the English language is well-recognised in The Netherlands and today’s young people need to be fluent if they are to maximise their future academic and professional ambitions. Some Dutch universities already teach many or all courses in English, and Dutch students wishing to work in the professions or industry will require fluency in English.

3.           UK boarding schools offer a great deal more than academic tuition.

UK schools put a great deal of emphasis on offering opportunities to individual students to fulfil their talents in extra-curricular activities. Sport has always been a strength of boarding schools with traditions of playing hockey, rugby, football, cricket and tennis to a very high standard. The schools have their own facilities for these sports, as well as for swimming, squash, basketball, badminton, athletics and many more. An integral part of school life is the rivalry that exists in sport between schools.

Music, Drama and the Arts are equally important with schools having their own orchestras, choirs and theatre groups that perform on a regular basis. Beyond this, there are the ‘outward bound’ activities such as mountaineering, rock climbing, canoeing and camping. The Duke of Edinburgh Award can be obtained through participation in such outdoor pursuits and community service activities.

Boarding school life is aimed at developing the ‘whole person’ and creating strong bonds of friendship as well as ensuring that each and every student maximises his or her academic potential.

Where to find more information about UK boarding schools.

Little information about UK boarding schools is available in The Netherlands. @school-in-uk is a consortium of schools that welcome Dutch students and are actively seeking to bring students to the UK. The consortium has a team of  experienced Dutch and English educationalists dedicated to placing Dutch students in appropriate UK schools.

More information is available by visiting the @school-in-uk website at

www.school-in-uk.com

or emailing to info@school-in-uk.com

UK boarding education comes at a cost  that is not part of the anticipated expenditure for most Dutch families. Such cost, however, should be seen as an important investment in the future for a son or daughter, grandson or granddaughter.

Andrew Reed, an English educational philanthropist of the 19th century famously wrote:

                              “A good education is a fortune a child can never spend”.

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