INTERNATIONAL ADMISSIONS

Farlington has long welcomed international students, who bring with them a different perspective and contribute to the school's global outlook. Friendships are quickly built, and life-long international connections made. We have a lot of experience in looking after international students and our staff understand how difficult it can be if you are living away from home for the first time, and will make sure you have all the information and help you need before coming to the UK. Once at Farlington, we continue to help and advise students and their parents during their time here.

All international students at Farlington live in the boarding houses with British students, so they have the opportunity to improve their English outside the classroom. They can also join in with British students in the fantastic range of sports and activities that take place outside of lessons, including art, music, drama, extra-curricular activities, social events, and day and residential trips.

Applications from international pupils should be made via the Admissions Team, in the first instance. Whether you are applying directly or through an education agent, we will guide you carefully through the process.

When making an initial enquiry, please provide as much information as possible about your child's academic achievements, interests and future aspirations, as well as his or her date of birth, first language and current school. We will need to see copies of your child's two most recent reports, together with a scan of his or her passport. International pupils are welcomed at Farlington for anything from half a term (subject to place availability). Please see below for specific requirements for international admissions.

If you have any questions at all, we would be happy to answer them; please contact Máire Buttimer in our Admissions Team, by telephone on 07551 211016 or by email: mbb@farlingtonschool.com.

THE ENGLISH EDUCATION SYSTEM

If you have not previously been educated in the UK, our education system can seem confusing! To help our international applicants, please find below some basic information about the UK school system. If you have any further questions, please do just ask us; we will be very happy to help you!

All children in England attend compulsory full-time education between the ages of 4 and 16. Our system is divided into the following stages:

Early Years: Pre-Reception (ages 3 to 4)
Lower School: Reception to Year 4 (ages 4 to 9)
Middle School: Years 5 to 8 (ages 9 to 13)
Senior School: Years 9 to 11 (ages 13 to 16)
Sixth Form: Years 12 and 13, also known as 'Lower Sixth' and 'Upper Sixth' (ages 16 to 18)

THE SCHOOL YEAR IN ENGLAND

The school year in the UK begins in September and finishes the following July, and is split into three terms. Each term is around 12 weeks long.

Autumn Term - September to December
Spring Term - January to March or April (depending on date of Easter)
Summer Term - March or April to July

Each term is divided in half, with a 'Half Term' holiday occurring in the middle. In October this is two weeks long, and in February and May this is one week.

PUBLIC EXAMINATIONS IN ENGLAND

GCSEs

All students in England follow the 'General Certificate of Secondary Education' (commonly known as 'GCSE') curriculum or its equivalent, which is normally taught over two academic years (Years 10 and 11), with students choosing their options in Year 9.

Students in the UK take between five and 12 GCSE subjects, and most students at Farlington take nine or 10. Some students may take more, some less, as the Farlington curriculum is flexible and can be tailored to the individual needs of our pupils. Students who are talented in a particular subject may also take their examinations early.

All students must take GCSEs in English Language (or English as an Additional Language for learners whose first language is not English), English Literature, Mathematics and Science (this may be either the Dual or Triple Award). All other subjects are optional for UK students.

Since 2018, GCSEs have been graded from 9 to 1, with 9 being the highest, and equivalent to an A* in the old grading system.

A-Levels

A-Levels are taught across two years (Year 12 and Year 13, also known as the 'Sixth Form'). At Farlington we offer 23 different A-Level subjects in the Sixth Form. There are no compulsory subjects; students choose three or four subjects at which they excel and which they enjoy. A-Levels are graded A* to E, with A* being the top grade.

Pre-A-Levels

At Farlington we offer our international students the opportunity to follow a Pre-A-Level course to prepare them for starting their two-year A-Level course. This is ideal for those who wish to improve their English language skills. Please contact our Admissions Department for more information.

GUARDIANS FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS

An official guardian resident in the UK must be appointed for all students at Farlington whose parents/carers either live abroad or spend long periods of time outside the UK.

A guardian must take full responsibility for their student if the pupil's parents/carers are not available. Guardians act 'in loco parentis' and should therefore attend school events such as Parent Consultations. Guardians must also be prepared to accommodate boarding pupils during school holidays, if they are not returning home.

ENGLISH AS AN ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE (EAL)

Farlington welcomes international students and provides for the educational and cultural needs of students from all over the world. They participate fully in academic and extra-curricular activities while improving their English and gaining high grades in the English education system.

For students for whom English is a second (or sometimes third) language, specialist EAL teachers provide additional support appropriate to their needs and, where possible, one-to-one support is offered, particularly in the Sixth Form. This ensures that all students have access to the whole curriculum. In addition, we offer an English language programme tailored to suit the individual, enabling every student to achieve success in all subject areas.

We prepare pupils for both the IGCSE examination in English as a Second Language and for the academic module of the IELTS (International English Language Testing System) examination. Pupils may also take the Cambridge FCE (First Certificate in English), PET (Preliminary English Test) and KET (Key English Test) examinations in December or June.

We aim to ensure that every student's language needs are fully catered for from the outset, so that they are well equipped to meet the challenges they will face when working in a second language.

Some EAL students are only at Farlington for a short time. The EAL teachers work to ensure that they benefit from their time with us by encouraging spoken English through discussion of news events, pronunciation work and paired reading. All overseas students are provided with a buddy, who meets with them regularly and helps them to integrate into the life of the school.

VISA REQUIREMENTS

Farlington School is licensed as a Student Route Sponsor by the UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) for entry to school, and offers Child Student visas.

International students from both outside and within the European Union, and Switzerland, must apply for permission to study in the UK.

Please contact UKVI to help you choose the correct route for you.

WORKING WITH INTERNATIONAL AGENTS

International students join us at Farlington from a range of countries every year; some come to us via other families who already have experience of the school; some have found out about us independently; and some come to us via our network of partner educational agents.

The school has many longstanding agreements with exisiting agents, but we are always keen to expand our network to include new agents, particularly in geographic regions from which we would like to recruit more students. Please contact our Head of Admissions for more information.