As a family organisation established in 1975, Barnes Educational Services have helped many young students come to England for educational reasons.  Many of those have chosen to attend a United Kingdom Sixth Form which is for students aged 16 to 19 so that they can start to prepare for the “A” level examinations and possible entry to university.   We have access to some of the finest private and state schools throughout the United Kingdom and can provide a very comprehensive and personal service to parents and students seeking a school place in the United Kingdom. 

We charge no initial application fee for placements at state day schools.   Upon receiving an enquiry we will provide full details of suitable schools and then locate a caring host family once a school has been selected.  We also provide a very caring guardianship service that ensures that during the whole length of the stay we are responsible for a student’s welfare.  We have our own Local Representative living in or near the area of the school.

For students interested in a private or state boarding school we make a small charge for our service details of which will be given when contact is made.  Whether your application is for a state or private school we will provide the following service:

• An unlimited consultancy and advice service.   Such a service will continue until a satisfactory school has been located and a place obtained.

• After studying information provided about your son/daughter on our own application papers we will ask a number of carefully selected schools to send you their prospectuses.

• After you have received those we will, if requested, make an arrangement for parents and pupil to visit selected schools, advise on travel plans and help with any required accommodation (B & B usually).   We will on your behalf, conduct all negotiations with schools and deal with the application procedure once a particular school has been chosen.  It is not always necessary for a pupil to come to England before a place can be given but we always recommend that should be done when ever possible.

• We are always happy to welcome clients to our home for a few hours so that a full discussion may take place.  Often this is useful after schools have been visited and parents wish to discuss possible options.

Our service is very personal and we guarantee that your application will receive our full attention.   We aim to provide you with a school that will best suit the specific needs of your child.  In general, our choice is based on the information you provide in the application forms, past school reports and the general impression we may gain following telephone consultancy sessions. 

A Different Way of Life

The majority of students from overseas will find that their life at school in England will be rather different from that in their home country. One question which is always asked, concerns school clothes since it is well-known that many schools in England require their pupils to wear a prescribed uniform. Whilst most schools insist on the wearing of a uniform it is now becoming quite common for students of sixth-form age (16+), to be allowed to wear their own choice of clothes, providing extremes are avoided.

You may find that the choice of subjects offered is different from your own school but it is usually possible for all students to choose a course of study that will enable them to continue with their general education and of course, improve their ability to speak and understand English. We always tell our students that they should be prepared to compromise when it comes to selecting a programme of study since it can never be fairly expected to come from a different country and find exactly the same on offer in a school in England. The staff at the schools we use, make every effortto guide pupils into making the right choices and the work of each individual is carefully monitored. Occasionally a student may choose a subject and perhaps after two or three weeks feel that it was the wrong choice. In such cases the majority of schools are very flexible and will permit a change of subject to be made.

Students interested in music, sports and drama will usually find excellent facilities for such in most schools in England since they are generally part of the basic curriculum. All schools offer good sports facilities and it is rare to find a school that does not have an orchestra and a drama group.

Students often ask about pocket money arrangements. We recommend that the best way to manage such is to open a bank account at one of the major banks. It is then possible for parents to deposit a sum of money which the pupil may draw on by the use of a card from a hole-in-the-wall cash dispenser. No charges are made by the banks for operating such an account so it is a very secure way of dealing with pocket money.

Students living with families should not expect hotel conditions. They will gain far more from their stay if they join in with the general life of the family. For example, offer to set the table for a meal, take the dog for a walk, perhaps with any young children in the family etc. The more a student mixes with the family the better will be the improvement in speaking English.

We are fortunate in having a large number of friendly host families on our register who are prepared to give a warm welcome to a young person and help to make their stay as successful and pleasant as possible. We pride ourselves on the quality of host families we can provide since we know that they contribute greatly towards the success of any arrangement where the student is attending a day school.

Application

It is best to make application as soon as possible since most schools have only a limited number of places that they can allocate to foreign students. Moreover, early application helps us to do our best for a student, especially where a host family is required. In exceptional cases, we are always prepared to make a very late application for a place to any of the schools on our register and have often been successful. 

How To Contact Us

Pre-School Summer Stay

Some students feel that it is a good idea to practise their English before commencing attendance at a school and much confidence can be gained by living with a family and attending morning classes. If you are interested in such a stay we can introduce you to an excellent language school where it is possible to follow a short course of study combined with enjoying a few excursion and leisure activities.

Barnes Educational Services
12 Lodge Hill
Westbury Sub-Mendip
Somerset.  BA5 1ES.
United Kingdom

Telephone: +44 (0)1749   870709
Facsimile: +44 (0)1749   870743

E-mail:

info@barnes-educational.co.uk

Visit us at:

www.barnes-educational.co.uk