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Entrance exams/tests/assessments - call them what you will – are routinely set by the independent secondary schools, but without exception they claim that their junior departments will prepare year 6 (or 8) children more than adequately. ‘We actively discourage tutoring’ one independent secondary school head told us firmly. That said, it does on go to burnish performance at entrance exams (Queen Elizabeth’s Hospital for example awards academic scholarships to the top 15 per cent entrants to year 7).
Despite this, the number of Bristol tutoring agencies suggests that there is certainly demand, but we sense this is for tutoring discrete needs (eg shaky GCSE maths). Alongside national chains like Kumon, Kip McGrath and Tutor Doctor, there are a number of Bristol-based agencies such as Greenhouse Learning, which we review, along with Clifton Tutors and Cavendish Private Tutors - plus some which cover specific subjects such as Metatutor Maths and Bristol Science Tutor. 3A Tutors tutor in all subjects with added bonuses of the use of Bristol University’s laboratories for science tuition and their own exam centre for independent students sitting exams set by all boards.
Need help? Perhaps you suspect your child has some learning difficulty and you would like advice on what you should do. Or perhaps it is becoming clear that your child's current school is not working for him or her, and you need help to find a mainstream school which has better SEN provision, or to find a special school which will best cater for your child's area of need. Our SEN consultancy team advises on both special schools, and the mainstream schools with good SEN support, from reception through to the specialist colleges for 19+. Special Educational Needs Index
Find top international, British, IB and American schools in over 40 countries. The Good Schools Guide International publishes impartial and forthright reviews of international schools across the world.
We examined the value-added from KS2 to GCSE for 2022 to see which state selective grammar schools added the most value to their offspring. A note of caution - the more highly selective a grammar school, the less scope there will be to add value.
Grammar schools are state-funded, academically selective senior schools. The education a child receives at grammar school is paid for by the state unlike at private schools which provide education for a fee. There are currently around 163 located in 36 English local authorities, with around 167,000 pupils between them. Northern Ireland has a further 67 grammar schools, but there are none in Wales or Scotland. A word of caution: there are private schools that have the word 'grammar' in their name but this is purely for historical reasons.
At specialist music, dance or performing arts schools, the arts aren't optional extras. They’re intrinsic to the school curriculum. Students are expected to fit in high level training and hours of practice alongside a full academic provision. It's a lot to ask any child to take on, but for those with exceptional performing ability this kind of education can be transformative.