选择公校的时候大家可以用考试成绩排名榜和Inspection的Report来进行判断,选择私校就没有这么容易了,因为私校没有义务公布考试成绩甚至可以不参加全国性的考试。
因为申请大学需要A Level和GCSE成绩,私立中学肯定是参加全国考试的,大部分私立中学也公布考试成绩参加排名榜,但有些私立中学抵制排名榜他们说考试成绩不是他们的唯一教学目标甚至不是主要教学目标。
小学阶段的考试SAT 2(11岁)可以说是小学毕业考试,因为这个考试成绩没有什么用,有些私立小学不参加这个考试,就算参加了大多数不公布考试成绩。私校联盟虽然也做inspection但inspection report信息不多。没有考试成绩做参考,大家在选择私立小学的时候就只能靠口碑了,比如其它父母的经验,学校的传统名气等等。
在South Kensington的Hill House international junior school是一个PrePrep和Prep一起的学校(4到13岁的孩子),一年14k的学费在小学里面算是贵的了,当年查尔斯去苏格兰上中学以前就是上的这个学校,算是个有传统有名气的高大上学校了,虽然英国王室不注重孩子的学术成绩(academic performance)菲利普亲王讨厌和排斥知识分子但他们选择的学校应该不差吧?
最近Ofsted的报告说这个学校不合格(inadequate),除了校舍安全等问题外Ofsted主要批评了学校的数学和写作水平以及老师给学术很少的学习支持,教育部(DoE)的有关官员现在正在研究这个报告决定是不是关闭这个学校。
这个学校的校长指责这个报告完全错误,他强调这个学校的学生如何happy如何有talent行为如何好等等,他说的这些完全正确,Ofsted的report也确认了这些,但他回避了关键问题,那就是数学和写作的标准以及老师给学生的学习支持。
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声明:我不知道这个学校,对它也没有任何兴趣,我发这个贴完全是因为看到了这个新闻的感想,另外对很多私校不愿意或者不敢公布考试成绩非常反感。
£14,000-a-year school attended by Prince Charles branded inadequate by Ofsted
http://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/prep-school-prince-charles-inadequate-ofsted-rating-hill-house-international-junior-school-west-london-10100098.html
The £14,000-a-year prep school attended by the Prince of Wales could face closure after being branded inadequate in all areas in a damning Ofsted report.
Inspectors said pupils at Hill House international junior school in west London are not safe, do not make adequate progress and school leaders do not have the capacity to secure improvements.
The report criticised standards in maths and writing, said teachers are given little support and called for an urgent overhaul of health and safety procedures.
The family-run school was set up in 1951 and now runs out of several small houses in Kensington and Chelsea. It lists its number one rule as “safety of the boy and girl”.
But strikingly the report highlighted “significant failings” in security, saying visitors are not asked to sign in or out of the buildings and supervision of pupils is “sometimes lax”.
Some fire exits are hazardous, there is no fire safety policy and “the health and safety of both pupils and adults in the main school are severely compromised”, it said.
Today a spokeswoman for the Department for Education said ministers are studying the report and will confirm their decisions about regulatory action shortly. She added: “It would be wrong to take any decisions until we have studied the findings, but all options remain open — including closure. We have repeatedly demonstrated for all types of school that we will not hesitate to take tough action if required.”
Principal Richard Townend, whose late father Lt Col H Stuart Townend founded the school, has written to parents saying the report does not represent the school.
He wrote: “As I go around the school I see happy children enjoying being at school, working hard and making great progress in a safe environment.”
He added: “We provide opportunities in art, music, drama and sport which others envy. Each Wednesday the Assembly astonishes visitors with its display of talent in our school and the feeling of corporate warmth, friendliness and support of the whole Hill House family — pupils, parents and tutors. These are things of the greatest value.”
Pupils, aged between four and 13, are regularly seen marching in crocodile form between the school’s sites wearing their rust and gold uniform, including breeches and striped cravats, which are only available from Harrods. They enjoy compulsory swimming lessons, trips to Switzerland and sports practice at the Duke of York’s Barracks in King’s Road.
The school, which has almost 1,000 pupils, was chosen by the royal family in 1956 for Prince Charles — the first time an heir to the throne had attended school outside the royal household.
The following year the Queen, Prince Philip and Princess Anne visited for sports day. Singer Lily Allen is also a former pupil. Described by the Good Schools Guide as having an “eccentric ethos”, the school has pupils from more than 50 countries and none are eligible for free school meals.
Ofsted inspectors praised their behaviour, saying they are “mature, confident, respectful and tolerant”, and enjoyed a wide range of musical and sporting activities in London and the school’s annex in Switzerland.
Mr Townend said the school will “explore in detail every criticism they have made and correct anything which needs attention”. The school has already commissioned Capita to overhaul health and safety and is conducting a security audit.
The school’s last full Ofsted inspection was in December 2012 when it was judged to be “good”.
In May last year Ofsted carried out an emergency inspection at the request of the Department for Education after a routine survey of pupils. The quality of education for pupils was judged to be effective, but inspectors found that the school was failing to meet a number of regulatory requirements, including a significant number relating to the welfare and safety of its pupils.