Preparatory Primary School 

1. What is a preparatory school? 

Preparatory schools in the UK, Preparatory School (referred to as Prep School), refer to some private primary schools in the UK that charge tuition fees. Unlike ordinary primary schools, these schools send a large number of outstanding graduates to top private schools every year, and they are the backbone of the top private schools in the UK. strength. For many parents, entering a preparatory primary school also means stepping through the door of a public school. Therefore, many parents choose to send their children to preparatory schools a few years in advance to prepare for further education in order to allow their children to enter top British secondary schools. Students in the preparatory school are between the ages of 7-13.

2. Why study preparatory primary school? What are the advantages? 

Studying in a preparatory primary school can help students stand out in the highly competitive selection of top secondary schools in the UK. The school provides students with a variety of high-quality subject courses and sports activities. Students learn many languages at school, such as Latin, Spanish, French, etc., The school attaches great importance to the cultivation of music, art and sports specialties, teaches various musical instruments, and provides grade examination support. Students can not only learn sports such as football, rugby, and cricket, but also have access to equestrian, polo, tea art, golf, swimming. and so on. The school pays special attention to cultivating students' manners, self-confidence, independence and intellectual curiosity in learning. The ISC report pointed out that preparatory school students spend more than 100 hours more in class each year than public primary school students, and their test scores are much higher than public primary schools.

3. What is the preparatory primary school admission process? 

Prep schools generally require planning and application at least a year in advance. Reception enrolls students when they are 3 or 4 years old and helps them progress to Prep School when they are 7 or 8 years old. Many schools have both preparatory and preparatory primary schools, and students can seamlessly connect, but there are also some preparatory primary schools that start recruiting students when they are 7 or 8 years old. . The younger you are when you enter school, the easier it is for students to take the assessment. For example, a 4-year-old child may only need to participate in a simple interview. Through some interesting activities and observations, the school can learn about the child’s basic expression skills and cognition. level, as well as the quality background of parents, and make decisions accordingly; but preparatory schools have strict admissions standards for students in the middle and upper grades, the competition for admission is fierce, and each preparatory school has its own entrance examination process. For the written test and interview, children can participate in the assessment when they visit the school, or they can arrange online assessment according to the situation. Generally, the results will be available within a few weeks.

In the British education system, preparatory primary school 7+/8+ exams can be said to be the first hurdle for children on the road to exams (compared to reception and first grade, they begin to really focus on testing children's academic level). Your child will take the 7+/8+ exam in second/third grade (entry into third/fourth grade). The main subjects tested in the 7+/8+ exams are mathematics and English, and more and more schools are now adding verbal and non-verbal reasoning. Tests are usually written and test a child's intelligence, spelling, memory and dictation. In addition, there may be some creative assignments at hand. In addition to the written test, there is also an interview. Interviews are usually one-on-one or group interviews. 

The 7+/8+ exams are very, very competitive for popular prep schools. Especially in some top schools, the admission ratio of more than 10:1 is very common.

4. What can we do? 

After the child is born, if parents consider accepting the British education system, it is very necessary to plan ahead. First of all, we must think clearly about what kind of preparatory primary school, day study or accommodation should we let the child enter? Want your child to avoid the stress of 7+/8+ exams? To take the 7+/8+ exams, children need to prepare even from grade 1. If you choose a preparatory school for 3-13 or 4-13 then you can avoid the 7+/8+ exam. In addition, consider what kind of secondary school your child wants to go to in the future, co-educational school or single-sex school, 11+ or 13+ enrollment, and whether there is a transfer relationship between the target secondary school and the preparatory primary school? Investigate specific factors such as the school size, class size, teachers, music, sports and beauty venues and facilities of the preparatory primary school. The most important thing is to visit the school as much as possible to experience different schools on the spot, and whether your children feel happy in this school, Relax and blend in? How do teachers interact with students at school? In addition, it is also necessary to understand the school's admissions policies and admissions assessment requirements. If your child has special education needs, how is the school responding?

We are good at applying for top preparatory primary schools in the UK, and maintain long-term friendly and cooperative relations with the admissions departments of major preparatory primary schools to match students with the best and most suitable schools. Whether it is a British family who wants to plan the first step for their children to enter school early, or an overseas family who wants to send their children to top preparatory primary schools, whether it is a parental study, family immigration, or a child's boarding or day school, whether it is 4+, 7+ , 8+ regular admission points, or other unconventional admission points, OSME Yixuetang can provide families with the most professional school plans, guidance suggestions, and test preparation guidance based on rich school application experience and close cooperation with major schools. At the same time, we are familiar with the admission requirements of different preparatory primary schools, different admission points, test questions and difficulty requirements, and other assessment factors, etc., which can help students prepare for targeted written interviews, so as to successfully get the admission notice of their favorite school. Enroll successfully.