Useful Information
Useful Information

THE BRITISH INDEPENDENT SCHOOL EDUCATION SYSTEM

THE BRITISH INDEPENDENT SCHOOL EDUCATION SYSTEM

In the UK, all children must attend school from the age of 5 (Year 1). The school year starts in September and how old you are on 01 September determines the year group you go into.

Pre-Prep School (Years 1 & 2)

These are the first two years of compulsory education in the UK, where students are being taught the basics in a wide range of subjects, including English, Maths, Science, History, Geography, Music, Design & Technology, Art, Computing and PE (Physical Education).

Prep School (Years 3 – 8)

Prep School starts in Year 3 (7 years old) and the students remain in the Prep School until the end of Year 8, when they are 12 or 13 years old.

Students study a diverse range of subjects at this younger age, providing them with a wide knowledge base and solid foundations on which to build before they move on to the Senior School.

Senior School (Year 9)

Students join the Senior School when they are 13 years old (Year 9) and in that first year, they start the initial preparation for their GCSE examinations (General Certificate of Secondary Education).  At this age, students are able to choose a limited number of the subjects they wish to study, but on the whole, they are still expected to study a wide range of subjects.

Senior School (Years 10 – 11)

GCSEs are the first really important exams which British students take at the end of Year 11 (when they are 15 or 16 years old).  The core subjects are English, Mathematics and Science and students can usually choose their additional subjects, typically taking between 5 – 10 GCSEs in total.

The GCSE programme involves 2 years of study (Years 10 and 11) and towards the end of Year 11, students sit their external examinations.  GCSEs are graded from 9 (high) to 1 (low) and it is generally accepted that students need to achieve Level 5 or higher in each of their subjects to be able to continue their education into the Sixth Form.

Senior School (Years 12 – 13)

Upon successful completion of GCSEs, students can move on to further education (Sixth Form) in Years 12 and 13 (17 and 18 years old), taking qualifications which allow them access to University (Higher Education) in the UK or abroad.  There are several different qualifications which can be taken and these are briefly explained below:

A Levels (Advanced Level): Students take 3 subjects of their choice and so can specialise in a particular area of study.  Students often take an additional qualification alongside their A Levels, e.g. an EPQ (Extended Project Qualification). Currently, A Levels are the most popular Sixth Form qualification in the UK.

IB (International Baccalaureate): Students take 6 subjects (3 at higher level and 3 at standard level) and are required to take English, Mathematics, at least one Science, at least one Humanities and at least one language.  There are also additional requirements including an extended essay, Theory of Knowledge (ToK) and CAS (Creativity, Activity, Service).

BTEC (Business & Technology Education Council): As work-related qualifications, BTECs provide a more practical, real-world approach to learning alongside a theoretical background, giving learners the knowledge, understanding and skills that they need to prepare both for university or employment.  At Taunton School, students can study BTECs in Business Studies or Sport & Exercise Science

Foundation Foundation programmes, also known as ‘year zero’ or ‘gateway programmes’ are designed to develop skills and subject-specific knowledge to enable students to advance to a degree course.  At Taunton School, students can study on either a one-year or two-year Business Foundation programme.

For further support and advice, please contact our Admissions Team, who will be happy to help you with any questions you might have or to take you through the application process.

 

LOCATION AND GETTING HERE

LOCATION AND GETTING HERE

Taunton School is situated close to the town centre in the beautiful English countryside and benefits from clean air and a safe environment away from large urban populations.

Taunton is the county town of Somerset in the South West of England. The region enjoys good weather, areas of outstanding natural beauty and a wonderful coastline. The cities of Bristol and Exeter are under one hour in travel time and Taunton is on main road and rail links to London and other major cities.

London is 1 hour 45 minutes by train, Exeter International Airport and Bristol International Airport are both 50 minutes away by car.

London Heathrow Airport is 2 hours and 30 minutes away and London Gatwick Airport is 3 hours and 30 minutes away.

Taunton School is walking distance from the town centre which has excellent amenities and is the perfect place to do some shopping, meet for coffee or visit the theatre during evenings and weekends. Taunton is quintessentially British and is home to the highly successful Somerset County Cricket Club. It has beautiful town centre parks and a traditional food and craft market.

Taunton is close to Stonehenge, one of the Wonders of the World, and the historic city of Bath, a designated world heritage site with its grand Georgian architecture and Roman Baths, is under 90 minutes away.

TSI RESULTS

TSI RESULTS

GCSE RESULTS

Taunton School International are delighted to announce another very successful year of results from their one-year and two-year GCSE students, with many achieving Level 9 (the highest level possible). It is an incredible achievement for all the students to do so well in such a short space of time and in a second language.

Overall, our students achieved a really pleasing 9 – 4 pass rate of 89% (almost 20% higher than the national average pass rate in England).

The percentage of students achieving the top 3 Levels (Levels 9 – 7) was an impressive 41% and more than double the national average of 17.4%.

Many subjects saw a 100% pass rate once again this year, including Art, German, ICT, Music, Psychology and Latin.

Pass rates of over 90% were also recorded in Biology, Business Studies, Economics, English, French, Geography and Mathematics.

All of our top 10 students achieved 7 or more GCSEs in just one year

Adrian Hallworth, Principal of Taunton School International, said:

“I am very pleased with the results this year, particularly considering the many changes that the Government has brought in.  A good number of our students sat the recently revamped GCSEs, with grades from 9 -1 instead of A* to G. These new GCSEs have had even more content added and so it is credit to the students to have achieved so well in such a short space of time.

The vast majority of our students achieved six or more GCSE passes, with a significant proportion attaining seven and others being successful in a remarkable eight subjects in just one year of study.  It is sometimes hard to appreciate how hard these students have to work to achieve such outstanding results. They are supported by a wonderful team of professionals, both in and out of the classroom, who create a fantastic ethos and atmosphere. Our students are nurtured, challenged and inspired to maximise their potential and to achieve the wonderful GCSE results we have this year.

I congratulate every one of our students and wish them the very best of luck as they continue their onward journey into Sixth Form. They have all developed a significant number of academic skills which will undoubtedly stand them in good stead for their onward journeys and I very much look forward to hearing of their numerous successes in years to come.”

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Upcoming Open Days

Attend an upcoming Open Day in April!

Virtual Open Day for Senior and International on 20th April 2024

In-person whole school Open Day on April 27th 2024

Book your place here