Directors Briefing: The future of the boarding school in a changing global economy This paper summarizes the key highlights of the Directors Briefing hosted by Cambridge Education Group in December 2014. Introduction Cambridge Education Group invited experts from the British boarding school sector and important educational agents from all around the world to a Directors Briefing on the future of the boarding school in a changing global economy. The group of approximately 70 delegates comprised representatives from educational agents, consultancies and boarding schools, such as CATS Colleges, Taunton School and Beechwood Sacred Heart School. The objective of the event was to hear about and debate significant themes impacting the British boarding school sector today and to help the sector set a clear strategy to maintain its competitive edge in the future. This prestigious event was held at The Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce. The RSA is described as an enlightenment organisation committed to finding innovative and creative practical solutions to today s social challenges and therefore was the perfect setting for a debate on how to determine a great future for international students attending British boarding schools. Executive Summary The key conclusions of the day were: The British boarding school sector continues to attract increasing numbers of international students who want to benefit from a world-class education, opportunity for progression to a UK university and a chance to master English. The world is becoming more globalised and interconnected and British boarding schools need to be at the cutting edge of educational developments to maintain a strong competitive edge tradition is not enough. Schools should provide a softer landing for young students so that they can arrive earlier and make the most of their academic potential in the UK education system. Completing GCSEs in the UK will help international students create a good foundation to succeed in IB/A Levels. For many international students, the best choice of school will be a school which has specific provision to help international students succeed. Sector Debrief from Parthenon The delegates had the opportunity to hear and discuss insights from Parthenon, part of the EY Group, including key highlights of a study of significant trends in the sector commissioned by Cambridge Education Group. Presenting the research findings, Matthew Robb, Managing Director of Parthenon s Education Practice, said that parents are now much more intentional about when they send their children to the UK. As the market becomes more sophisticated, parents are trying to find a way of accessing education earlier, he explained.
Surveying 300 key stakeholders including agents, parents and schools, the global strategy consultancy found that overall, the number of 13-15 year old pupils entering UK education has increased by 23-4% in the last two to three years. Some stakeholders noted that faltering economies can also provide opportunity, and William Wilcox, partner at Which Boarding School agency in the UK, said that he had seen a surge in incoming student numbers from Spain and Italy. Quality of education and a desire to improve English language skills have also contributed to overall growth in the sector, along with an increased supply of provision, particularly internationally focused schools. The survey also revealed that in-country provision is on the rise, but Robb quelled concerns saying the rate of growth in demand ensures students will continue to look to overseas education. Satisfaction among international pupils parents is unusually high compared to among the domestic market, with around 70% describing themselves as very satisfied with their child s boarding school experience the research shows. However, there was some dissatisfaction about integration and English language support. The biggest complaint was about a lack of international food options available, which, Robb explained, is part of offering an internationally appropriate experience something that is integral to student retention, even though it does not usually feature highly on the list of criteria for selecting schools. Expert Panel Debrief Following the presentation and discussion of key sector trends with Parthenon, there was a lively debate on key sector themes led by our panel of sector experts with much audience participation. THEME: What do international parents look for in a British boarding school education? Britain has one of the most famous education systems in the world. One in seven countries in the world has a Prime Minister or Head of State who studied in UK Education. There is a prestige attached to British education and indeed British Universities feature heavily in the rankings of the world s best universities. Parents look to the British boarding school sector for their children so that they can obtain British qualifications which are recognised world-wide and potentially progress to a UK University. In addition, parents want their children to be fluent in English and speak with an English accent. They would like their child to experience a new country and learn to be more independent in a safe environment like the UK. They are attracted by idea of providing their child with a 360 experience which they hope will shape their son or daughter s character in a richer manner than they would expect in their home country. The flexibility of the British system often offers more choices than the home country. Additional aspects to consider: i) Even though parents clearly prefer a school which balances academic results with a focus on student wellbeing, parents often default to looking at academic results tables when choosing the school as they do not know how to choose between the different schools.
ii) iii) iv) Parents may want their child to progress to a top university, but they do not necessarily match their ambition with their son or daughter s true academic ability and/or language qualifications. In such cases, agents educate the parents on the importance of finding the right career path for each child. Sometimes there is a mismatch between the child and the chosen school, often linked to the parents desire for their son or daughter to go to a specific school. In such cases, sometimes the experience is not positive and the child fails to perform in the school and ends up going back to their home country disappointed. The agents role is critical. If they are not able to provide parents with the right information to make the best choice for their child, the fallout is a negative perception of the agent, of the specific school and potentially of the entire British boarding school sector. v) International schools should have links with local schools to give international students a chance to collaborate with British students. THEME: What is the best age for international children to come to the UK for boarding school? Generally the feeling of both agents and educationalists was that, whilst it is important to consider each child s character and level of maturity, it is better for the student to enter into the British education system earlier rather than later. International students generally have more chance of a successful outcome in A Levels or IB, if they have completed GCSEs in the UK. They will have integrated into the school system and culture and therefore can expect to achieve stronger results in Y13 and hence better university progression. Additional aspects to consider: i) It is critical for schools who accept very young children (i.e. junior school age) to ensure the student continues to develop their mother tongue progression. This will allow the student to maintain their ability to succeed in their home country ii) Parents considering the cost of educating their child in the UK may prefer to send them as late as possible to minimise the expense. In this case it is important to educate the parents on the potential impact on a successful outcome. iii) Short term stays will not reap the benefits of longer term integration in the UK system. THEME: What is the best way for boarding schools to support English as a second language for international students? There was a general agreement that learning English language is more than just using the words properly. Language is also learning about the culture. Different schools adopt different approaches to helping students with their English. There is a spectrum ranging from sink-or-swim, through placement in a specific induction centre before integration in the main school to a fully integrated approach where students are supported not only with specific English-language tuition, but also are taught subjects by teachers experienced in teaching their subject to non-native speakers. Delegates expressed the concern that teachers at some traditional boarding schools don t accommodate international students when teaching their subjects and indeed use idiomatic language which can mean the international student is less able than their peers to pick up the learning. Apart from the teaching staff, it is widely felt that other students represent a great opportunity for international students to fully engage with English. A lot of English learning takes
place outside of school and students need be given many opportunities to speak English in social situations. Students teach each other both language and culture when talking about their countries. Buddy mentoring systems should be encouraged where both sides benefit: language learning and leadership skills are being used. Ideally schools should help new students integrate as quickly and smoothly as possible: online English tuition would be very welcome prior to a student s arrival. THEME: Student wellbeing: what are the differences in the needs of international vs domestic students? Even though there was a general belief that student wellbeing is important in all cases, there was a clear acknowledgement that international students needs differ from those of domestic students in order to be able to fully enjoy and integrate into their new school. Many international students benefit from being in a school especially designed to develop their skills. There are many areas of school-life in which an international student may need specific help to participate fully such as food, culture, ethos, discipline, teaching style. There are areas where cultural differences are greater and parents may struggle to understand the new system and cultural attitudes, for example how minor illnesses are treated. In the UK students will generally continue to attend school and even play sports with a cold, whereas in other countries, a student would stay at home and be regularly monitored by the parent. THEME: What does the future hold for British boarding schools in the changing global economy? All delegates agreed that British boarding schools will undoubtedly maintain a strong position in the future, even with other countries growing in competitivity. Competition comes not only from other Anglo-Saxon countries like the US, Canada, Australia, but also from international schools in students home country. It is however clear that the British boarding school sector can do more to establish a stronger competitive advantage. In particular it was felt to be important for all boarding schools to learn how to accommodate international student needs and not just hope they can cope with the overwhelming British environment. British boarding schools also need to be at the cutting-edge of education and not rely on their heritage to succeed in the future global market. They should look at latest trends around the world and offer new courses to ensure they are teaching students relevant skills for their future careers, such as computing/coding and entrepreneurial skills. A strong area of interest was intercultural understanding. Much academic work is being collated on the benefits of studying and working in a multicultural environment and British boarding schools are ideally placed to help their students nurture these benefits, for example, by enhancing their problem-solving and creative skills through multicultural teamwork.
Keynote Speech from Lord Patten of Barnes The Right Honourable Lord Patten of Barnes, Chancellor of the University of Oxford, attended the event to share his thoughts on British boarding school education and how international students can develop a competitive advantage over their peers through their time in UK schools. Lord Patten has been an influential figure on the international political scene for many years and he continues to play an important role in the future of many domestic and international young people as Chancellor of one of the world s most prestigious universities, the University of Oxford. Lord Patten explored how our children s world will be much more globalised that the one we have grown up in. He encouraged us to imagine how much young people s opportunities have been expanded by the internet and social media and how they will need to be comfortable spanning a multi-lingual and multi-cultural environment, in which English is a passport to a global career. Education is the glue which holds our societies and indeed global communities together. A good international boarding school not only exposes students to the language and culture in which it is based, but also exposes them to the cultures and languages of their fellow pupils. Lord Patten believes schools are not just about getting children into well-paid jobs, but helping them choose their own destiny and become global leaders in an ever-closer global culture. Education is not a question of filling a jug, but of lighting a fire