Further News

Mark Mortimer, Warden of Glenalmond College welcomed all new and returning students at the start of the new school year with a wonderful poem by Kahlil Gabran: On Children.

Students graduating from British boarding schools are well prepared to study at the best universities worldwide. In addition to the well-known US and British universities, many European universities are now attracting more and more outstanding school leavers. An early and excellent application is particularly important for these universities.

University expert David Hawkins, founder and CEO of The University Guys will give you an overview of the European university landscape (excluding the UK and Germany). He also has valuable tips and advice on how to make your application to these top European universities as effective as possible. A Q&A session is scheduled after David's presentation. 

To the webinar recording

While enjoying a good cup of Afternoon Tea, Theresa Glasmacher was recently a guest in the podcast "BRITPOD - England at its Best". This Podcast is hosted by TV producer and actor Klaus-Alexander Stecher together with Claus Beling, who in Germany is famous for making Rosamunde Pilcher's novels into successful TV films. The Podcast's title is "Tradition, values and top academic standards: England's elite boarding schools and the prestigious London School of English" and addresses many of the important questions parents have when considering a British boarding school for their child: when is the right time to go, which school is the right one, does my son or daughter need certain grades for the application, or how is mobile phone use dealt with in schools. You can listen to the interview here:  https://linktr.ee/britpod

Valerie only wanted to go to England for two or three terms in her Year 11. It turned out to be a three-year stay. This summer, Valerie graduated with honours from Dollar Academy and sent us her great feedback: "I liked so many things! The enthusiasm and passion of my teachers not only made the lessons more exciting, but also inspired me to try new things, such as debating and philosophy, where I learned a lot about argumentation, about thinkers, about history and politics. I also really liked the structure of  boarding life, such as the "Prep time" (study time from 6-8am), and I can now organise my own learning much better. I have really enjoyed living with lots of girls, including new best friends, and loved hearing new stories and perspectives from people all over the world: I now have best friends not only in Scotland, but also in Brazil, the Czech Republic, Armenia and Ukraine. The Boarding House has always felt like a safe place - a home away from home - as I have always been supported by my girls and my Houseparents - no matter if there were problems with my health, at school or at home in Germany. I have grown as a person from these experiences, becoming more independent and self-confident."

The Countdown to term start in September is on. To prepare for the English and broaden vocabulary, our schools especially recommend regular reading (at least 45 per day) of English books and texts. For some inspiration, check out Bromsgrove School's "Reading Lists" for different age groups.

• Lower Fourth Reading List
• Upper Fourth Reading List
• Fifth Form Reading List

On 2 August, the IB Organization published an important update for the recognition of the IB Diploma by German universities. From the exam session May 2025 onwards (i.e. for all students who are starting their IB course in September 2023), the strict requirement that students must have Maths or a Science at Higher Level in order to access German universities has been revoked. The new rule is that students must have Maths or a Science or a Language at Higher Level, which frees up much more options for students. The change is documented in the update guidelines by the German Kultusministerkonferenz which you can find here.

We started supporting the foundation Startchance in early 2023. Startchance aims to give children and young people a perspective for the future whose family background would not automatically offer this. The foundation is active at six schools in the south of Munich, where it offers around 160 children and young people two hours of homework supervision every Friday afternoon, followed by an hour of fun and sport for everyone. The support is provided by abount 80 coaches who are usually Year 11-13 pupils, university students or teachers.

The support offered is long-term and free of charge for the parents. The aim is to accompany the children and young people long term, often until they start their further studies or professional life. The administration costs are covered by a strong partner, all donations go entirely to the benefit of the pupils.

For more information, please visit the website: Stiftung Startchance - Every child deserves a chance.

All IB students have been working up to this day for two years. The IB results will be released on Thursday 6 July, 2023. We are keeping our fingers crossed for everyone!

Three IB graduates from our partner school Bedford School shared a few words of wisdom on this challenging programme: IB Boys Share a Few Words of Wisdom - Bedford School

In August 2023, about 20 students from United World Colleges Atlantic College will participate in a pilot IB project. In a tailored, project-based curriculum, IB candidates will explore complex real-world systemic challenges in four areas: Biodiversity, Energy, Food and Migration. Students will have two fewer Standard Level subjects than in the usual IB Diploma Programme and instead study and explore transformative change, systems leadership and making the world a fairer place for the future.. More information can be found here.

How to make the most of the summer holidays to maximise your university application is the topic of the webinar from our partners at Keystone Tutors. Ed Richardson, Managing Director of Keystone, will be joined by Jenny McGowan, Keystone Director in Asia, to to discuss the sorts of preparation students can complete over the Summer Holidays of Year 12 to ensure they submit a strong UCAS application. The discussion will cover how to prepare effectively with particular reference to the importance of super-curricular learning, admissions tests and the personal statement.

The webinar will be most relevant to current Year 11 and Year 12 students but also suitable for younger students and parents planning ahead.

Further information and registration