Frequently Asked Questions

There are many questions that parents and prospective students ask about academic life at the International College. This section is dedicated to answering as many of those questions as we can. Obviously there will be more questions, please do not hesitate to contact the College with any questions you may have.

The College also produces booklets for parents and guardians once they have registered their child/ward at the College and students are given lots of information on arrival which helps them settle in quickly.

I want my child to go to an English school, with English boys and girls. Why should he or she come to the International College?

If your child does not already speak, read and write good English, it will be very difficult to join a class of English students. He or she may be unable to understand them, unable to speak to them; and may not even be able to understand the teacher. The teacher will not have time to stop his lesson in order to explain everything carefully to your son or daughter. Your child needs good preparation and a good foundation for his/her studies with English students. That is what the International College provides - the best preparation.

Must my child speak good English?

No. Some children speak good English, but others have little English.

What's so different about the College?

The classes are very small - on average about six students in a class, students study together with others of a similar standard of English, so they can understand one another, work together and make rapid progress. The same happens in Mathematics, Science and other subjects.

Is it really so much better to study in such small classes, with only six students?

With a maximum of 8 in the class every student gets many chances to speak, ask questions and talk to his or her teacher. If a child does not understand, the teacher has time to explain the difficulty to him or her. A teacher cannot do that so easily for one student in a class of twenty.

Do the children learn only English?

No. Most classes have at least twelve English lessons each week, but everybody also studies Mathematics, Chemistry, Physics and Biology. Many of our students also take additional courses in subjects such as Geography, History, Art, French and Business Studies.

How can my child study Science or Geography when he or she does not know much English?

Your son or daughter will start by learning the simple vocabulary that they need for Science or Geography. Because this is done systematically, they will very soon study the subject, not only its vocabulary. All our teachers have received EFL training or are EFL qualified, so that, no matter what subject they teach, they can help overcome the problems a student may face.

How many lessons are there?

On Mondays, Wednesday and Fridays, there are usually seven lessons each day (eight or nine if the student is studying on the one year GCSE course). On Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, there are five lessons, all in the morning. All lessons are 45 minutes long except those on Saturdays which are 40 minutes in duration.

Junior students (Years J and 9) get around 27 hours of study each week, plus 7-9 hours of supervised private study.

Students in Years 10 and 11 (2 year) receive slightly more teaching,(approximately 27.5 hours) and 10.5 hours of supervised private study

The one Year GCSE programme has about 30 hours of formal teaching each week and a minimum of 9 hours of supervised private study

Do the students study outside lesson times?

Yes. Our students are always encouraged to study in their free time, although we also understand the need for relaxation and play. On every day except Saturday there is private study time (prep), normally supervised by qualified teachers who are there to help them if they have problems either with the subject or with the language. These sessions usually last for 90 minutes. When the students are near to sitting their exams, extra study and revision sessions are available to ensure that all our students have the best possible chance of passing these exams.

Are parents sent reports?

Yes, all parents receive reports at the ends of each term and the Principal writes to the parents of each new student at half term of the first term following entry. The Vice-Principal regularly receives grades from teachers and welcomes questions from parents about academic progress at any time.

Do students need laptop computers?

Although these are not compulsory, many older students, particularly those in Year 11 find them extremely useful for writing up coursework. Any computers brought into the College however, must not be connected directly to the internet (ie they must connect via the College filtering system) and computers are entirely the responsibility of the student should they get broken or lost. The College provides wi-fi access in all bedrooms and most public areas of the College including inside the classrooms.