September 2008 News

Here is our monthly digest of the top education stories for internationally mobile families and their employers. From September 2008:

School fees rise again

Dean Associates’ recent survey of English independent school fees showed an average rise of nearly 6 per cent from the last academic year. Over the last five years, school fees have risen, on average, by a little over 33 per cent.

University “top up” fees inadequate

Vice-chancellors in English universities have stated that the “top up” fee that each student must pay – currently £3000 – is not sufficient to meet the rising cost of higher education. They say that it is inevitable that fees will rise when a cap on fees is lifted in 2009. There has been a new rigour in which universities inspect the “home fee” credentials of British families overseas, perhaps a knock-on effect of the financial situation.

New diplomas launched

2008 heralds a small revolution in education in England with the launch of the Diploma programme. Diplomas are to work alongside the existing GCSE and A Level curriculums, allowing students to study skills that have vocational relevance. Five areas have been launched in September 2008, with five more to come in 2009 and more in following years. 20,000 students are starting the courses this year, half the number that the government expected.

School age rise to 17

Children starting secondary schools in England in September will be the first to be legally required to stay in education until they are 17. This will rise to 18 in the next couple of years. Children do no necessarily need to be in school, and could look at vocational training as an alternative to the classroom.

New A* grade

The new academic year also welcomes the new A* grade at A Level, a new ruse to help universities pick out the brightest students. At the same time, the International Baccalaureate dipoma – seen by many university tutors as a better guide to ability than the A Levels – is more widely available than before. Over 130 private and state schools now offer the IB Diploma across the UK.

New “academies” opened

Nearly fifty new “academies” have opened in England in September 2008. Academies are state run schools established in partnership with privately run institutions – for example businesses, universities or faith groups. One of the main aims is to provide stronger schools for pupils in deprived areas. There are now 130 academy schools in England with more to follow.