“My daughter loves the environment at Glenalmond College. Should we consider applying?”
Glenalmond College, about 12 kilometers west of the city of Perth, is everything you could imagine a British boarding school to be. The school has a tradition of academic excellence and is also a full boarding school with a seven- day program which even day pupils get involved with.
Hong Kong families may be drawn to Glenalmond because children will become absorbed and immersed in boarding school life from the word go. Given that only 7 percent of international students are from outside Europe and most pupils are British, your daughter will be immediately able to integrate and speak with British children.
Glenalmond does all the right things in all the right places, leaving little time for homesickness and adaptation difficulties. For instance, through a system known as peer tutoring, overseas pupils are matched with elder UK pupil peer tutors to help them hone their English grammar and to understand the nuances of the language. Subject support may also be provided by the pupil tutors.
Read any review, listen to any interview and browse the school’s website – warm community spirit does pervade Glenalmond.
The chapel is central to school life and all pupils come together six days a week for service. Children of all faiths attend the school and values such as tolerance and equality are fostered.
Despite the tight-knit community, Hong Kong children should not have to feel confined at Glenalmond. A plethora of trips and exchange programs are organized every year with ski trips and geography field trips among the most popular.
In terms of academics, Glenalmond is up there with the best. Not many schools can boast a choice of 25 A Level subjects, exceptionally meticulous house-based tutoring and such regular cultural and academic trips outside the school.
Glenalmond teachers are also purely inspirational, and they meet regularly in school groups in “The Learning Project” to examine, test and develop varied teaching techniques.
Glenalmond comes across as a school proud of its roots and location, as well as its role in the community. Pupils do engage in community-based projects. Glenalmond also seems to be a no-nonsense school where pastoral care and individual development mean much more than the promotion of multi- million pound facilities and excellent exam results as a means to attract the fee-paying public.
Mabel Chan is a principal consultant at Britannia StudyLink
www.facebook.com/ lucyqna
Original article:
http://www.thestandard.com.hk/section-news.php?id=177111&fc=15