Frequently Asked Questions

a) high school programmes:
Armenian, Brazilian, Chinese, German, Ghanaian, Hong Kong, Hungarian, Italian, Indonesian, Japanese, Kazakh, Kuwaiti, Lithuanian, Mexican, Mongolian, Nigerian, Russian, Spanish, Taiwanese, Thai, Turkish, Vietnamese,

b) summer school (2004) - Austrian, German, Greek, French, Portuguese, Turkish, Mexican, Spanish, Italian, Israeli, Hungarian, Saudi Arabian, Nigerian, Taiwanese, Japanese, Russian,

What does GCSE and A level stand for?
This is the General Certificate of Secondary Education. British students normally take these exams when they are 16 years old. Some students decide to leave school after these exams and find a job but students wishing to go to university or obtain better jobs continue their education (A level or other exams). A level is Advanced level. At Saint Michael's College students specialise in 3 or 4 subjects.

Does St. Michael's  accept students with little or no English?
We are able to accept students with lower levels of English than other typical British Boarding schools do as we also offer intensive English classes as part of the curriculum (up to 14 classes of EFL per week)

Students with very low levels of English who would like to start an academic year programme are encouraged to join one of the 'Academic Preparation courses' beforehand (Summer Term or during summer school).

 

What other languages are available?
Spanish is also available - taught by native Spanish teachers


Is religion part of the curriculum ?
No - as we have so many different nationalities and religions at the school we do not include religion in any aspect of the curriculum. Students are encouraged to practice their religions and help is offered with transport to churches, prayer rooms etc.

What sports are available ?
Located as it is in the countryside, Saint Michael's College is able to offer a wide range of outdoor sporting activities including; swimming (outdoor heated swimming pool), football (11 and 5-a-side pitches), basketball, volleyball and tennis. We also have a small sports hall often used for basketball and badminton and a student common room with table-football, table tennis and snooker.

How much homework is set ?
This depends on the age of the pupil. As a general rule, students receive 3 pieces of homework per night.


What examinations do students take at the school?
GCSE (OCR, Edexcel), GCE A Level (OCR, Edexcel), English Language (Cambridge , IELTS)



Where do students go after finishing their studies at Saint Michael's College ?
Students who finish their education at Saint Michael's College enter universities all over the world. In the past, the majority of ex-students have entered British Universities although others have returned to their home countries or gone on to other places such as the US, Malta, Spain, The Netherlands etc

Which Universities can I go to after completing the University Foundation programme?
Students can either apply to one of our partner universities (see Foundation Programme section) or apply to any other UK University. The majority of our Partner universities will guarantee our students places on to their degree programmes on successful completion of our course. Others will give them favourable application status.
After our first year of the Foundation programme our students were offered places at some very high quality universities including Kings College, University of Birmingham, Manchester University, Bristol University, Cardiff University, Nottingham University, Southampton University.


Is it possible to study at Saint Michael's College for one term only ?
Yes - some students come to Saint Michael's College for short periods to experience boarding school life in the UK and to improve their English. The best time to do this is during the Autumn Term (Sept - Dec) as this is the start of the academic programme. Many of these students end up continuing until the end of the academic year!

How well do new international students adapt to the school?
Students at Saint Michael's College tend to settle down quite quickly as one of our main strengths is the friendliness of our environment! Each year we have many new students who are away from home for the first time and use each other to help themselves adjust. However, much depends on the attitude of the new student and how willing he/she is to make new friends and join in with the rest.
 

How do I go about applying for a place for my child ?
The first step in the admissions process is to send in an application form with full details of the pupil in question.
GCSE and A level students must take entrance examinations in Mathematics and English. School reports for the two years prior to entry are also taken into consideration.
Foundation year students have to send in a copy of their high school certificate from their home country and also prove of their English level (IELTS, Cambridge exam results etc).

How do I get a Visa?
Once a student has been accepted by Saint Michael's College we will issue an acceptance letter and an invoice. Once we have received the £500 deposit we can issue the visa support letters which we assist the students in getting a visa. Other documents will also have to be shown such as prove of financial support etc. If a visa is rejected for any reason we will return the £500 (minus transfer / admin charges)