International Students and EAL Provision

Our international students make up approximately 18% of our roll. With its breath-taking location and easy access to London and its airports, Prior Park is popular with students from all over the world.

The majority of pupils applying from outside the UK, apply via an educational agency. The main reasons for this are that we require the use of educational consultants/agents to help pupils through the admissions process, to administer entrance tests and to supply translated school reports. If you do not use an educational agent, then entrance tests will either need to be administered via the candidate’s existing school or at British Council offices. All international students are required to sit tests in English as an Additional Language and Mathematics.

International Admissions Process

If you are a non-UK resident and would like your child to study at Prior Park College, the application process is as follows:-

In the first instance, please contact our Registrar, Mrs Vicki Quinn, either by phone +44(0)1225 835353 or by email admissions.ppc@priorparkschools.com

Mrs Vicki Quinn, or her assistant, Mr Tali Mosler, will be happy to answer any questions you may have about Prior Park College and, subject to a space being available, will ask you to complete our  Registration Form.

Please return the completed Registration Form along with the following:
- £125 registration fee (payable by bank transfer or Flywire).
- A copy of your child’s latest academic report.
- Where applicable, details of the examinations already completed (eg iGCSE) or to be completed.
- A copy of your child’s passport (this is required to verify the identity of the student when interviewing, which is a UKVI requirement).

Your son/daughter will be required to sit our entrance tests in Maths and English.  These can be sat at their current school,  or at the offices of an approved educational consultant.

Subject to passing the entrance tests, your son/daughter will be invited to have an interview with our Head of EAL, Mr Peter Stroud, in order to assess their level of spoken English – this can be via Teams or Zoom.

We will also apply to your son/daughter’s current school for a reference.

The Headmaster will then review your son/daughter's application with a view to making an unconditional offer of a place. An offer letter together with a copy of the Parental Contract and Acceptance Form will be sent from the Admissions Office – this can be used to help the visa process.

Your child’s place will be secured by returning the signed Acceptance Form together with the required deposit and compliance management charge. This deposit will be forfeited if a pupil withdraws prior to entry.

The deposit will be returned after the duration of your child’s tuition at Prior Park College.

Students requiring a Child Student Visa will be required to pay a compliance management charge of £750. The Nathanson Partnership has been appointed to ensure Prior Park College are compliant and they will liaise with parents to guide them through the visa application process.

Guardians

All international students are legally required to have a guardian if their parents do not live in the UK permanently. Your child’s Guardian must be AEGIS or BSA-accredited or a close family member over the age of 25, ideally residing within one hour of the school. The Guardian must be a British citizen or have Settled status. A list of accredited Guardians known to the school is available upon request.

The appointed Guardian must be readily available for consultation in emergencies, able to provide accommodation for the student if needed (e.g., in case of illness), and must meet the requirements outlined in the Guardianship guidance and agreement. Please note that our boarding houses remain open during half-term breaks at an additional cost.

The Guardian must be appointed by the child’s parents, and any changes must be communicated to the school immediately. To ensure the safety and well-being of our students, independent Guardians must provide a copy of their passport, proof of their relationship to the student, and proof of address. The address where your child will reside outside of term time must be a private residence, and the Guardian must not be responsible for any other students at that address unless approved by the school. Guardians with AEGIS or BSA accreditation are exempt from this requirement. If a suitable Guardian is not appointed, Prior Park College reserves the right to withdraw the offer of a place at the school.

Prior Park has produced a list of Guardianship Agencies who are known to the school and who will be happy to help if you do not already have a suitable contact in the UK. Please note, guardianship arrangements are made solely between parents and the guardianship agency. Any information provided by Prior Park cannot be considered as a recommendation.  

English as an Additional Language (EAL)

Our EAL programmes are run by skilled practitioners who have themselves experienced life in a foreign country and offer superb support and encouragement for our overseas students.

Pupils entering from Year 7 will have free EAL classes as part of their bespoke curriculum. Preparation for Cambridge PET, FIRST or CAE may be offered to pupils in Year 9 and Year 10, and Pupils in Year 10 and Year 11 will be prepared for IGCSE English as a Second Language. These lessons are not charged additionally.

The College will advise on the level of support needed by individual students. If further EAL tuition is required, students can have private individual or small group lessons which will incur an additional charge.

Students in the Sixth Form can also take lessons to prepare for the IELTS Examination, which is generally required for international students to study in a UK university. This incurs an additional charge.

We also offer an EAL Induction Programme, to help international students acclimatise to life in a UK school and enhance their grasp of the English language.