a quality british education in an international setting

1 King’s College Schools: A Quality British Education in an International setting

A Quality British Education in an International Setting

King’s College Schools

3 King’s College Schools: A Quality British Education in an International setting2King’s College Schools: A Quality British Education in an International setting

Overview

• At King’s College schools, we teach the

English National Curriculum to our pupils’

from age 2-18 years old (Pre-Nursery -Year

13). This curriculum is based on first-hand

discovery and exploration; it is a child-

centred approach to learning

• The quality of the teaching and learning

in our schools is measurable; the standards

of our teaching can be tracked by regular

ISI Inspections, while our pupils’ learning

culminates in the results that they achieve

in their school examinations and of course

ultimately their university destinations.

Unlike many educational systems, all of our

examinations are externally validated by the

relevant examination body – often these are

leading universities in their own right, such

as the University of Cambridge

• At King’s, we take staff development

very seriously, our people are our strength

and it is an expectation within our schools,

that our teachers are not only native

British-English speakers, but that they also

have a Post-Graduate qualification

• In essence, a King’s College education

does not just entrench academic excellence;

it focuses on developing the individual

child, whilst embedding the core

British values of Dedication, Tolerance,

Independence, Integrity, Honesty, Kindness

and Open-Mindedness. King’s College

pupils develop into well-rounded global

citizens, ready to enter into today’s fast

paced and ever-evolving society

Pupils playing violin at King’s College, The British Schoolof Madrid

Differences and similarities between the British, American and Spanish educational systems

The fundamentals of British and American

education are broadly similar. However the

private sector in the USA is very diverse

which makes it difficult to make clear

comparisons between the two systems.

In general:

• Both systems are child-centred and focused on

individual children as opposed to concentrating

on whole class learning. Both systems tend to

emphasise understanding and critical thinking

above the acquisition of facts

• They both start with play-based learning in

Nursery/Kindergarten, followed by cross-

curricular topic based learning in Primary/

Elementary school, with subjects being slowly

introduced as the children get older

• The use of text books is varied and they are

used to support learning rather than being the

sole source of learning

• Teachers are normally university graduates

and usually expected to have a post-graduate

qualification in teaching

• Many of the cultural expectations of private

schools in the USA have been adopted from

classic British independent schools (uniform,

discipline, team sports, independent thinking,

creativity, individual excellence, outstanding

teaching, investment in teaching resources and

facilities)

• The differences are more marked in the

following areas: The American system is not

guided by a ‘national curriculum’ of core

competencies

• The ages at which children start to specialise:

Children in the British system start to select

subjects at 14-15 years old when they choose

which GCSEs they will take. More specialism

is introduced at AS level (four subjects) and

still more at A Level (three subjects). The USA

system tends to be broader (similar to the IB)

for longer. Pupils are expected to study Maths

and English all the way through to the end of

High School

British vs. American


• Most US universities require pupils to have

taken SATs or ACT exams as well as providing

proof of a solid high school course load, which

should normally include:

» 4 years of English

» 4 years of Maths (Algebra, Geometry,

Trigonometry and Calculus)

» 2 years of lab based science (Biology,

Chemistry and/or Physics)

» 2 years of a foreign language

» 2 years of History (at least a year and a

half of American History)

• In addition, pupils will be expected to have

participated in a wide range of extra-curricular

activities, which could include Sports, Drama,

Music and Community Work

• SATs and ACTs are multiple choice exams

with an optional essay section and are not

considered as rigorous as British GCSE, AS or A

Level exams

• The pre-university exam system in the USA

(SATs) only tests Critical Reading, Mathematics,

and Writing. Some Science SATs are also

offered. While A Levels are offered in about 70

different subjects

• Many bright High School pupils in the USA

take Advanced Placement (AP) courses at their

high schools, after which they may take AP

exams. Depending on their performance and

the policies of their chosen university, they can

get ‘college credit’ which could exempt them

for up to a year of university. A Levels are often

considered as the equivalent of AP exams by

American universities, which allows A Level

students to skip the first year of university,

which could save them tens of thousands of

Dollars

• Teachers in the USA have much more freedom

to design their own curriculum

• All reputable British schools are inspected on

a regular basis by independent inspectors.

In the USA, accreditation is more varied and

flexible and tends to be optional, market forces

determine how successful schools are

• All US states require teachers to have a

Bachelor’s degree, a criminal background

check, and some course in pedagogical

methods. Many states require some level of

student teacher experience. The same is true

for most private schools in the USA, although

many private schools will hire teachers

without the traditional teacher training, on

the understanding that they will work toward

gaining those credits through alternative

means. There are many alternative schemes

(varying from state to state), which compare in

ethos to the UK Teach First programme

• Holidays: three month long summer holidays

are quite normal in the USA. However half-term

breaks are not common, Christmas and Spring

Break holidays tend to be shorter than in the

UK. There is no real equivalent of bank holidays

in the USA


There are fewer similarities between British

and Spanish education than in the American

example above. These differences can stem

from who sponsors the school in question,

as schools in Spain usually fall into one of

three categories: state schools (colegios públicos),

privately run schools funded by the state

(colegios concertados), and purely private schools

(colegios privados). Because of this, the number

of pupils educated in private institutions is

markedly higher in Spain: 32% of all children

(Ministry of Edcuation, 2009).

In general:

• Both systems operate around a ‘core’ national

curriculum, although the emphasis of content

and language of instruction can be significantly

altered by the autonomous or regional

governments in Spain

• Teachers are normally university graduates

and usually expected to have a post-graduate

qualification in teaching

• At Primary level, both systems tend to

emphasise play-based learning

The differences are more marked in the

following areas:

• The Spanish system values the acquisition of

knowledge and understanding higher than the

ability to critically analyse or evaluate it

• Spanish schools will typically prescribe the use

of textbooks and learning materials and pupils

are often expected to follow a ‘scheme of work’

until its conclusion (often many years within a

school phase)

• The Primary phase is one year longer and

Secondary phase one year shorter than the

British system

• The Spanish Baccalaureate prescribes ‘routes

of study’ where students are expected to

choose one and it is difficult to combine

subjects from each:

» Arts: The Arts discipline is divided into

two concentrations: Art, Image and

Design; or Performing Arts, Music and

Dance

» Science and Technology: Maths, Biology,

Physics, Chemistry, Geology, Technical

Drawing, etc.

» Humanities and Social Sciences:

Applied Maths, Economics, Latin, Greek,

Contemporary History, Geography, Art

History, Business, Economics, etc.

British vs. Spanish Educational Systems Comparison

8King’s College Schools: A Quality British Education in an International setting

King’s CollegePaseo de los Andes, 35 Soto de ViñuelasMadrid 28760Spain

King’s College SchoolPaseo de Alcobendas, 5 La MoralejaMadrid 28109 Spain

King’s Infant SchoolPrieto Ureña 9 – 11ChamartínMadrid 28016 Spain

King’s College AlicanteGlorieta del Reino Unido 5El Palmeral-Urbanova-TabarcaAlicante 03008Spain

King’s College MurciaCalle Pez Volador s/nUrb. La Torre Golf ResortRoldán, Murcia 30709Spain

Our Vision is to be at the forefront of British education internationally

King’s College PanamaEdificio 518 Calle al HospitalClaytonPanama Republic of Panama

King’s College Saint MichaelsOldwood RoadTenbury WellsWorcestershire WR15 8PHUnited Kingdom

United Kingdom – Spain – Panama

www.kingscollegeschools.org

a quality british education in an international setting

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