November 2021 Brentwood School is re-launching its Pre-IB pathway for European students. The Pre-IB pathway, aimed at high-achieving ambitious students joining in Year 11, is part of a 3-year educational programme. Pre-IB students are integrated into existing mainstream 2-year GCSE classes with UK day students and will study 9 GCSE subjects and take final GCSE examinations in between 6 and 9 of these subjects. Pupils need to have certificated B2 CEFR-level English for admission.   Sedbergh International Summer School is celebrating 10 years. Open to pupils aged 8 to 17, Sedbergh International Summer School is the perfect opportunity to develop English, experience a UK boarding school, try new activities and most importantly make friends from around the world. A range of new courses are provided, including Sedbergh Leadership and International Relations Academy. For further information visit: https://iss.sedberghschool.org/.   Shebbear College has officially launched its Elite Sports Development Programme for Sports Scholars and high performance athletes. This is a personalised programme where each individual is given their own unique training plan from diet to strength and conditioning training, specialist coaching, mental and physical health and fitness. Pupils on this programme take part in dedicated sessions as part of their school timetable. For further information visit: https://www.shebbearcollege.co.uk/beyond-the-classroom/sport.   October 2021 Benenden has seen a small number of day boarders in Years 9 and Year 12 since September. It marks the first time since the School opened in 1923 that it has offered anything other than full boarding, in which all students live on site apart from specific weekends. The School has intentionally limited the number of day boarders joining each year to a handful of girls to ensure they can be smoothly integrated.   Padworth College is now offering an impressive 50% scholarship for outstanding candidates who are enrolled in the 18-month A level for Jan 2022 to celebrate the arrival of the Deputy Principal, Rebecca Clyde, who was the previous head of academic at Cardiff Sixth Form college joined Padworth College in September 2021. All the students who apply for the scholarship will be sitting an interview with Rebecca.   Reigate Grammar School has signed a partnership to open a school in Vietnam–the first time a UK independent school has expanded its international reach to the southeast Asian country. The International School of Vietnam (ISV) in Hanoi was founded nine years ago as a not-for-profit venture. The partnership with Reigate Grammar School (RGS), which will act as its UK parent school, means the school will adopt many aspects of RGS culture and life – not to mention its name, becoming Reigate Grammar School Vietnam.   September 2021 Caterham School has introduced a new Buddy Scheme in the Sixth Form. It is a peer-to-peer support scheme to help new pupils settle in quickly. New pupils in the Lower Sixth Form are matched with current Upper Sixth pupils who provide invaluable support in the first term. The aim is to ease the transition for the new Lower Sixth. The Upper Sixth can get a chance to share their experience and enthusiasm whilst developing leadership skills and interpersonal abilities.    Copthorne Preparatory School is extending its offering to Year 11. ‘Copthorne to 16’ is planning to offer a distinct, ambitious alternative to the highly academically selective senior schools. The class sizes will be no more than 20 so every pupil is well known and supported. The first GCSE exam for the cohort is expected to take place in 2026.    St Mary’s School in Cambridge is extending its provision to girls as young as three for the first time. The preschool opened in September following demand from parents will educate three and four-year-olds based in the current junior school building. There will initially be space for 10 preschool pupils.   August 2021 Ashville College is one of the few schools in the UK to offer the Advanced Placement (AP) courses. From September 2021, Ashville will offer the AP Seminar and AP US History courses to Year 10 and Lower Sixth pupils. In addition, from the following September, pupils in Year 11 and Upper Sixth can take the AP Research and AP US Government and Politics courses. Each year-long course culminates in a formal, external exam which usually takes place in May. AP Seminar and AP Research run in a two-year sequence and together make up the AP Certificate, helping pupils to develop skills that are valuable for university preparation and have real-world applications.   Joseph’s College in Ipswich is launching a new GCSE Textiles course and a fabulous bespoke A-level Fashion & Garments course, which is being run in conjunction with the University of the Arts London. The courses give students a great opportunity to build direct links with world-leading centres of fashion and design, including Chelsea College of Arts, Camberwell College of Arts, Wimbledon College of Arts, London College of Fashion and Central Saint Martins.   Oakham School, which already offers IBDP for its sixth formers, has officially become an International Baccalaureate MYP World school following three years of successfully embedding the programme across the Lower School and accomplishing an extensive verification visit which took place at the beginning of June. Oakhamians now, and in future years, will benefit from the Middle Years Programme’s internationally renowned and holistic approach to learning, which develops pupils’ knowledge, attitudes and skills – incorporating intellectual, social, emotional and physical well-being.    July 2021 Bryanston and Knighton House pre-prep and prep school have confirmed arrangements to complete a formal merger with effect from September 2021. The merger will help to ensure both schools are well placed to rise to the new challenges and constantly evolving priorities within the world of education with confidence. In advance of the new academic year, a new headmaster has been appointed at Knighton House and arrangements are being made for an experienced figure from the prep school sector to join the governing body of Bryanston.   CATS Colleges has changed its branding to CATS Global Schools. The company, now part of Bright Scholar, decided to unite its 16 schools and colleges in the UK, US, Canada and China under a new group identity with the shared purpose of ‘inspiring the next generation of world shapers’.  All CATs schools will continue to operate under their own identities and the email addresses of staff based in schools will not change.   Ockbrook School announced it will be closing in July 2022. The school, established more than 200 years ago, has been forced to close due to significant loss-making, which has been exacerbated by the COVID pandemic, and unable to find any backers willing to take on the school. Ockbrook School was established in 1799 originally as a girls’ school. Boys were first admitted in 1813, and the school went fully co-ed in 2016.