在英國選擇合適的中學：要牢記的基本技巧 Choosing the Right High School in the UK: Essential Tips to Keep in Mind

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十月係我好忙碌嘅一個月，喺10月中旬至下旬期間講咗兩個題目好唔同嘅講座，分別係2023年10月20日嘅《Watford中學巡禮》同埋10月28日嘅實體講座《兒童及青少年移英適應暨升學講座》，而準備功夫亦都係由零開始。可幸嘅係兩場講座嘅反應都非常之正面，亦都好感恩家長們對我投以信任，令到我可以更加有心機去幫大家解決問題。同時10月中下旬呢段時間亦都係我喺香港嘅所有中學生測驗最忙碌嘅時間，一個接一個已經先後有五個私補嘅學生測完驗。響先後經歷完講座、衝考試測驗、享受Halloween同Bonfire Night，返嚟之後又係時候要重整旗鼓再開始我忙碌嘅Cafe connect計劃。

比返少少Recap大家，Watford其實係一個好多好學校嘅Town，無論係小學定中學，Ofsted Rating 都係Outstanding and Good, 中學嘅GCSE成績更有9間達到Top15%，WGSG、WGSB、Parmiter's School、St. Clement Danes School、Rickmansworth School、Queen's School、Croxley Danes School、St Michael's Catholic High School、St Joan Of Arc Catholic Schools，基本上入到是但一間都好唔錯，所以各位家長其實唔需要擔心，反而根據返小朋友嘅性格同學習特質去選擇，先至係對佢哋最好嘅決定。

至於2023年10月28日嘅實體講座，我當時提到選擇中學有10個因素：-

1. 研究同規劃：我哋所在地區嘅學校。

2. 重要嘅因素：有咩因素對你同埋你嘅小朋友最重要，例如學業成績、課外活動、地點或者學校規模等等，有啲家長原來都好在意學校嘅環境，有啲家長係鍾意校舍大啲，有啲家長就鍾意細啲。其實大家對學校嘅要求都好唔同。

3. 地點：呢個係非常重要嘅考量，譬如話我見到有個案係有家長幫小朋友報咗中學個行車距離係要半個鐘，初時諗都覺得冇乜問題，但係返學返耐咗（如兩星期至一個月），就已經發覺唔係好得，因為個每日都咁樣揸車返學放學，仲要連埋塞車，其實一程可能都已經要一個鐘到個半鐘嘅時間，其實變相令到家長嘅時間都冇咗好多。屋企得一個小朋友都還好，如果有兩三個小朋友就真係好難就。

4. 查閱學校嘅表現數據：例如Progress 8、Attainment 8等。好多家長響選學校嘅時候都大多在意學校GCSE成績、A-Level成績同埋16至18歲嘅Feeder School等。其實Progress 8 score 同埋Attainment 8 Score係兩個好有用嘅數據，你可以知道呢間學校可以推高學生GCSE幾多個Grade，同埋該校學生平均出黎嘅成績係點樣。

5. 參觀學校：其實每一年9月10月已經有好多中學舉辦Open Day，佢嘅作用就係畀家長去了解呢一間學校嘅文化、佢哋嘅學生質素係點同埋教學質素。有好多家長同埋學生都反映翻畀我聽，當小朋友一行入間學校，留咗一陣就會知道呢間學校適唔適合自己。因此有啲情況係哥哥同家姐喺某一間中學就讀，但細佬妹入到去就覺得好唔鐘意要讀第二間。響呢個情況底下，係要畀小朋友自己去選擇嘅。

6. 交通：當然家長需要從交通去判斷到底會唔會令自己好唔方便，如可行情況下尊重小朋友嘅意願亦都係一個好方法，亦可以比小朋友知道你尊重佢。

7. GCSE科目：響講座中我亦羅列咗Watford唔同學校提供嘅GCSE科目，參考不同學校GCSE選科都係非常之重要，因為每一間學校都有啲唔同嘅GCSE科目，特別係選擇Ebacc嘅自由、Modern Language嘅提供 （如French、Spanish、German、Latin、Italian等）、Techical Award科目等⋯⋯我響講座亦提到唔同中學有啲乜嘢比較特別嘅科目，如果小朋友響小學嘅時候已經好清楚自己將來想做啲乜嘢嘅話，咁GCSE嘅科目就會係一個幾重要嘅考慮因素。家長亦都可以因應小朋友嘅讀書能力去衡量比佢入邊一間中學：如果小朋友唔係太喜歡讀書嘅，咁其實佢哋可以考慮一啲有提供Technical Award科目嘅學校：例如hairdressing、美容、攝影等等。

8. 與學校家長傾談過來人經驗：如果我哋香港人響自己區內認識該心儀學校嘅家長，其實亦都可以同就讀該學校嘅家長去聯繫，咁樣大家可以提供返有關該校嘅意見去大家Share一下。

9. 特殊教育（SEN）支援：響英國好多小朋友都有或多或少SEN情況，亦都係有一個非常之重要嘅考量，因為每一間學校對於SEN嘅支援同follow up係好唔同。有啲學校對於SEN嘅支援非常之足夠，但係亦都有好多學校唔會放太多資源喺SEN處理。好可能有間學校有兩成SEN嘅學生，但係佢哋只係得兩三個學老師去負責SENCO，咁其實係唔夠佢對咁多學生嘅。始終喺英國嘅中學都唔係得5班，而係可能有六班至到九班，係一個非常之大嘅數目嚟，咁所以SEN支援就係一個非常之大嘅因素喇。

10. 不同學校收生準則：有一啲比較出名嘅學校，例如Grammar School（Selective School或 Half Selective School）會有自己嘅收生標準或者要求去考11＋考試，又或者Private School就有可能需要去做埋Interview或入學試。呢啲都係要家長自己去衡量小朋友係咪適合。有啲學校只會考慮喺嗰區住嘅學生，所以盡可能唔建議跨區。我曾經遇到有啲個案係家長選擇俾子女跨區，但最後由於距離同交通大家每日往返都好辛苦，可能半個月左右小朋友已經好頂唔順，然後家長又覺得交通時間好長，令到大家都好氣餒，所以最後都要逼住再轉校。

最重要最重要嘅係記得要俾小朋友參與成個決策過程，因為佢哋先係響度讀書嘅人，佢哋對學校會有偏好同感受。講到底讀書嘅都係佢哋，唔係我哋。最後，各位家長一定要保持選學校嘅彈性，我哋可以有幾間勁學校嘅心水，但若然都入唔到嘅話咁點算呢？最理想係準備多兩間學校做Backup，做足心理準備到殺過黎時自然淡定好多啦！

As for the physical lecture on October 28, 2023, I mentioned at that time that there are 10 factors for choosing a secondary school:-

1. Research and plan: schools in our area.

2. Important factors: What factors are most important to you and your children？ Such as academic performance, extracurricular activities, location or school size, etc. Some parents originally care about the school environment, and some parents do not. Some parents prefer to have a larger school building, but some prefer smaller buildings. In fact, everyone has very different requirements for schools.

3. Location: This is a very important consideration. For example, there is a case in which a parent complained that the driving distance to secondary school was half an hour. At first she thought there was no problem, but after returning to school for some time, the driving distance was more than half an hour. After a while (for example, two weeks to a month), she has already realized that it is not that good, because she has to drive back to and from school every day, and if there is a traffic jam, it may take an hour to an hour and a half. She turned out to be so regret.

4. Check the school’s performance data: Such as Progress 8, Attainment 8, etc. When many parents choose a school, they mostly care about the school's GCSE scores, A-Level scores, and Feeder School for 16 to 18-year-olds. In fact, Progress 8 score and Attainment 8 Score are two very useful data. You can know how many GCSE grades this school can push students to, and what the average score of students in this school is.

5. Visit the school: In fact, many secondary schools hold Open Day in September and October every year. Its function is to allow parents to understand the culture of the school, the quality of their students and the quality of teaching. Many parents and students have told me that when children enter a school, they will know if this school is suitable for them after staying for a while. Therefore, there are cases where the older brother and the same sister are studying in a certain middle school, but the younger sister feels that she does not like to go to the second school after entering the middle school. In this case, it is best up to the children to make their own choices.

6. Transportation: Of course, parents need to judge whether it will be inconvenient for themselves based on transportation. It is also a good way to respect the children's wishes if feasible. You can also let the children know that you respect them.

7. GCSE subjects: In the talk, I also listed the GCSE subjects offered by different schools in Watford. It is very important to refer to the GCSE subjects of different schools, because each school has some different GCSE subjects, especially the selection of subjects. The freedom of Ebacc, the provision of Modern Languages ​​(such as French, Spanish, German, Latin, Italian, etc.), Technical Award subjects, etc... I also mentioned in the lecture that there are some special subjects in different middle schools. If the children are in primary school When you already know what you want to do in the future, GCSE subjects will be an important consideration. Parents can also choose a middle school based on their child's reading ability: If the child doesn't like reading too much, they can actually consider some schools that offer Technical Award subjects: such as hairdressing, cosmetology, and photography. etc.

8. Talk to school parents about past experiences: If we Hong Kong people know parents of the school of their choice in our own area, we can actually contact the parents who attend the school, so that they can provide feedback about the school. Please share.

9. Special education (SEN) support: Many children in the UK have more or less SEN conditions, and this is a very important consideration because each school has different support and follow up for SEN. Some schools provide very sufficient support for SEN, but there are also many schools that do not put too many resources into SEN processing. There may be a school with 20% SEN students (let's say), but they only have two or three teachers to be responsible for SENCO, which is actually not enough for them to handle so many students. Middle schools in the UK do not always have five classes, but may have six to nine classes, which is a very large number, so SEN support is a very big factor.

10. Admission criteria for different schools: Some well-known schools, such as Grammar School (Selective School or Half Selective School), will have their own admission criteria or require taking the 11+ exam, or Private School may need the students to take an interview or entrance exam. All this requires parents to judge whether their children are suitable. Some schools will only consider students who live in that district, so cross-district transfers are not recommended as much as possible. I have encountered some cases where parents chose to send their children across districts, but in the end, due to the distance and transportation, it was very difficult for everyone to go back and forth every day. The children may have been uncomfortable for about half a month, and then the parents felt that the transportation time was too long. Everyone was so discouraged that they were forced to transfer to another school in the end.

The most important thing is to remember to involve the children in the decision-making process, because they are the one to study there, and they will have preferences and feelings about the school. After all, it's they who study inside, not us. Finally, parents must maintain flexibility in choosing a school. We can have our favorite schools, but what if we can’t get into them? The ideal thing is to prepare two more schools for backup, and be mentally prepared to be much calmer when incident occured!