London – home schooling for a Dubai family who were relocating at very short notice.

Results

Following intensive tuition, we were able to secure a place at a leading London school.

The family’s daughter had missed lots of education in the Middle East because of family difficulties and ill health. As a result, her academic level was far behind what it should be. This created two problems: 1) her level was too low to be considered by any of the best London schools and 2) because they had relocated to London just after the start of the new school year it was very difficult to find a school place. 

Intensive home schooling began with an academic assessment to give the parents a clear idea of how far behind their daughter was, comparative to British peers. This also allowed us to better communicate with potential schools about the child’s current level. 

When we started looking for a school, the challenge was to find a very good, ideally co-ed school, to suit the child’s profile and academic needs. It also had to be within central London.  Many schools were full at the late stage of application. Because the Middle East has a very different school system. We had to find a school that would truly support the girl’s education – she had been helped by a previous consultant who got her into a school but she was put in a year group according to her ability (2 years below) and for a socially mature child this was disastrous. 

Following a successful school placement, we introduced tutors for regular consistent tuition and mentoring to support the girl in her transition to the new school. Regular tutoring also helped to fill in the gaps in her knowledge, build on the foundations of home schooling and help to establish a routine for the child. Tuition continues now in the run up to 11+.. Confidence, resilience and independence are key areas that are worked on weekly. We also maintain regular contact with school.