07.12.2023
According to the new PISA study published on 5 December 2023, English pupils have again improved significantly in the international rankings, especially in mathematics, making them one of the best performing countries in the western world.
Educational standards in England have risen significantly over the last 13 years in particular thanks to many government initiatives, and more than £5 billion has also been spent on supportive educational measures during the pandemic. As a result England has ranked 13th for both reading and science, having been placed at 14th and 13th respectively in 2018 and 25th and 16th in 2009.
The Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) is an international assessment of 15-year-olds’ mathematics, reading and science ability. Conducted by the OECD, it is widely accepted as the international benchmark for academic attainment for secondary school pupils.
01.12.2023
PSHE - Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education is an inspiring course that is compulsory in British schools. Every month, we will present topics from this subject to teenagers (and their parents) in a webinar with guests from our partner schools.
On Wednesday 13 December at 6pm CET, we will launch the series with the webinar on Artificial Intelligence in the Classroom and are delighted to have Dr Andy Kemp, Principal of The National Mathematics & Science College as our speaker.
Our second webinar will be on Fake News and will take place on Wednesday 10 January at 6pm CET. Our speaker in January is Mr Thomas Sparrow, correspondent for Deutsche Welle.
Future topics for this PSHE series will include Effective Revision and Test Taking, Dealing with Feelings, Vaping, Sleep, Cyber Security, Racism, Arguing effectively, Banks/Mortgages/Stocks & Shares, You and the Law - understanding the Justice System, Eating disorders, Talking to your Parents about Sex or Civil Liberties and Human Rights.
The webinars are free and conducted in English.
02.11.2023
Allegra spent a year in the Sixth Form at King's Ely near the city of Cambridge and in her boarding house she felt like she was part of a family. What she particularly liked her school for: "Everyone at King's Ely seemed really interested in me being at this school, I felt really valued".
20.10.2023
The non-profit initiative 21future from Munich has launched a crowdfunding campaign called "Making 150 young people sustainably fit for the future". The aim is to raise funds to expand the work with children and young people who mostly come from disadvanted families. Since 2018, the 21future team has been organising one-week, project-based "learning journeys" dedicated to the UN's Sustainable Development Goals in middle and secondary schools. More schools would like to invite 21future to organise a learning journey than the organisation can currently afford, so further funding is being raised in this way. We support the work of 21future wholeheartedly and also financially. Our managing director Mrs Theresa Glasmacher knows Mr Tahir Hussain, 21future's founder and CEO, well since their joint time at the London School of Economics. Please consider making a donation, however small or large! You can find the campaign under betterplace.org or you can donate directly via PayPal, just click here.
16.10.2023
Representatives from over thirty local state and independent schools were welcomed at Sidcot for our inaugural Education Conference on "Vaping and Drugs". Sidcot’s Education Conference forms part of a sustained safeguarding programme run by Sidcot School
Read more about the event here.
09.10.2023
For the last months Goodnotes embarked on a research project to explore the implications of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) in schools. The goal was to understand the profound technological shift that GenAI will bring to every aspect of life, learning, and work. Through interviews and discussions with various stakeholders, the company aimed to capture a holistic view of GenAI's role in education. The report stands out as it features contributions, reflections and ideas from a truly wide range of over 50 contributors, each offering a unique perspective on the challenges, trends, barriers, and solutions related to GenAI in school communities around the world.
To view the publication: Generative AI in Schools | Goodnotes Research
21.09.2023
Mark Mortimer, Warden of Glenalmond College welcomed all new and returning students at the start of the new school year with a wonderful poem by Kahlil Gabran: On Children.
15.09.2023
Students graduating from British boarding schools are well prepared to study at the best universities worldwide. In addition to the well-known US and British universities, many European universities are now attracting more and more outstanding school leavers. An early and excellent application is particularly important for these universities.
University expert David Hawkins, founder and CEO of The University Guys will give you an overview of the European university landscape (excluding the UK and Germany). He also has valuable tips and advice on how to make your application to these top European universities as effective as possible. A Q&A session is scheduled after David's presentation.
11.09.2023
While enjoying a good cup of Afternoon Tea, Theresa Glasmacher was recently a guest in the podcast "BRITPOD - England at its Best". This Podcast is hosted by TV producer and actor Klaus-Alexander Stecher together with Claus Beling, who in Germany is famous for making Rosamunde Pilcher's novels into successful TV films. The Podcast's title is "Tradition, values and top academic standards: England's elite boarding schools and the prestigious London School of English" and addresses many of the important questions parents have when considering a British boarding school for their child: when is the right time to go, which school is the right one, does my son or daughter need certain grades for the application, or how is mobile phone use dealt with in schools. You can listen to the interview here: https://linktr.ee/britpod
28.08.2023
Valerie only wanted to go to England for two or three terms in her Year 11. It turned out to be a three-year stay. This summer, Valerie graduated with honours from Dollar Academy and sent us her great feedback: "I liked so many things! The enthusiasm and passion of my teachers not only made the lessons more exciting, but also inspired me to try new things, such as debating and philosophy, where I learned a lot about argumentation, about thinkers, about history and politics. I also really liked the structure of boarding life, such as the "Prep time" (study time from 6-8am), and I can now organise my own learning much better. I have really enjoyed living with lots of girls, including new best friends, and loved hearing new stories and perspectives from people all over the world: I now have best friends not only in Scotland, but also in Brazil, the Czech Republic, Armenia and Ukraine. The Boarding House has always felt like a safe place - a home away from home - as I have always been supported by my girls and my Houseparents - no matter if there were problems with my health, at school or at home in Germany. I have grown as a person from these experiences, becoming more independent and self-confident."