UK international school promotes expanded boarding at StudyWorld
One of the UK’s best-known international schools has become StudyWorld’s bronze sponsor for its 50th anniversary year.
Simon Fitch, director of Student Recruitment and Admissions of TASIS The American School in England, said: “The school has valued working in partnership with English UK and StudyWorld for many years and this year’s event feels like a real milestone in bringing together high quality agents and educational establishments.
“We enjoy coming to StudyWorld every year, making new connections and maintaining our existing ones, so it felt like a really good match.
“The opportunity to be associated with a premium brand in international education is very attractive. We continue to want to increase and maximise awareness of our brand and we think our existing and new partners want to see us associated with a brand like StudyWorld.”
Why does TASIS like StudyWorld?
“We make new partnerships and meet lots of interesting people,” says Simon. “We always have a full slate of appointments which are usually very fruitful, and we enjoy the more informal parts and the opportunities to catch up with people and keep our existing relationships going. So there’s a bit of business development and also keeping in with our partners.
“Every year we find it a very positive event and we do think we get good value for money from it.
“We are an international school in the UK which offers the US curriculum and the IB diploma, and that makes us very distinctive. That means it’s good to talk our offer through with partners, explaining what we do.”
What’s new at TASIS?
From September 2019 the school is admitting boarders from the age of 13 (Year 9) rather than 14 (Year 10). TASIS, situated in Surrey, close to London and 6 miles from Heathrow, is also expanding boarder numbers in all year groups.
Of the school’s 620 3 -18-year-old students, 185 are currently boarders. “Our engagement with English UK has been at the centre of our growth in boarding provision,” says Simon.
What does TASIS offer?
TASIS offers a US curriculum, with the IB Diploma in the final two years, easing access to and from other schools around the world for globally-mobile students and families. Developing service leadership is also an integral part of the experience.
Simon said: “Our students are used to transition – they have a resilience over and above what you often see elsewhere. Our day and boarding communities are very integrated, representing over 50 nationalities, with day students often from similar backgrounds to the boarders.”
This year, half of the graduating class are moving on to high quality universities in the US, 30% in the UK and 20% in the rest of the world. “Before I joined TASIS England, I worked in the university and pathway sectors, and regularly visited the school to recruit students, and I was very taken with how it combines the best of US and international education experiences,” says Simon. “Having day-to-day contact with our students has proved my previous impressions to be correct. They are truly internationally-minded, and outstanding in and out of the classroom.”
