FAQ
General Questions
- Is the British School of Chicago appropriate for American students or just for children from Great Britain and other countries?
- How diverse is the student body?
- Do you accept children who do not speak English or do not speak English fluently?
- Do you teach "British English" or "American English"?
- Are there before and after-school programs available?
- Is there a dress code or uniform requirement?
Enrolment
- What is the application deadline?
- How do you handle admissions of students from varying educational backgrounds?
Transferring to and from the British School
- If a child is transferring to the British School from an American school or pre-school will he/she be behind others in his/her grade?
- If a child has to transfer to a traditional American School, will he/she be on par educationally with other students in his/her grade?
- How are students prepared for University?
Expectations for Parents
- What level of involvement is expected from British School parents?
- Does the school require or expect parents to assist in fundraising?
- Is there a parent council or advisory group at the British School of Chicago?
Curriculum
- How does the British School differ from other American schools?
- What is the British School's curriculum?
School Structure
- What does for-profit mean, and how does this affect me?
- Is there a Board of Trustees?
- Who runs the school?
General Questions
Is the British School of Chicago appropriate for American students or just for children from Great Britain and other countries?
The British School of Chicago is open to children of all nationalities and has a wide mix of American and British children as well as children from over 20 countries. Many American families are drawn to the British School of Chicago because of the differentiated curriculum and the exposure to many different cultures in the classroom. No matter what their background is, each child is supported to reach his or her maximum potential regardless of whether his or her previous experience of school has been in a British-style educational environment.
How diverse is the student body?
The British School of Chicago has students from all over the world. Approximately 80% of the students are American, 10% British, and the rest of the students come from a wide variety of countries, including Russia, The Netherlands, Italy, Australia and South Africa.
Do you accept children who do not speak English or do not speak English fluently?
Yes, as long as children are able to make themselves understood. During the evaluation process, the British School of Chicago assesses each prospective student's ability to access the curriculum, including language ability. In general, we only accept children with limited English abilities at the very youngest years, but many students in school are those whose native language is not English.
Do you teach "British English" or "American English"?
Both. Many of the teaching materials are British but American resources are used across the schools so that students are introduced to the differences in both language and spelling. At the youngest ages, this is part of their introduction to the international world. Our students are taught to be consistent in their spelling.
Are there before and after-school programs available?
There are extra curricular activities offered to children from Reception and above on three days each week. Children can stay for an extra hour after school and join in activities which vary by school term. In addition, we do have before and after school care: before school care runs from 7-8:30 am (Teachers are in the class from 8am each morning, although school does not start until 8:30 am); after school care from 3:15-6:00 pm daily.
Is there a dress code or uniform requirement?
Yes, the British School of Chicago has a school uniform for all students. School uniforms eliminate distractions from the classroom so the focus can be on learning.
Admissions
What is the application deadline?
Because of such an international student body and students that relocate throughout the year, the British School of Chicago accepts applications throughout the academic year as long as space is available. The majority of students start at the beginning of the academic year, but we are able to admit children as and when a space is available throughout the year.
For more information about the upcoming dates and deadlines, visit the Admissions section.
How do you handle admissions of students from varying educational backgrounds?
All children are assessed prior to entry. If it is found that a child has gaps in his or her learning, the student's program is tailored to give extra support. Occasionally a student will be required to obtain additional external support if there are gaps that the school cannot accommodate. Because all lessons are differentiated by ability, the British School of Chicago is able to easily accommodate varieties in ability and knowledge. The school's curriculum encourages exploration of student background as a starting point for many lessons so diversity is definitely an advantage.
Transferring to and from the British School
If a child is transferring to the British School from an American school or pre-school will he/she be behind others in his/her grade?
All children are assessed prior to entry. If it is found that a child has gaps in his or her learning, there is a program in place to give extra support.
If a child has to transfer to a traditional American School, will he/she be on par educationally with other students in his/her grade?
In most cases, children transferring from the British School of Chicago will be one to two years ahead of their peers in the American system.
How are students prepared for University?
Students in Years 12 and 13 (US 11th and 12th Grade) will follow the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP), recognized by the world's leading colleges and universities as a premier qualification. This program prepares students for university by encouraging them to ask challenging questions, learn how to learn, develop a strong sense of their own identity and culture, and to develop the ability to communicate with and understand people from other countries and cultures. We work closely with our students to develop competitive, strong college and university applications. British School of Chicago celebrated its first graduating class in 2011.
Our sister schools around the country have been placed colleges and universities including Harvard, Oxford, MIT, Princeton, University of Texas, Oberlin College, Savannah College of Art and Design, Cardiff University (Wales), University of Edinburgh (Scotland), University of Bath (UK), McGill University (Quebec) and Universidad de los Andes (Colombia). See a full list of college and university acceptances
Expectations for Parents
What level of involvement is expected from British School parents?
The British School of Chicago prides itself on creating a close liaison between home and school. There are open lines of communication between the school office, teachers and parents. Parents and guardians are given access to a secure parents' section of the school website which provides access to school news, forms, class contacts and student report cards. Parents are asked to continue to stay updated through the website as well as through email communications from the school's staff. There are also opportunities throughout the year for Parent/Teacher Conferences.
Does the school require or expect parents to assist in fundraising?
The British School of Chicago does not do any active fundraising. All income for the school comes from tuition dollars.
Is there a parent council or advisory group at the British School of Chicago?
There are two active parent groups at the school. The Parent Representative Group, made up of one or two parent volunteers from each class, support the non-academic activities of the classroom, helping to organize class parties, recruit volunteers for field trips, etc. There is also a School Consultative Group (SCG), a group elected by the parent body consisting of parents and community members and staff. The SCG works to support the school in developing effective partnerships with parents, teachers, staff, and the local and international community.
Curriculum
How does the British School differ from other American schools?
We offer academically challenging, differentiated, international education to children. The program is academic from the beginning, so children are introduced to reading, writing and mathematic concepts at an earlier age than in most American schools. Many of the school's youngest students tend to be academically more advanced than their peers at American schools.
Unlike many American schools which stream children based on ability level, students at the British School of Chicago receive differentiated instruction in all of their lessons. All teachers are trained to respond to a variety of learning styles and are experienced in dealing with varying levels of aptitude. In this way, teaching and learning within the classroom is differentiated so that every level of ability can receive the support, encouragement and extension work necessary for optimum progress.
Internationalism means not just providing international content in the curriculum, but also benchmarking teaching, learning and assessment to international standards and exploring diversity within the school community thereby preparing students to be contributing global citizens.
Our teachers are well-rounded, independent professionals with a dedication to learning. All teachers have a current UK teaching degree (and 'qualified teacher' status in the UK), a minimum of two years teaching experience and an ongoing commitment to training demonstrated by their own self-directed learning program. We have been able to recruit teachers of the highest caliber who form a team of dedicated educators at each school. The appeal of teaching in the US allows the school to recruit from an extensive pool of qualified professionals who are specifically looking to teach abroad. This has enabled us to be highly selective and offer teaching positions to only the most experienced, highly qualified and committed teachers.
What is the British School's curriculum?
The British School of Chicago offer a high-quality British-style of education that prepares students to meet the growing challenges of a rapidly changing world. Students benefit from an academic program based on a unique combination of the International Primary Curriculum, the National Curriculum for England and Wales, and the highly respected International Baccalaureate Diploma Program. The combination of these distinctive curricula provides a comprehensive, international course of study that equips every student with the essential skills for lifelong learning. The school encourages independence and self-discipline in an atmosphere of mutual respect and appreciation of diverse opinions and cultures. The curriculum determines the precise content that will be taught and provides attainment targets for student learning, including how that performance will be assessed and reported.
Learn more about our curriculum
School Structure
What does for-profit mean, and how does this affect me?
The basic difference between a for-profit and non-profit school is how the end-of-year "profit" is invested. Responsible for-profit schools such as the British School of Chicago choose to re-invest a sizeable portion of the profit back into the school, so that it can grow and thrive. This re-investment comes in the form of increased staff support, added special programs for children, capital improvement, and countless other improvements the school makes each year.
Is there a Board of Trustees?
While there is not a board at the school level, there is an over-arching Board of Directors that advises all the World Class Learning Schools, as well as the schools' parent organization,World Class Learning Group. This board functions much the same way a board at the school level functions: its job is to ensure the enduring viability and health of the group of schools, as well as to chart a path for the future for all our schools.
Who runs the school?
The Head of School runs the everyday operations of the school, collaborating with the Senior Leadership Team. The Head works with members of the World Class Learning Group to set the school's long-term goals and receives support from the WCL Group team in the form of professional development, HR, marketing, and other operational activities.