Review of studying at Glenalmond College, Yulia Fokina

We have long thought about British education for our son Arseny, because... English schools are famous for their high level of education and discipline. Children are brought up there in modesty, they are instilled with the right values, conscious thinking and motivation for development are formed.

In addition, probably like many families, we had difficulties studying at a Russian school. Our boy was NOT MOTIVATIVE; our system did not suit him at all, because... he loves to be different from others and go beyond standards and requirements, developing creative thinking. The teachers categorically did not like this and entailed a deterioration in academic performance.

As a result, he lost all interest in studying, although he is a very talented and capable child. Psychologists, tutors, educators - everything was useless. This is how the decision was born to organize an experiment and try British education. We didn’t know how this would turn out for us, but we decided anyway, because... We understood that if things didn’t work out, we could always return to Russia.

The son began his studies at Glenalmond College. It immediately became obvious that there was a huge difference between the systems - we very quickly noticed changes in our son. Probably, everything is “to blame” for the very approach of British schools, formed over centuries and allowing them to be ahead of the rest in secondary education: they know how to instill motivation and GENEROATE IN CHILDREN AN INTEREST AND AN INDEPENDENT DESIRE FOR DEVELOPMENT.

Arseny instantly matured, became proactive, and fell in love with subjects such as history, mathematics, technological design, and drama. The school welcomes out-of-the-box thinking and a creative approach, and this is the environment in which our son immediately blossomed. Of course, at first there were certain difficulties associated with adaptation, a different culture, meeting new people, and the language barrier. Nevertheless, Arseny accepted this challenge and quickly integrated into the system, becoming more sociable, open and tolerant of other people and cultures.

We really like a clear routine, discipline, plenty of sports - A CHILD IS BUSY ALL THE TIME. In Russia there was an eternal headache about what Arseny was doing, how to draw up his schedule, which clubs to send him to, who would take him there. In England, this problem is solved thanks to, perhaps, a perfect system, established over centuries. Arseny became stronger both morally and physically thanks to daily two-hour exercise in the fresh air. In Russia, organizing sports on such a scale was unrealistic for us.

Arseny has changed a lot, matured - he began to reason differently, think more broadly, went beyond his usual consciousness, and became more disciplined. From a gentle greenhouse child under the constant care of his parents, he turned into a mature, self-confident young man with his own interests, who knows what he wants and how to achieve it. We are very pleased with the transformation that took place with Arseny in England. And the most important thing is that he is happy at school - he has made many friends and enjoys his new, very active and fulfilling life.

We are very grateful to Paradise for selecting a school that fully meets our needs. I can say with confidence that all our expectations were met!

Glenalmond College