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FAQs

1. My client would like to apply for a place at The Mount, Mill Hill International. Could you describe the application process?

We hope that the process of applying to The Mount, Mill Hill International will be quick and efficient. In the first instance, we would ask you to submit the pupil’s school reports and a passport copy. We will assess the reports and decide whether to invite the pupil to apply. Once selection has been confirmed, the next stage is submission of a registration form, pupil information form and administration fee of GBP200. This will allow us to arrange for the pupil to take our entrance tests. If they are successful in the entrance tests, they will then be asked to attend an interview, either via Skype or face to face. The result of the application is usually given within one or two days of the interview.

2. How many courses do you offer at your school?

We offer four courses at The Mount, Mill Hill International, from UK Years 9-11 and ages 13-17. The Year 9 course can act as a preparation for entry the following year to a mainstream school, including Mill Hill, in Year 10 (Two-Year GCSE course). Similarly, the One-Year GCSE course andthe Fast Track course are a preparation for A Levels at a UK school. More details and information about our courses can be found in The Mount, Mill Hill International prospectus.

3. What academic subjects can my client study?

Depending on the course selected, we offer a variety of academic subjects taught in English and in accordance with the UK educational curriculum. The specific subjects we offer include the following:

  • Year 9 course – English, Mathematics, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, History, Design & Technology, Geography, Information Technology, Art, Music, Drama, PE (Physical Education) PSHE (Personal, Social & Health Education);
  • Year 10 (Two-Year GCSE course) – English (ESL) or English (First Language) and English Literature; Mathematics and Additional Mathematics; Biology, Chemistry and Physics (dual or triple award); and a choice of three further subjects from Geography, Business Studies or Psychology and Art or Design Technology. Music may also be studied at GCSE.
  • One-Year GCSE course – English, Mathematics and PSHE; with a choice of three further subjects including Chemistry, Biology, Physics, Geography, Computer Science, Psychology, Business Studies, Economics, Art, Music, Design & Technology;
  • Fast Track Course – 33 lessons per week (English – 18; Maths – 5; Music and Art – 2 each; PSHE, IT and PE – 1 each and Games – 3). Throughout the course students are given weekly assessments to track their progress and will take the IELTS test as their final examination.

4. How much will it cost?

The fees for The Mount, Mill Hill International in the academic year 2017/18 are £13,183 per term for full boarders, £11,206 for weekly boarders and £7,933 for day pupils.

  • The boarding and day fee includes tuition, most activities at school, a morning snack, a three-course lunch, games, textbook loan, pupils’ personal accident insurance, healthcare, Wi-Fi and internet access.
  • The boarding fee includes all of the above plus breakfast, a three-course supper, bed linen and laundry.
  • Please also see our Scope of Fees document for additional compulsory charges and optional extras.

5. Will the family need to pay a refundable deposit?

  • The Acceptance Deposit of £2,000 is payable on return of the completed Acceptance Form. This deposit will be repaid as a credit without interest after the final payment of the fees, or other sums due to the School on leaving. This deposit is non-returnable.
  • The Additional Deposit for overseas boarders of £13,513 GBP for full boarding or £11,487 GBP for weekly boarding (a term’s fees) is payable on return of the completed Acceptance Form by parents of a pupil whose normal residence is outside the UK. This will be retained in the general funds of the School until the pupil leaves and will be repaid by means of a credit without interest to the final payment of Fees or other sums due to the School on leaving.
  • If the pupil transfers to Mill Hill School from The Mount, Mill Hill International, the difference between the Additional Deposit for The Mount, Mill Hill International and for Mill Hill School will be refunded.

6. How will I know if my client is a suitable candidate for entry to The Mount, Mill Hill International? Are there specific entry requirements?

When contacting The Mount, Mill Hill International with an application enquiry, a set of recent reports for the pupil should be submitted. Upon this evidence, the Registrar will decide whether or not to invite an application. In addition, a minimum level of English as follows is recommended as a guideline for each of our courses:

  • Year 9 course – IELTS 4.0 standard;
  • Year 10 (Two-Year GCSE course) – IELTS 4.5 standard;
  • One-Year GCSE course – IELTS 5.0 standard;
  • Fast Track Course – IELTS 3.0-4.0 standard.

It should also be noted that as the year progresses with more limited availability of places and competition for those remaining, a higher standard may be required of successful candidates.

7. What do the entrance tests consist of? How can I prepare my pupil?

We will test the pupil in English language, in their mother tongue (to assess literacy) and in Mathematics. The English tests consist of the following:

  • Written test – three essay questions, including two to be answered in English and one in the pupil’s mother tongue. An 80-minute paper. Answers should be scanned and emailed to the Registrar if this test is being taken remotely.
  • Online English placement test at Oxford English Testing (www.oxfordenglishtesting.com). This test also lasts 80 minutes (maximum). It is in multiple-choice format and requires headphones for a listening section. The test result will be sent to the Registrar automatically once the test has been completed.

Pupils who have passed the entrance tests will be invited to interview and the result of the application will then be given within one or two days.

No specific preparation is required for our entrance assessments.

8. My client lives abroad and is unable to visit the school to take the tests or have an interview. Can I still submit an application on their behalf?

The entrance tests can be conducted remotely at a suitable venue such as the pupil’s current school or a British Council office, by liaison with the relevant member of staff.

The interview can be conducted via Skype. It will be possible for the pupil to have an interview in their own home but the chosen room should be a place where the family might entertain visitors, such as a living-room, so that the interview does not become intrusive of the pupil’s privacy.

9. I am worried that there will be too many pupils of one nationality or language at The Mount, Mill Hill International. This would not provide a truly international experience for the pupils.

At The Mount, Mill Hill International we undertake to foster a truly international community. Our aim is to make sure the School has a balance of different nationalities and languages. Whilst our aim is to create a ‘home-from-home’ pastoral environment for our pupils, we will at the same time make sure it is not so much like home that they are speaking their own language to each other. We will encourage spoken English where possible, including allocating room-mates to our pupils who do not speak the same language.

10. I would prefer my client to be fully integrated in a UK boarding school, surrounded by native speakers of English. Would The Mount, Mill Hill International therefore be the right choice?

The Mount, Mill Hill International pupil board in the same boarding houses as Mill Hill School pupils. In addition, the School offers a wide variety of activities and experiences which pupils will enjoy in conjunction the British pupils at Mill Hill. Examples are sports, arts activities such as music and drama, debating clubs and societies, educational excursions, whole school Chapel services and the programme of weekend activities. Our small class sizes and EAL provision are what make The Mount, Mill Hill International unique as a preparation for onward progression within the UK education system.

11. Will the pupils be able to make use of the impressive facilities of Mill Hill School? I would like him/her to have the full UK boarding school experience.

Mill Hill School is set within 120 acres of parkland and boasts state-of-the-art modern facilities such as the Favell Building (2007), the Edward Marnham block (restored 2004), the Patrick Troughton Theatre and the Dame Angela Rumbold Swimming Pool. Our international pupils will have many opportunities to make use of what Mill Hill School has to offer, including the Mill Hill School sports facilities.

12. My client needs a visa in order to be able to come and study in the UK. Can you help me with this?

Once a pupil has been accepted a Full Boarding place onto a course of study at The Mount, Mill Hill International, we will issue a CAS (Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies) in conjunction with the UKVI (UK Visas and Immigration) office. The CAS will state that we have held entrance tests and an interview, as well as viewing the pupil’s current school reports, in order to verify that he or she is eligible to study with us and has satisfied our entrance requirements. Further information about the process of applying for a visa can be obtained from the UKVI website.

13. How can a pupil at The Mount, Mill Hill International apply to Mill Hill School?

The Mount, Mill Hill International pupils who wish to apply for a Year 10 or Sixth Form place at Mill Hill School will be given guidance from their Tutor and Housemaster in order to help them best prepare. Candidates applying for Mil Hill Sixth Form places will be expected to have predicted GCSE grades of at least two As and three Bs, including English and Mathematics, although many candidates will have higher predicted grades than these. Pupils who wish to apply to Sixth Form at Mill Hill School normally receive results of their applications by the end of the Autumn Term. Offers will be conditional upon candidates obtaining at least two As and three Bs at GCSE, including English and Mathematics.
Pupils who wish to apply to Year 10 at Mill Hill School normally receive results of their applications by the end of the December.
All candidates, whether applying for Year 10 or Year 12 at Mill Hill School, will also need to sit the School’s placement tests.

14. What is an exeat weekend?

Exeats are weekend leaves from the School. During these weekends boarders must stay with their parents or guardians. There is one exeat weekend in the School Year in the Autumn Term (November).
There is also a Bank Holiday weekend in May when the School is closed from Friday 17:00 until Monday evening.