In this episode, Lauren Lucy Grafton, Senior Education Consultant in the UAE, joins Fiona Hughes D’Aeth, Head of Content Strategy, Independent Schools Show, to explore the journey from Dubai schooling to UK schools and how parents can successfully navigate the admissions process.

Together, Lauren and Fiona break down the UK school admissions timeline, including the key ages and year groups when families should start researching schools, making applications and preparing for entrance assessments. They discuss what parents moving from Dubai to the UK need to know about differences between the two education systems and how the admissions process can vary between schools.

The episode takes a detailed look at the ISEB Common Pre-Test - what it is, which schools use it, when children typically sit it and how parents can prepare their child effectively. Lauren and Fiona also explain the CAT4 (Cognitive Abilities Test), what it assesses, how it can be used by schools and how it differs from the ISEB Pre-Test.

From when to start the process and age-specific admissions timelines, to ISEB and CAT4 preparation, entrance assessments, school selection and the differences between Dubai and UK schooling, this episode provides practical guidance for parents planning their child’s transition from a Dubai school to a UK independent or selective school.

If you are a parent considering moving from Dubai to the UK, researching UK independent schools, or preparing your child for ISEB, CAT4 or school entrance tests, this episode is a useful guide to what to expect and how to plan ahead.

riverside_fiona_hughes daeth_raw-audio_simon's_studio_1153-esv2-75p-bg-m-music-m:

Hi Lauren, welcome to our podcast today.

2

It's lovely to have you here with us.

3

Um, And we're gonna have a chat

today about how to prepare your

4

child for schools in the uk.

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I dunno about you, but this is

a topic that certainly comes up

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a lot and particularly recently.

7

I, I really noticed that on average, I

think families are staying a lot longer

8

here in the UAE and I genuinely think that

the good schools here are a part of that.

9

But there are always gonna be some

families who want to explore education

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opportunities in other parts of the world.

11

And British schools in, in my,

you know, in my conversations

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pretty much always come up.

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And actually that's one of the

reasons we've got the school

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show coming here in November.

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Lots of fantastic schools coming where

they're gonna be in Abu Dhabi on the

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19th and Dubai on the 21st of November.

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We've got Eaton and Wiki, Abbey and Benin

and Charter House all going to be there.

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So this feels like a really good time

to be having this conversation with you,

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Lauren, to give parents an idea of what's

actually involved in preparing your child

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to apply for a UK school so that when they

come and meet the schools, they're gonna

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know like the right questions to ask.

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Now there are so many different things

out there to consider when you're

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looking at a British boarding school.

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What boarding all day.

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And I think the first thing I

really want to kind of dive into

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is understanding that journey.

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So in your experience for an

international family, considering

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a UK senior school, when do you

think that planning should begin?

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riverside_lauren-lucy_raw-audio_simon's_studio_1152-esv2-75p-bg-m-music-m:

Well, this actually I would say is one

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of the biggest misconceptions we have

because we have families often that are

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looking, I guess the more traditional

entry point into, particularly into UK

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boarding schools, for example, would've

been year nine or 13 plus level.

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And so I think a lot of parents think,

oh, we could probably start looking

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at this maybe in year seven or year

eight you know, a couple of years out.

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But actually one of the, the most

interesting things we found here

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is that often parents don't know

that these the actual application

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journey can start from year five.

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And that feels like an awfully long

way off because, you know, four years

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until you'd actually be doing the move.

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But many of the processes start then, and

often families find us around that age.

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Sometimes the children might be year

four or year five level, and they're

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suddenly like, well, we know we've got

loads of time, and that might be the

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case in some of the aspects of the move.

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But certainly in terms of the sort

of the application, the admission

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side of things and the actual exam

itself, those can happen as early

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as year six, even via nine places.

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So we would say in an ideal world, if

you are listening to this and you had

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no idea I'd start, if you, or even if

you're considering a year nine place,

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we would be saying that you be opening

these conversations probably from sort of

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midway through year four and starting to

really think about making sure, like you

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said you know, obviously when the schools

come out and exhibit in Dubai and Abu

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Dhabi, each individual school can tell

you their specific dates and timelines.

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But as a general rule a lot of the schools

will have sort of applications in it can

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be as early as June of year five, and the

entrance exams themselves, even for those

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year nine places alongside year seven

places for the schools that offer from

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year seven can be in November of year six.

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And so you basically need to have

your paperwork done and sort of be

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ready for your exam by that stage.

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And so, yes, it's very

interesting, isn't it?

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And I think you've found the

same with families that that does

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feel quite early in some regards.

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riverside_fiona_hughes daeth_raw-audio_simon's_studio_1153-esv2-75p-bg-m-music-m:

Yeah.

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And it breaks my heart when a family

comes to me and says so Fiona Eaton,

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that's where we want or Winchester

or wherever it is, or Benenden.

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And you go and you say, oh,

great, how old's your child?

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Well, 12 and a half, you

want to go this September?

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And you're like I'm really sorry.

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But that ship has actually already sailed.

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So I mean, there are schools that

absolutely take children in that kind

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of final year, but I think for the

kind of like the super competitive ones

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that a lot of our kind of families are

looking for, you're absolutely right.

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It's like three to four years, isn't it?

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Ahead of the move.

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And it's not just about because

there's quite a long journey, isn't it?

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Because you've gotta get your application

in, like I think the e the deadline for

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econ for example, is the end of year five.

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And then as you point out, you are

doing your assessments and things at

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the beginning of year six but you've

also got to like fit in open days

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and visits to the schools because you

obviously don't want to be applying

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to schools that aren't gonna be, you

know, the right fit for your child.

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So, and some of those, you know, open

days with super competitive schools

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on are on very limited dates, so you

kind of need to know about that and

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factor that into your planning as well.

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So yeah there's, I think there's a

lot to think about on this journey.

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It's not just a wake up one morning

and go like, yeah, let's do it.

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riverside_lauren-lucy_raw-audio_simon's_studio_1152-esv2-75p-bg-m-music-m:

Definitely, yeah.

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riverside_fiona_hughes daeth_raw-audio_simon's_studio_1153-esv2-75p-bg-m-music-m:

obviously the kind of that whole

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application is an admissions timeline.

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Lauren, what I mean, you just

mentioned the 13 plus Does 11 plus

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13 plus and 16 plus, you know,

those entry points and applications

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all differ slightly, don't they?

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What your kind of

specialism is 11 plus and

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riverside_lauren-lucy_raw-audio_simon's_studio_1152-esv2-75p-bg-m-music-m:

That's correct.

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Yeah, so most of our families are

looking for year seven or year nine

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entry that are moving internationally.

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And we do have you know, families that are

looking for day places and perhaps they're

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gonna move the whole family back or

they've already got family in the country.

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But often we are looking at boarding

places and I think that's why there's

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such a sort of long timeframe.

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And as you said, what you don't want

to be doing, you know, the applications

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for some of these schools can run up

to four, 500 pounds per application

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just to get your paperwork in.

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So you're not able, you know, in Dubai,

every application fee is the same.

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You're paying roughly

around a hundred pounds.

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It makes it a little bit easier to

sort of spread your bets a little bit

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and to sort of apply to a few hours

in the uk, first of all, you wanna

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feel really good about the school and

second of all, you're paying quite a

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lot of money just to even give them

sort of your documents and your paper.

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So, seeing them beforehand

is, you know, very advisable.

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Because just reading the names you

don't know the feel for it yourself.

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But certainly for 11 plus and 13

plus for those year seven and year

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nine entries, we find that the

registration for the majority of

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schools is quite a similar timeframe.

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So it is exactly what you were just

saying, that sort of June, end of

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year five, maybe start of year six

is when the paperwork is due, whether

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it's for the year seven or the year

nine place, and then the start of

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year six would be, would form the

first part of the assessment process.

118

What's interesting about that is that the

UK does always like a two part process.

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So, for the majority of schools starting

with the part one, and that's at the

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beginning, right at the beginning of year

six, almost in the first couple of months.

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And that would be the ISEB common pretest.

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So, that's a standardised exam.

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That's, you know, it's we can talk

a little bit about, a bit about

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more about that in a minute, but

that's sort of the first part.

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And then based on your results from

that, the school then may invite you

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to another part, which could be a bit

further into year six or potentially even

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the following year or a bit later on.

128

But certainly, yeah, well from what

we've seen the sort of year nine and

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11 year nine 13 plus and year seven

11 plus it's quite similar timelines

130

for the private independent schools.

131

And I think you deal more

with as well with the 16 plus.

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So I'm not sure if that's

slightly later than us.

133

riverside_fiona_hughes daeth_raw-audio_simon's_studio_1153-esv2-75p-bg-m-music-m:

It is a little bit.

134

Yeah, so I guess sort of in summary,

what we're saying is like 11 plus

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riverside_fiona_hughes daeth_raw-audio_simon's_studio_1156-esv2-75p-bg-m-music-m:

mostly day schools shorter lead

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in time, but pretty much the same

assessments, although some schools

137

will have their own entrance exams,

13 plus the more usual entry points.

138

And this is where certainly many of

the highly competitive schools have

139

this like three to four year run in

that you were just talking about.

140

And this exam, the ISEB in the autumn of

year six, which we're gonna do a really

141

kind of proper chat about in a second.

142

And then actually you're right, 16 plus

is something I deal with quite a lot.

143

And that's quite different.

144

Again, the leading time is much shorter.

145

You're only registering the summer

before you're about to move.

146

And the assessments are more

likely to be subject based.

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'cause obviously you're about

to go into A levels or ib.

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So yeah, that is a different one.

149

But so many different things.

150

And this is what kind of parents need

to understand that different ages

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require kind of different things.

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So let's do a chat about ISEB

because this is a kind of word

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that gets bandied around ier ISCB.

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People come and talk about it, but

nobody, there's a lot of kind of

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misconceptions around what it is.

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So can you just give us the kind of

foolproof guide, Laura, into what

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actually is the ISEB common pretest?

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riverside_lauren-lucy_raw-audio_simon's_studio_1155-esv2-75p-bg-m-music-m:

the ISEB is a basically a

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standardised admission test.

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The idea was that so that children who

are applying for a number of schools

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didn't have to go to every single school

and sit the assessment like you would've

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had to have done in the old days.

163

The IE basically was designed to to fill

that gap so that you know, in most cases,

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and there are exceptions to this because

some schools have now created their own

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slightly different adaptive versions

or do slight slightly differently.

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But as a general rule, for the majority of

leading schools still they are using the

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ISEB as the first sort of testing point.

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And what that means is that

you can sit the test once.

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So if you're an international student, you

might be able to do that in the British

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Consulate of your country, or you might

be able to do it within your school.

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So there are certain schools

here in Dubai that I know will

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actually administer the ISEB for

you as well under test conditions.

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Some of the primary schools here in Dubai.

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But that score can then be given

to all the different schools in

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the uk and those schools can then

individually say, okay, great.

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We like the look of that Mark.

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We're gonna invite you to come to the

school for an assessment day, or we're

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gonna invite you to come for a part

two and do a writing task with us.

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So that's a really a lovely thing.

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So you're not sitting hundreds

and hundreds of exams that you

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kind of just get that one score.

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And the ISEB itself has been

designed to test sort of,

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let's say curriculum knowledge.

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There's four elements to the ICB.

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So they're looking at your

mathematics and your English.

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So they will be particularly

linked to curriculum.

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So as we mentioned, the ICB is

usually in November of year six.

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So that I said will be covering

content from year five knowledge

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and also year six knowledge.

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So this is a little bit where maybe

tuition or prepping with a parent or

191

using some sort of online programme

because what you might find in that in

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that mass content is there's potentially

some of the new year six topics, for

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example, ratio or bid mass or volume.

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And not all of the international sort

of primary schools will have covered

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those in the September october before

you sit your exam in the November.

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So that's where something like tuition or

a bit of extra preparation in mathematics

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because you could be seeing things from

the whole of the key stage two curriculum.

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And the same with the English.

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The English is again, it's

a second element to it.

200

It's usually a comprehension and

sort of a grammar mix of grammar

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questions, spelling, punctuation,

grammar questions, those kind of things.

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Again, those concepts might not have

been quite taught in your UAE or

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your international primary school

before the date of the exam because

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it can be from the rest of the year.

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But those are all multiple choice.

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And then there are two extra elements.

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One is non-verbal reasoning, so that's

your classic, you know, it might be

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net spatial kind of questions and your

verbal reasoning, which is more sort

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of word logic problems that might be

your anagrams and things like that.

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So, those, those four elements basically

make up the test and the test is adaptive.

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So that's quite different to

perhaps some of the more old

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fashioned tests that we've seen.

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So not all children will receive

all questions at the same time.

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So for example, if I get a question

right, it might take me onto a

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slightly trickier level of question.

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If I get one wrong, it might take

me to a less weighted question.

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So taking your time and understanding

the nature of adaptive tests can be

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really important part of preparation

because if the question looks tricky,

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you don't want to power through it.

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For example, it might be that

you do need to take some time.

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So because it is just harder and you want

to release a, a sort of trickier question.

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So, that two hour, it's about

two hour, just over two hours

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with those four sections.

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And and yeah, that's used as the

main sort of baseline first point

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of of many UK independent processes

for both 11 plus and 13 plus.

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riverside_fiona_hughes daeth_raw-audio_simon's_studio_1156-esv2-75p-bg-m-music-m:

Okay, so, so that, that's

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quite a lot to take on board.

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So essentially we've got four elements,

English, maths, verbal, nonverbal.

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And a lot of people will be familiar

with that concept from here, from

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the kind of Cat four, won't they?

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Because we, they kind

of come across it there.

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But what's the real differences

you're saying is it's adaptive.

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So that's quite different,

isn't it, from the Cat four.

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riverside_lauren-lucy_raw-audio_simon's_studio_1155-esv2-75p-bg-m-music-m:

That's very different from a CAT four test

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because internationally, and particularly,

you know, as I'm based in the UAE,

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it's a very easy one to talk about.

237

But in Dubai and the UAE generally,

they really like the CAT four test.

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It's a brilliant, it's a

cognitive ability test.

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It's teaching you what

kind of learner you are.

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But the, the CAT four test is actually

specifically eight question types.

241

So it's in similar modules to the ISEB.

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You get some verbal ones, you get

spatial, nonverbal and quantitative.

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But they are a specific eight set

question types, which means preparation

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for them can be easier because we know

the types of questions that are coming.

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When you're talking about an ISEB

pretest, there are many different types of

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questions that could appear in the mass,

the English, the verbal and the nonverbal.

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So you are much more preparing

across the board and then turning

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up and hoping the things that

you're good at are there on the day.

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And the things that you find

trickier aren't, but you are,

250

you are it's a much more unknown.

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And in CAT four it's a

set number of questions.

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There's no negative marking.

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So if you get questions wrong,

you don't lose marks in CAT four.

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So actually, if you were running out of

time in a CAT four and you had a couple

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of minutes left and a couple of questions,

the advice there potentially would be to

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just try and power through them quickly

and get an answer in because it's better

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than leaving it blank and give it your

best guess or use prices of elimination.

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Whereas in an ISEB exam, you potentially,

if you've only got a couple of minutes

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left, and you know, there probably

should still be a couple of questions.

260

You might be more best placed, I guess,

I suppose, it might be advised to

261

perhaps, potentially stay on the question

you are on and get that one right

262

to give you a better weighted score.

263

So sort of differences in the

approach to testing as well.

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riverside_fiona_hughes daeth_raw-audio_simon's_studio_1156-esv2-75p-bg-m-music-m:

Okay.

265

That's, which is really important,

I think, to understand, isn't it?

266

And with the ICB, each section is

timed and are there like a certain

267

number of questions in each section.

268

riverside_lauren-lucy_raw-audio_simon's_studio_1155-esv2-75p-bg-m-music-m:

So that's always, that's kind of

269

changed as the years have gone on.

270

So currently in the 2026 ISEB, we

believe the math and English will be

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40 minutes of each section, nonverbal

to be 30 and verbal to be 25.

272

But within those sections you may

not answer all of the questions

273

depending on how many you get

through the adaptive nature of it.

274

Of course, there is a set number of

questions, but you might be better to

275

sort of go a bit slower and get them

right rather than sort of rushing through.

276

riverside_fiona_hughes daeth_raw-audio_simon's_studio_1156-esv2-75p-bg-m-music-m:

there's clearly a knowledge element

277

as well in the ISEB 'cause it's

aligned to the kind of the, the

278

national curriculum, which is in

and of itself a challenge, isn't it?

279

'cause as you say, different people teach

different things at different stages.

280

So the, whereas in a British prep school,

you're probably really focused on the kind

281

of material that might come up, whereas

here, that might not always be the case.

282

So you've kind of, you've got the

knowledge base, but you've also got

283

the, the tactics and the kind of

the, the kind of different approaches

284

that you need to be aware of too.

285

So I guess my next question

to you, Lauren, is how do you

286

best prepare for the ISEP?

287

riverside_lauren-lucy_raw-audio_simon's_studio_1155-esv2-75p-bg-m-music-m:

Well, it's a super, a again, it's

288

just a really good point you've

raised about perhaps the difference

289

between you know, I guess UAE all the

schools in the UAE for example are fee

290

paying, you pay fees to go to them.

291

So they are, you know, in essence

aligned with what we would call

292

private schools in the British system.

293

The, the difference is, the word that

you've mentioned there is prep, because

294

in the British system, if you are fee,

a fee paying school and it's called a

295

prep school, they are literally helping

to prepare you for these types of exams

296

as part of their jog in the UAE there

is not a huge amount of selective entry

297

schools, so therefore there is not

an onus on the primary schools in the

298

UE to have to prepare you, and they

are not prep schools in that sense.

299

So the biggest advice, you know, to give

to parents is there are certain things

300

that would not be covered at a typical

UAE primary school that you might get

301

covered if you were at a UK prep school.

302

And technically your children

are competing against children

303

who've been at a UK prep school.

304

So here is where parents have to kind

of put something in place themselves

305

and that can be helping the children.

306

There's loads of great, you know, books.

307

You can buy things on Amazon or you

get a tutor or you can use some amazing

308

online programmes because of course

the tests themselves are online.

309

So there are, you know, there

are adaptive mock test platforms.

310

The ISEB itself is powered by Century.

311

We often recommend Atom Learning.

312

There's also bond online.

313

There's some amazing programmes or you

get a tutor and again, as advised to

314

get an experienced admission tutor as

opposed to a curriculum tutor because

315

you want somebody who is going to

understand how to teach you verbal

316

reasoning and nonverbal reasoning, and

there isn't a teacher school for that.

317

That is a certain set skill that

you have to learn separately.

318

You don't become qualified

in that as a British teacher.

319

So that is learning and a

different style of training.

320

So for parents, I guess the best advice

in terms of preparation is first of all,

321

make sure you've understood what's going

to be on the exam, and then make sure that

322

if you are not doing the work yourself or

using books you know at home, then make

323

sure that you are working with someone

who is specialised in understanding this

324

kind of content because you otherwise

might find you know yourself in a bit of

325

a pickle that you haven't covered verbal

reasoning, for example, or you haven't

326

covered the right types of questions.

327

So, with maths and English, it

is just making sure you've pushed

328

up and above expected curriculum

content to make sure you've covered

329

all the topics that could come up.

330

And in the verbal and nonverbal

reasoning, the majority of the

331

preparation is, you know, the

more you see, the better you get.

332

They are logic based problems, you

know, words, numbers, shapes in essence.

333

But the more you do, the better

you get at spotting the patterns.

334

And so whether you are doing that

parent tutor or an online programme

335

that's gonna really help and make you

feel confident when you go to the exam.

336

riverside_fiona_hughes daeth_raw-audio_simon's_studio_1156-esv2-75p-bg-m-music-m:

So familiarity is a really key thing here.

337

So on that basis, you know, if you're

gonna take this test in the autumn of

338

year six, when, how far in advance Lauren,

do you think you should start prepping?

339

riverside_lauren-lucy_raw-audio_simon's_studio_1155-esv2-75p-bg-m-music-m:

Oh, this is a very interesting question

340

because I would say realistically

so that particularly thinking with

341

the, you know, child centric to this

question is how can I not make my

342

child feel stressed as, oh, you know,

as, as feel, as stressed, as little

343

as possible in the run up to the exam?

344

Realistically, what we're talking

about here, so if I use maths again

345

as the example, you are taking an exam

potentially in November of year six.

346

The British national curriculum is

designed to finish in the May of year six.

347

So realistically, although a lot of it

is repetitive, you are potentially aiming

348

to be six months ahead of the curriculum.

349

Therefore, we would say, you know, at the

end of year four, midway to end of year

350

four, you should start to be thinking

about this, maybe starting to be thinking

351

about looking at some verbal nonverbal

reasoning, making sure there's no gaps

352

in your maths, in your English, and then

the start of year five is an absolute

353

sort of, I would say from the start of

year five, you really should be wrapping

354

at least one or two hours a week, whether

that's independently or with a tutor,

355

because as I said, you are gonna you don't

want to feel like you are crushing topics

356

into the summer holiday before a November

exam because in something like maths,

357

you are building on previous skills.

358

Long division is a year six topic that

might appear in the exam, but you cannot

359

start doing that until you've done your

short division or your times tables

360

are super strong and your inverses.

361

So it's, or applying it to a word problem.

362

So we certainly say start of

year five as a, as, as really

363

should be the, you know, the most

comfortable time to start preparing.

364

riverside_fiona_hughes daeth_raw-audio_simon's_studio_1156-esv2-75p-bg-m-music-m:

So slow and steady kind of wins the race.

365

And I think what you were saying

about familiarity as well, if

366

you're doing it kind of one or two

hours a week, you are going to be

367

really familiar with that material.

368

And I think you made such a good point.

369

You're competing against all

these children in the UK who

370

do this as a matter of course.

371

So you have gotta put the

extra in here, I think.

372

Is that, so apart from test prep

which obviously you are an expert

373

in, what other things do you think

children should be doing to kind of

374

prepare for this maybe more widely?

375

riverside_lauren-lucy_raw-audio_simon's_studio_1155-esv2-75p-bg-m-music-m:

there's obviously things you can do within

376

your family because potentially if you

are considering boarding school as an

377

option, you want to make sure that you

are giving the children opportunities.

378

Have they done a residential?

379

Have they done a sleepover with friends?

380

Have they built that confidence to

be away from family and sort of move?

381

So there's all of those pastoral sort

of things that you can do, but also

382

in terms of CV building and this often

sounds funny when we're talking about

383

eight year olds and nine year olds

and having some sort of CV or profile.

384

But actually it's a lovely thing to

do because many of these you know,

385

the majority of these independent

schools do want you to come in.

386

They want to meet the children.

387

And so being able to talk confidently

about your hobbies or your

388

achievements and having interesting

and different things to be an

389

interested and interesting person.

390

And there are some amazing things,

you know, the clubs and and sort of

391

activities that you can do internationally

Here it is just, it's just brilliant.

392

There's, and entrepreneurship activities.

393

People are doing art clubs,

working with authors.

394

There's lots of opportunities for sports.

395

So it's finding what you are

passionate about and not doing it

396

for the sake of doing it, but trying

to enhance it so that you've got

397

something brilliant to talk about.

398

riverside_fiona_hughes daeth_raw-audio_simon's_studio_1156-esv2-75p-bg-m-music-m:

One of the things I kind of

399

really noticed too is the reading.

400

And I know that not everybody's

a keen reader these days.

401

In fact, actually we've just published

an article in Sato about the kind of

402

the the top 10 classics to read as

a family together, you know, between

403

the ages of sort of eight and 12.

404

Because reading together or just

reading on your own, I so much

405

That is about the vocab, isn't it?

406

I remember coming across a question,

which was talking about a babbling

407

brook and the lovely international

student I was working with had no idea

408

what babbling meant quite rightly.

409

Why would you, it's such a sort of

British word, but I do think that

410

reading is really key, is it to help

you develop those kind of verbal skills.

411

riverside_lauren-lucy_raw-audio_simon's_studio_1155-esv2-75p-bg-m-music-m:

I think so too.

412

And it's you know, we have children that

we meet that absolutely love reading

413

and brilliant and you know, they're

reading all the Percy Jackson or the

414

Harry Potters and they've started on

some classics and things like that.

415

I always have children who we meet

and we interview and get to know

416

and they say, oh no, not about that.

417

Or they're perhaps reading comic

style books or that kind of thing.

418

We find it so important because it is

helping you and your academics, of course,

419

your comprehension skills, reading and

understanding and interpreting text

420

that comes from obviously, you know,

initially reading and understanding

421

stories, but also for creative writing.

422

So many of the independent schools

will ask you to write a piece as

423

part of their part two examination.

424

So being able to you know, create your

own independent version of a story, but

425

packed with inspiration from settings

and vocabulary you've read yourself.

426

So we find that super important as the

children are getting to you know, this

427

is, I guess in my opinion, but as they're

coming through in sort of end of year

428

four, year five, six level, if they're

a good reader, but they are just not

429

that motivated to do it, there is an

argument for exactly still reading to

430

them as a family or even potentially

using audio books because that's still

431

gonna help with the language for writing.

432

So having a blend and not just

insisting, here's your 800 page book

433

and you must read that this summer.

434

Having the blended approach we like,

we also encourage, you know, I think

435

reading for all of us, even as adults,

is something that tends to potentially

436

drop off a cliff a bit as you get older

because you don't really have time to sit

437

for 45, but at sometimes and read a book.

438

So we actually encourage, especially

for reluctant readers that, you

439

know, even going to a coffee shop

on a Saturday morning where you can

440

grab an hour, mommy's taking their

book, you are taking your book,

441

and we're gonna go for 45 minutes.

442

We're gonna have a hot chocolate and

we're both gonna read our books and

443

that's a really nice way to make it sort

of fun and help hopefully with a stretch

444

text that might open their imagination

or their vocabulary In that sense.

445

That's just a nice idea that could,

that can sometimes help to inspire.

446

But certainly reading for us is heavily

encouraged and we will even you know,

447

take the children's interests and

books they've read previously to try

448

and curate reading lists that might

involve some classics, but or similar

449

themed stories to inspire them.

450

riverside_fiona_hughes daeth_raw-audio_simon's_studio_1156-esv2-75p-bg-m-music-m:

I love that idea of having a coffee

451

with your kid and reading a book.

452

I think that's genius.

453

And the hot chocolate, such a

great kind of yeah, attraction.

454

I definitely remember sitting on

a sofa with my reluctant reader

455

and taking it in turns to read

kind of, chapters of Harry Potter.

456

This is when it just first came out.

457

And that was great 'cause

it was so gripping.

458

But we had, you know, he would

only read if I read some as well.

459

So yeah, lots of kind of different

tactics to get them going.

460

One of the other big questions that,

that I get asked Lauren, I'm sure

461

it's the same for you, is if you are

preparing for the ISEB, does that

462

help you prepare for Dubai schools?

463

And I think this is always particularly

in relation to Dubai College, perhaps

464

what's your, is there an overlap in this?

465

riverside_lauren-lucy_raw-audio_simon's_studio_1155-esv2-75p-bg-m-music-m:

Yes.

466

So, Dubai College is it runs

an incredibly similar test

467

currently to the UK ISEB test.

468

So, the UK ISEB test is labelled as a

four-part adaptive two hour online test.

469

The Dubai College Assessment, which

they have a leeway to change each

470

year but currently for the last

three years has also been called

471

an adaptive online two hour test.

472

It has Dubai College has had for the past

three years a mixture of maths, English,

473

verbal and non-verbal reasoning questions.

474

On the Dubai College

website, they actually state

475

English, maths and nonverbal.

476

They don't mention verbal reasoning

by name, but we know that verbal

477

reasoning has been included.

478

I believe they put it under

their subheading of English.

479

So actually if you are preparing for

Dubai College, you are automatically

480

preparing currently for the

ISEB in the UK and vice versa.

481

So that's super handy for parents to

know because children are preparing

482

for the same exam and for Dubai College

the wider profile so Dubai College

483

will also ask parents to produce a

one page CV form about the pupil.

484

They call it an ECA form.

485

They actually ask parents to put the

children's achievements, hobbies, or

486

interests under their four pillars.

487

So, that is academic, sporting,

creative, and philanthropy.

488

So under those four, they're

sort of four pillars you list.

489

So under academic you might mention

if they've been in a spelling bee,

490

if a creative, if they've done some

sort of art class or art award.

491

Sporting obviously speaks for

itself, which teams they're on, sort

492

of inside and outside of school.

493

And philanthropy is a lovely one because

you're mentioning any charity work

494

you might have done as part of the

school, individually or as a family.

495

So their parents fill in this one page

cv, but that is also linked to you know,

496

what we were saying for the boarding

schools and the UK independent schools.

497

Children might talk about

those accolades on interview.

498

They might be sort of take up an extra

art class so they've got, you know, a

499

bit more to add to their profile for a UK

boarding school and then they're able to

500

write about it on their DC profile form.

501

So yeah, there's a lot of

overlap DC slightly differently.

502

See, k DC is a mainly year

seven entry point school.

503

I would say 90, 95% of the pupils that

they're taking, they take through from

504

year seven right through to the end.

505

And occasional places and

later year groups are very

506

difficult to get by college.

507

So that's the biggest difference

'cause a lot of the UK schools

508

are the year nine entry.

509

So we do also find that some families who

are looking for year nine entry in the UK

510

also apply for DC because they'd like to

have that for year seven and year eight.

511

Some of them then decide not to move.

512

For those that do, they've then had those

two years at at Dubai College, which

513

is obviously a very high performing,

academically selective school here.

514

riverside_fiona_hughes daeth_raw-audio_simon's_studio_1156-esv2-75p-bg-m-music-m:

So, so I think that's the

515

good news isn't for parents.

516

If they're preparing for one, they're

kind of preparing for the other as well.

517

So it's not two, two

completely different systems.

518

Lauren, I'm gonna put you on the

spot now as we kind of wrap up.

519

I want to know, what do you think are

the three most useful things a family can

520

do in the year before the assessments?

521

riverside_lauren-lucy_raw-audio_simon's_studio_1155-esv2-75p-bg-m-music-m:

So as an international family,

522

I'd say absolute number one is

you need to be doing verbal and

523

nonverbal reasoning preparation.

524

That is not something that is offered

generally as part of any curriculum

525

in the international schools

that we know and work with here.

526

So, that is a core element.

527

Number two is considering your wider

profile and interests in terms of

528

hobbies, achievements, things you can

do that might be tangible, that would

529

help make an application look stronger.

530

And the third, I think, is just making

sure you've had some sort of expert

531

advice, and that could be from family

members you have, that could be from

532

friends or if not outsourcing a service

to ensure that you are gonna hopefully

533

pick a great school for your child that

suits their hobbies and interests and

534

is gonna let them grow and flourish.

535

So I think, yeah, they're

probably my top three.

536

How about you?

537

riverside_fiona_hughes daeth_raw-audio_simon's_studio_1156-esv2-75p-bg-m-music-m:

I love that.

538

Yeah, no, I think that's great.

539

I think I would echo that.

540

I think my top three would be really

familiar with the assessments.

541

Start, well my top one would be

start early and kind of make sure

542

you understand about the schools

and what you're looking for.

543

And start engaging with

the schools early too.

544

You know, if your child is in year 2,

3, 4, don't be afraid of engaging with

545

the schools at that stage because, you

know, the more you, the more knowledge

546

you have, the more you can work out which

is the best fit school for your child.

547

And then you'll understand

more about the process.

548

So I guess that would be my first one.

549

Start early.

550

I think my second one

would be, yeah, prepare.

551

Just prepare really well and don't

think that your school here is gonna

552

do that for you, because I think

realistically that's not the case.

553

They're brilliant in all sorts of

areas, but if you are targeting

554

the UK then you probably are gonna

need some external assistance.

555

And I think, yeah, that third one again

for me would be that wider piece, it's

556

about giving your children opportunities

to try new things to get stuck in.

557

I think from all the kind of conversations

I have with heads in the uk, they're

558

looking for kids who are, you know, who

aren't necessarily kind of completely

559

Einstein geniuses or sporting heroes.

560

They want kids who are good, all

rounders who are going to come to

561

their school, contribute, join in,

try new things and be enthusiastic.

562

So as a family, if you can give

your children the opportunities

563

to do those things, and I think

you're positioning them really well.

564

riverside_lauren-lucy_raw-audio_simon's_studio_1155-esv2-75p-bg-m-music-m:

And I think that's actually such a

565

good point to actually make about the

uk the private school system is, I

566

would say that actually you do really

see them caring about the child.

567

It is not just a score and

an application to them.

568

And so I think further to what you're

saying, those conversations as a

569

family with the school yourself,

whether you are using a consultant to

570

hold your hand through the process,

because some of them have amazing

571

relationships with the schools and

they can kind of get, you know, foot

572

in the door to start the conversations.

573

But even if you are applying directly

yourself actually saying like, this

574

is our family, this is our child, this

is what we do, this is what we like,

575

these are our values can really be

listened to by the schools in the uk.

576

And they do note that down and they are

looking at the end of the day, like you

577

said, they're not looking always for the

children that are gonna get a hundred out

578

of a hunched on a test, they want children

who are gonna come and fit into their

579

community, who are gonna be, you know,

get stuck in and join their clubs and

580

societies or want to do student council.

581

And by having those conversations,

and I think the, the UK independent

582

schools are brilliant for sort

of welcoming those conversations

583

and finding out more about you.

584

And that's what the great part of so

many doing interviews or assessment

585

days as part of their part two allows.

586

And also what, you know, big

recommendation will be when those

587

schools do come and exhibit in

places like Dubai or Hong Kong or

588

wherever they come out and talk.

589

You know, go up and approach them

and chat to them and ask about their

590

processes or talk to them about your

family to start building the relationship.

591

And again, where you can go to the UK

and go and tour them because if they go

592

and see you, they meet your lovely child.

593

You know, they're just getting

a profile in the feel for you.

594

So, I think that's super good, you

know, good advice in terms of of trying

595

to, you know, make that, build a sort

of rapport with the school, let's say.

596

riverside_fiona_hughes daeth_raw-audio_simon's_studio_1156-esv2-75p-bg-m-music-m:

Yes.

597

No, definitely.

598

Gosh, Lauren, it's been just

fantastic having this chat with you.

599

I've learned so much about ICB and

the kind of differences, and I'm sure

600

parents will take away a huge amount.

601

So thank you very much indeed for

sharing your expertise with us today.

602

And I think we can both agree that

actually successful preparation isn't

603

just about teaching a child to pass a

particular test, but it's about developing

604

those solid academic foundations.

605

I think the reasoning skills, but

also that confidence that really

606

they need to succeed across a, a much

wider kind of admissions process.

607

So thank you for joining us and we'll

look forward to connecting again.

608

riverside_lauren-lucy_raw-audio_simon's_studio_1155-esv2-75p-bg-m-music-m:

Amazing.

609

Thank you so much for having

me, and I'll speak to you soon.