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09 October 2017
by Ferdinand Steinbeis
by Ferdinand Steinbeis
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English Boarding Schools and Brexit - an interview with Ardingly College
Greetings from chilly Oxford,
This blogpost continues our interview series with a interview between Ferdinand Steinbeis and Ben Figgis, Headmaster of Ardingly College, one of the top IB boarding schools in England.
We hope you enjoy!
Ferdinand Steinbeis: Hello Ben. Let’s start with a more general question – where are we with the Brexit at the moment? What do we actually know?
Ben Figgis: Unfortunately, we don’t know anything for certain yet. The negotiations between Brussels and the British government will take a very long time. At least, our government has declared the topic of the movement of people between Europe and the UK an absolute priority.
One thing that seems likely though is that pupils coming from EU countries will have to go though a visa process similar to that which non-EU pupils currently go through. Brussels has made it pretty clear that a hard Brexit will most likely mean that EU pupils will need a visa.
Current student visa requirements for non-EU pupils are quite stringent, and I have difficulty imagining that this will not also apply to pupils coming from the EU.
FS: What are the costs associated with this visa?
BF: The current visa application cost for our non-EU families is £500. Moreover, there will be the added administrative effort that comes with the application process, which will make the application to schools like Ardingly more complicated.
FS: Does this worry you?
BF: Of course I worry that this added red tape will put parents off from applying to our school. After all, we had 82 pupils from EU countries before Brexit happened. They are an essential part to the fabric of our school!
At the same time, I am very confident that pupils will come to Britain for their secondary education. After all, nothing will change from a cultural, pastoral and educational perspective here! We guarantee that our pupils will still receive the excellent all-round education and care that Ardingly College is known for.
Also, as a signal of love to Europe, I am considering for Ardingly to foot the bill for the visa cost for parents. I’d very much hope that this would encourage families, as well as send a sign of goodwill. This will need to be discussed with the school’s governors of course, so this isn’t official yet!
FS: What advice would you give worried parents thinking about applying for boarding school in the UK?
BF: I would ask your parents to please remember that 48% of British voters voted to remain in the EU. I guarantee you that the vast number of staff and parents at Ardingly would have been part of this group. Consequently, the environment your children will be studying in is full of people who wanted to be part of Europe – and still want to maintain strong cultural links with pupils from the EU!
Especially this latter point cannot be emphasised enough: at Ardingly we are open-minded, progressive and constantly engage with cultures and schools outside our gates. This will not change!
Also, I would ask parents to see one important upside out of all this. The exchange rate with the British Pound is currently strongly in favour of the Euro. This will make British boarding schools more affordable for the foreseeable future.
FS: Any final thoughts on the matter?
BF: I’d like to emphasise once more that other than a likely change in the application process, British boarding schools will remain the open, inclusive, caring places that they have come to be known for the world over.
And lastly – if families from the EU are currently nervous…they won’t be half as nervous as we are! Culturally we will be fine; economically we will very likely pay the price for what is happening right now.
FS: Ben, thank you very much for this insightful interview!
Interested in more on this topic? Here are more interviews:
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von Bülow Education
Holbrooke House
34 - 38 Hill Rise
Richmond
TW10 6UA
Tel: +44 (0) 203 9534063
Email: info@buloweducation.com
Holbrooke House
34 - 38 Hill Rise
Richmond
TW10 6UA
Tel: +44 (0) 203 9534063
Email: info@buloweducation.com