Aberdeen School Guide for Schlumberger
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Contents Schlumberger Schooling Policy Overview ............................................................................................................2 Scottish Education – Quick Guide.........................................................................................................................2 Schooling Age ...................................................................................................................................................2 Curriculum for Excellence.................................................................................................................................3 Qualifications in Scotland .................................................................................................................................3 Primary Education ............................................................................................................................................3 Secondary Education ........................................................................................................................................3 Private schools......................................................................................................................................................4 Admissions Process – Key points......................................................................................................................4 Choosing a school.............................................................................................................................................4 Private Schools List – Aberdeen .......................................................................................................................4 International Baccalaureate (IB) Programs ..........................................................................................................4 State schools.........................................................................................................................................................5 Admission Process – Key points .......................................................................................................................5 Choosing a School.........................................................................................................................................5 Education Scotland...........................................................................................................................................5 State Schools list – Aberdeen ...........................................................................................................................6 Primary Schools ................................................................................................................................................6 Secondary Schools............................................................................................................................................6
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Schooling in Aberdeen Schlumberger Schooling Policy Overview
This document provides an overview of schooling in Scotland for both private and public (state) schools, however this information is provided as guidance, and is not reflective of the Schlumberger UK Schooling Guidelines.
Please refer to Schlumberger UK Schooling Guidelines for full details on the policy and reimbursable items.
Schlumberger provides schooling assistance for Europe and International Mobile employees assigned to the UK. Home Country employees are not entitled to schooling assistance while assigned to the UK, due to the high quality of public (state) schools. The reimbursement of school fees commences from the school term (semester) of the child’s fourth birthday and continues to the end of the school year in which the child reaches 19, if the child is undertaking High School or equivalent. Schlumberger do not provide reimbursement for tertiary education. It is important to note that the payment of school related costs is considered as a taxable benefit, and although school fees are paid by Schlumberger, this benefit is then applied to your payroll for tax payment. Further details can be found within the Schlumberger schooling guidelines. If more in depth educational assistance is required, due to learning difficulties or critical curriculum dates at the time of transfer, SIRVA will liaise with Schlumberger who may wish to authorize additional assistance with HR approval. Please review the Schlumberger School Guide policy for further details. Scottish Education – Quick Guide The information contained in this guide provides a foundational overview of the schooling system in Scotland as well as a list of both Independent and State schools in Aberdeen. More comprehensive information on the schooling system in Scotland, can be found in the Schooling Guide sent to you by your Destination Services Consultant. Schooling Age Children in Scotland will complete 7 years of Primary education between ages 4-11 and then six years of Secondary Education from ages 11 up to 16. There are 5 defined levels within the Scottish educational system. Each level is reached based on the teacher’s assessment of a student’s abilities and progression, however generally the year guidelines are as follows; • Early Pre-school and P1 • First P2-P4 • Second P5-P7 • Third and Fourth S1-S3 • Senior Phase S4-S6
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Curriculum for Excellence The Curriculum for Excellence, which all state schools follow, is the national curriculum for all Scottish learners. The Curriculum for Excellence is broken up into two stages; The Broad General Education (BGE) for pupils up to the age of 14 and The Senior Phase for pupils up to the age of 16-18.
For The BGE, the curriculum is typically divided across eight different areas: • Expressive arts • Health and wellbeing • Languages – including English and modern languages • Mathematics • Religious and moral education • Sciences
• Social studies • Technologies Qualifications in Scotland
There are three levels of formal qualifications in Scotland; • Nationals • Higher • Advanced Higher
Most pupils will be around 15 when they take their National exams, which the equivalent to GSCE’s in the rest of the UK. Pupils can then opt to stay in school for two more years to take their Higher exams which will be required to gain entry to University. This is the UK equivalent of A-Levels. Primary Education Primary schools are for children aged 4 to 11 years. The Curriculum for Excellence grades may also be referred to as P1 – P7. Children are assessed in Primary School by sitting the Scottish National Standardized Assessments (SNSA’a) at grades P1, P4 & P7 in literacy and numeracy. While these are not formal qualifications, they are used as an indication of progress and can help determine a pupil’s progression onto the next grade. Secondary Education Between the ages of 11 and 16, children attend Secondary school. All state schools will follow the Curriculum of Excellence from level S1 to S5, at which point pupils will then take their National exams. These National exams are the principal means of assessment for 16-year old’s and are the main examinations for students before deciding their next steps onto higher education, much like a high school diploma it marks the end of compulsory education in Scotland.
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Many pupils remain at school after the minimum leaving age of 16, opting to study levels S6 and take their Higher exams. The Higher exams determine eligibility to enter University for those that wish to take that route.
Private schools
Private schools (also known as independent schools) are fee paying school that are not dependent on the government. Fees vary from school to school. Admissions Process – Key points
The admissions process is simpler than for state schools and below are the key points to consider;
+ You can apply for a school at any time, even before you arrive if you’d like to + At the time you apply for the school you will have to pay an application fee per children (around £150- £300 each) + Many schools require children to sit an entrance test of have a taster day before finalizing the place. Choosing a school It is important to get as much information as possible about the schools you are interested in by referring to the school’s website and/or a prospectus. Private schools are always keen to invite you to see the school and will take time to answer your questions carefully. The Scottish Council of Independent Schools can help provide guidance and information on private or independent schools in Scotland. http://www.scis.org.uk
Private Schools List – Aberdeen
Name of School
Boys or Girls
Age Range
Website
The Albyn School
Co-educational
2 - 18
https://www.albynschool.co.uk/
International School of Aberdeen
Co-educational
3 - 18
https://www.isa.aberdeen.sch.uk/
Robert Gordon’s College Co-educational
3 - 18
https://www.rgc.aberdeen.sch.uk/
St Margaret’s School for Girls
Girls
3 - 18
https://www.st- margaret.aberdeen.sch.uk/
International Baccalaureate (IB) Programs
There are currently four IB World Schools in Scotland offering the IB Diploma Program. These are:
• The International School of Aberdeen in Aberdeen • St Leonard’s School in St Andrews
• Fettes College in Edinburgh • George Watson in Edinburgh
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State schools State schools are government run schools which are free of charge. The local authority, in the area you move to will guarantee your child a place in a school but they will not guarantee a place in your preferred school(s), it will depend on if there is a space available for your child at the time of submission/entry. Admission Process – Key points The admissions process varies between each local authority but the general points to keep in mind are as follows; + You must have a permanent address in Scotland before you can apply for a school place (temporary accommodation address is not acceptable) – a signed lease/rental contract and one proof of address document (utility bill or council tax bill) are usually required + Your children must be in Scotland before you can apply and some local authorities will ask you to go to their offices so that they can see the children + Applications can be made in person at the local authority office or online + You can apply for up to 6 schools (depending on the local authority) + Distance from home to school is used by many schools to decide which children qualify for a place, this is known as a ‘catchment area’ + If you apply for a faith school which gives priority based on attendance at a place of religion or worship, you should read the admission criteria carefully to decide if you are likely to be offered a place + There are usually no entry requirements for children, though some specialist schools will require them, and most schools like to see a copy of the child’s last school report. Please note that availability within a school can change weekly and therefore local authorities are often reluctant to even confirm what schools may have places when you are looking for your permanent home. Choosing a School It is important to collect as much information as possible about the schools you want to apply for and their admission procedures. + Look at school websites or contact schools to ask for a copy of their prospectus, although not all schools will have one + Visiting schools on special open days or making an appointment + Looking at Education Scotland inspection reports (see the section on Education Scotland following this) + Looking at school performance tables Education Scotland Education Scotland is a Scottish Government executive agency responsible for supporting quality and improvement in Scottish Education. They report directly to the government and are independent and impartial. They inspect and regulate services which care for children and young people providing support and guidance to each school based on its needs You can do this by:
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Each school has an Education Scotland report and will be graded as one of the following;
1. Excellent 2. Very Good 3. Good 4. Satisfactory 5. Weak 6. Unsatisfactory
You can check a school report through the following website; https://education.gov.scot/education-scotland/
State Schools list – Aberdeen Primary and Secondary schools – alphabetical order.
For a list of schools in the area you plan to live in, please refer to the below websites for each Administrative Area in Aberdeen. This will provide you with a list of either primary or secondary schools, listed alphabetically.
Primary Schools
Administrative area Aberdeen City
Local Authority
Website
https://www.aberdeencity.gov.uk/services/education-and- childcare/find-school https://online.aberdeenshire.gov.uk/Apps/Schools- Contacts/allschools.asp?schooltype=pri https://online.aberdeenshire.gov.uk/Apps/Schools- Contacts/allschools.asp?schooltype=pri https://online.aberdeenshire.gov.uk/Apps/Schools- Contacts/allschools.asp?schooltype=pri https://online.aberdeenshire.gov.uk/Apps/Schools- Contacts/allschools.asp?schooltype=pri https://online.aberdeenshire.gov.uk/Apps/Schools- Contacts/allschools.asp?schooltype=pri https://online.aberdeenshire.gov.uk/Apps/Schools- Contacts/allschools.asp?schooltype=pri
Aberdeen City Council
Banff and Buchan
Aberdeenshire Council
Buchan
Aberdeenshire Council
Formartine
Aberdeenshire Council
Kincardine and Mearns
Aberdeenshire Council
Garioch
Aberdeenshire Council
Marr
Aberdeenshire Council
Secondary Schools
Administrative area Aberdeen City
Local Authority Aberdeen City Council
Website
https://www.aberdeencity.gov.uk/services/education-and- childcare/find-school https://online.aberdeenshire.gov.uk/Apps/Schools- Contacts/allschools.asp?schooltype=aca https://online.aberdeenshire.gov.uk/Apps/Schools- Contacts/allschools.asp?schooltype=aca
Banff and Buchan Aberdeenshire Council
Aberdeenshire Council
Buchan
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Aberdeenshire Council Aberdeenshire Council Aberdeenshire Council Aberdeenshire Council
https://online.aberdeenshire.gov.uk/Apps/Schools- Contacts/allschools.asp?schooltype=aca https://online.aberdeenshire.gov.uk/Apps/Schools- Contacts/allschools.asp?schooltype=aca https://online.aberdeenshire.gov.uk/Apps/Schools- Contacts/allschools.asp?schooltype=aca https://online.aberdeenshire.gov.uk/Apps/Schools- Contacts/allschools.asp?schooltype=aca
Formartine
Kincardine and Mearns
Garioch
Marr
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