Adcote School for Girls

Overseas

We are lucky that Adcote is its own multi-cultural society. We welcome pupils and staff from a variety of countries and they bring a wealth of cultural diversity into Adcote. Over the years this has included students from Hong Kong, mainland China, Taiwan, Vietnam, Japan, Spain, Germany, Russia, Romania, Zimbabwe, Nigeria, Iran, Greece and America and Canada. We also have visiting staff from the Japanese Cultural exchange programme and gap year students from Australasia. We welcome and encourage opportunities for girls to share in each others cultural events, for example Chinese New Year celebrations, Shona Choir (run by last year's Head of Boarders), themed social evenings and cultural assemblies led by the pupils. Adcote arranges a wide variety of cultural events and visits as well as giving overseas pupils a varied taste of the 'British way of life'.

To see basic information about the school in Russian, please click here.

Students from overseas make a very significant contribution to life at Adcote and are very welcome. Their welfare and happiness far from home is very important to us. We think it is an equally good thing for English children to make friends from different parts of the world, and to gain an insight into different cultures and customs, as it is for children from overseas to have English friends and to experience England. It is therefore vital for overseas children to have a good, or potentially good, understanding of English so that they can make friends quickly and feel secure.

Studying for English Exams and Higher Education

Our major points of entry for overseas students are Year 7, the start of the Senior School, Year 9 as a foundation for GCSE studies or Year 10 to begin them, and year 12 for the beginning of Sixth Form Studies for AS and A2 exams. However, we also have entrants in Year 8 and Year 11, and some even earlier.

The full range of core subjects and options that we offer is open to all overseas students to meet their needs and to develop their interests. Students in the Sixth Form are prepared well for British and overseas universities, and offered individual advice on courses and careers.

Short Term Students

We also have a tradition of students studying with us, usually for a year, but some just for a term. They use their time at Adcote, not only to improve their English, but to develop responsibility and initiative - and of course to make good friends. In recent years, students from Austria, Germany, France and Spain have enjoyed their time with us and made excellent contributions to school life.

Pastoral Care

Students from overseas have particular and special needs and requirements. Above all they need to be assisted with the demands of boarding school life so far away from home. To begin with pupils may miss family and friends; there will be new expectations, and a change of culture; there maybe difficulties with the language. We provide each student with a personal tutor to offer friendship and support, and to help with all these things and to keep in touch with the family.

Location and Travel

Adcote is located in the heart of England - literally in the Midlands. The ancient and historic town of Shrewsbury, only fifteen minutes a way by road, is situated about three hours journey from London, and only one hour from Birmingham and an hour and a half from Manchester.

We assist all families with their travel arrangements, and will ensure that overseas girls are met at airports or train stations as required and brought to Adcote safely. We will also help you with accommodation as and when you are able to visit us.

Life beyond Adcote

We are quite an adventurous school, and we like to make sure that our girls experience much more than the school environment and classroom teaching. This is especially important for overseas girls so that they develop their knowledge of English institutions such as Parliament, English culture through music and drama at Birmingham and Shakespeare's Stratford-upon-Avon, and English towns and countryside such as York and The Eden Project or Hadrian's Wall. We regularly run visits to places like these.