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International Admissions

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Admissions Process for International Students

St. Francis’ College is proud of its global outlook in welcoming students from around the world. The diversity of the community is of great benefit to all. All girls at the school, value the friendships they make with pupils whose families live overseas. Both can learn from each other, sharing knowledge and the experience of different cultures and language whilst enjoying the value of an excellent British education together.

International entry is normally into Year 7, 9 or Year 12. Applications can be made to join other years subject to availability. Students entering Year 12 must be 17 or under by 1st September on the year of entry.

We are also happy to consider girls to join for a short term placement to allow them to improve their English and partake in the British Boarding School experience. 

All families interested in applying to study at St. Francis’ College should contact the Registrar, Mrs Lisa Cogan on admissions@st-francis.herts.sch.uk and she can guide you through the admissions process. We also work with partner educational agents based in countries around the world who will also help you with your application. Please contact Mrs Cogan for details of an agent in your home country.

Further information about the school can be obtained by clicking here to download the prospectus, but we are happy to answer any specific questions you may have. 

All students are required to sit entrance examinations in Maths and English. If you are unable to attend an assessment day at the school, then we can arrange for the papers to be sat overseas.

All students are also requires to have an entry interview with a senior member of staff. This can be via Skype video call if you are unable to visit in person.

We do welcome visits from all applicants and encourage families to come to the school prior to joining. Please contact Mrs Cogan to arrange a mutually convenient time.

Accepting a Place

Following the interview, the Registrar will advise if the applicant has been successful in securing a place and the acceptance paperwork will be issued.

An offer of a place will be valid for 2 weeks. After which time a place at the school can no longer be guaranteed.

To accept their place a student must return the acceptance form and pay the security deposit of £4,500. This is a £1,000 for a short term stay.

Payment Options

The school does not accept large cash payments.

Please make payments via cheques made payable to St. Francis’ College or Bank Transfer.

Bank details can be obtained from The Bursary by e-mailing finance@st-francis.herts.sch.uk

Please quote your daughter’s full name as a references on all payments.

Guardianship

A condition of acceptance at St. Francis’ College is that girls coming from overseas have an English-speaking guardian, whose residential address is in the UK. This may be a relative or close friend but must be a responsible adult over the age of 25 years.

Overseas students stay with their guardians during the holidays when the school is closed. Guardians are invited to join in with the life of the school and will receive information and invitations to keep them fully involved with their wards’ education.

The school currently works with several reputable organisations providing guardianship services. Contact details are available from the Admissions Administrator.

Visa Support

St. Francis’ sponsors students through their secondary education on a Tier 4 Child Visa.  To apply for a visa, parents must have paid at least the first term’s fees in full.  Many parents prefer to pay a year in advance.  Following payment we will fill out a draft confirmation of acceptance of studies (or CAS) for you to check.  Please ensure you check it carefully as it is a legal document.  Your daughter must also have at least six months validity on her passport.  Following checking we will issue the CAS statement and send it to you along with the offer letter for you to take to the visa centre.  If you have chosen to only pay one term’s fees in advance you will need to prove that you have the funds to pay a year’s worth of boarding fees for 28 days in your bank account.

Please note that CAS statements are not issued before three months prior to starting. 

Visas are valid up until the end of the GCSE course and then are re-issued for the two year A Level programme in the Sixth Form.

English as an Additional Language

St. Francis’ College has a very strong EAL department which is there to help students who are non-native speakers access the school curriculum.  All our EAL lessons are conducted in small classes and our EAL teachers work closely with subject teachers and form tutors to ensure that EAL students are receiving the specific language support they need.  Prior to joining the school, the girls will have taken our entrance examinations in EAL and Maths. The number of EAL lessons a girl receives will depend on her individual needs and are reviewed on a termly basis. There is an additional charge for EAL teaching which is detailed with the college fees.

We also help our students prepare for external examinations such as IELTS, the English proficiency test accepted by British and other worldwide universities. Girls in Year 11 will be able to take IGCSE English as a Second Language.

There is a dedicated EAL centre in the school, with two specialist members of staff. The girls are encouraged to visit at any time as well as during their specific lessons. Homework is given every week to help reinforce learning.