International Admissions

British qualifications

Experience an exceptional education in our leading private school

We regularly welcome international pupils* from a variety of countries to join our school community. International families choose Clifton Lodge because of our commitment to academic excellence, character development, global perspectives, and British values, as well as selective senior school destinations and a strong focus on wellbeing. All pupils – British, EU and international – are charged the same fees, regardless of nationality or immigration status.

*International pupils are those with nationalities other than UK or Irish who are subject to immigration control

International Admissions

Pupils who are non-native English speakers will be asked to meet online with a member of our parent company, Cognita’s, international team, who will informally assess their English language level. The international team will then advise the school whether the pupil would benefit from additional support with their English prior to enrolment and/or during the first year of their studies.

Clifton Lodge and Cognita work with a range of international pupil recruitment agencies, education consultants and relocation agents. Agents and consultants are invited to contact the international admissions team at Cognita about representation.

international.admissions@cognita.com

Learn more about Cognita

English as an Additional Language

We use an English as An Additional Language programme (HLS) for children for whom English is not their first language which provides additional English support and targeted interventions when learning to speak, read and write in English. This is used over the course of the week, with one to one support as well as support in class. Alongside this, we use the Learning Village programme which is an online EAL curriculum for pupils to use at home and school to pre-learn vocabulary and further their learning.

At Clifton Lodge we have established good practice for all children. Teachers explicitly model language structures and patterns and provide good language and learning role models. We adapt whole-class and individual activities so all pupils can access the learning. In Early Years and Years 1 & 2, we also have class support staff to work with pupils with low levels of English, as well as daily Phonics lessons where children learn the sounds of letters and begin to blend the sounds to read and write words.
Details of EAL support charges can be seen on the fees page here.

Pupils who need support with English as an Additional Language prior to enrolment and/or during the first year of their studies may be referred to Cognita’s English language school, Ardmore. Ardmore have over 35 years’ experience supporting young English learners and have recently developed an online platform – Ardmore X – to support teacher-led and independent study. Ardmore can support international pupils prepare for life at school in the UK in the weeks and months prior to the start of term. They can also support pupils throughout their first few terms with us, scheduling online English lessons outside of the standard school day.

Ardmore's Pricelist

UK Visas and Immigration

Clifton Lodge's parent company, Cognita, has a licence to sponsor Child Student visas. Please contact Cognita’s international team if you would like to discuss visa sponsorship. The team will be glad to support you throughout your application and subsequent studies. Families are asked to settle the academic year’s fees in full and pay a £600 administration fee for each Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) in advance of sponsorship.

The international team can support parents of pupils aged 4 to 11 years old who wish to join their children in the UK under the Parent of a Child Student visa route.

We also welcome international pupils who are dependents of their parents’ investor, skilled worker, and diplomatic visas, as well as those who come to the UK under many other immigration routes.

If you are unsure whether your child needs a Child Student visa, we recommend taking the UK Visas questionnaire to establish the most suitable immigration route for your family.

International Deposit

International pupils who receive an offer to study at Clifton Lodge will be asked to accept their place by completing and returning an acceptance form and paying a *deposit equivalent to one term's fees. The international deposit will be returned at the end of a pupil's time at the school, providing appropriate notice has been given and all fees have been settled. Further details can be found on the Parent Contract.

*If the pupil joins our Nursery class and is withdrawn at any time after entry and before the first day of the Reception Year, the School will retain £500 from the Acceptance Deposit. If a full term’s written notice has not been given before the 1st day of term, a full term’s fees in lieu will be charged.

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