Overseas Pupils

Mount Kelly warmly welcomes applicants who live overseas. Our vibrant and busy seven day a week boarding community allows pupils to fully integrate and make the most of all the excellent opportunities available at our school.

The application process for places in Year 3 to Year 11 will run along exactly the same lines as for UK residents. We invite all applicants to visit the school for a tour and to meet members of the staff. In cases where this is not possible an online interview will be conducted via Microsoft Teams or Zoom. You and your child will have the opportunity to meet the Head Master and the Deputy Head Academic who will be able to talk in detail about the academic pathways available at the School.

For entry into Year 7 and above entrance assessments are required and we are happy for applicants to sit our entrance tests overseas under appropriate supervision.

For entry to our Sixth Form (Years 12 and 13) the criteria are the same as for the younger children but if you have been following a British Curriculum we will always accept mock GCSE/IGCSE results in place of entrance assessments.

At Mount Kelly we do everything we can to ensure our international pupils have a safe journey to school and home at the start and end of each half term. We organise pick-up and drop-off services to London Heathrow, Bristol and Exeter airports and the cost of this is included in the fees as long as travel is booked to coincide with the published term dates. Details of how to book airport transfers and other forms of travel can be found here

Travel

Mount Kelly requires all pupils whose families live outside the UK to have an appointed guardian. This is regardless of the pupil’s age. The role of the guardian is to play an active part in supporting your child’s life at the School and are warmly invited to attend events such as plays, concerts and sports fixtures. Parent Consultations are run online so that overseas parents can attend but you may want your chosen guardian to attend to help with translation. The guardian will be the main point of contact for your child’s Housemaster/Housemistress and should keep them informed of all practical arrangements such as holiday plans and travel arrangements. Guardians should also be available to give permission for routine and emergency medical procedures although we will always try and make contact with parents as soon as possible. A guardian can be a relative or family friend living in the UK, preferably close to the School. Lists of recommended guardianship companies can be found here

BSA Certified Guardian Scheme

BSA Certified Guardians

AEGIS Gold Standard Accredited Guardianship Organisations

AEGIS Preliminary Accredited Guardianship Organisations

All our meals are prepared from locally sourced produce where possible and cooked on site. Our catering is provided by Thomas Franks who work hard to produce varied and nutritious meals with flavours from around the world. We hope that this will mean that sometimes food is familiar for overseas pupils but that alos all pupils will be tempted to try new and delicious dishes. Samples of our menus are posted on the website each term so that you can see what your child will be eating. The team can cater for all types of dietary requirements and allergen needs and our Head Chefs are happy to talk these through with you. Special days such as Christmas Day, Chinese New Year, Thanksgiving and Burn’s Night are celebrated by a change to the regular menu. We provide deliciously themed food, served in our Dining Halls which have been specially decorated for the occasion.

Food

At Mount Kelly we do all we can to ensure that our overseas pupils settle down happily in their new environment both in the boarding houses and in the class room. The spiritual, moral and social development of all our pupils is, of course, very important however even more so for those of our pupils whose family live so far away. The English as an Additional Langauge (EAL) department help in many ways to provide this support and is about so much more than just language aquisition. Small group sessions not only help provide the pastoral element of the care but also allow our EAL staff to tailor lessons to the academic needs of each pupil based on their subject options and abilities. Our pupils take a variety of external EAL examinations information about which you can read here

Academic

All timetabled EAL lessons are included in the fees.

Each term a series of 5-6 Sunday Trips are arranged for the international pupils.These popular trips include adventures such as mountain biking, go-karting, cycling, surfing and climbing. For thoses of you who prefer a quiter life there are frequent trips to the Theatre Royal in Plymouth, to one of the many shows that make their way down here from London, and the cinema. Christmas shopping in Exeter remains the most popular trip of all!

Applying for a visa can be a daunting and complicated process. Mount Kelly, a UKVI sponsor, retain work with a company called Newland Chase Education Immigration Services Ltd who will liaise with you and the School to ensure all aspects of the process run an smoothly as possible. We can begin the visa application up to six months prior to the start of the term in which your child plans to join the School. We will initiate the application within this timeframe as soon as we receive the signed contract and deposit to confirm your child’s place.

Child Student Visa Policy for Parents

At Mount Kelly we never forget what an enormous privilege it is for us to be chosen by you to care for your child often many hundreds of miles from home. Our Housemasters and Housemistresses and their team will do everything they can to help your child settle in and make the most out of their time here. In addition to the day to day support given by the House Staff your child will have an Academic Tutor with whom they will meet twice a week in timetabled sessions