For many parents, looking for the right educational establishment for their kids boils down to 3 criteria:  the age range, the subjects they teach and their performance in League Tables.

Bosworth Independent College has an outstanding reputation for delivering, not only great academic results, but very well balanced, confident and motivated individuals who seem to get the best places in University when they leave.

I found out more when I spoke to Mike McQuin, M.Ed, Bosworth’s Executive Principal.

Bosworth Independent College was established over 33 years ago as a ‘Crammer’ College, but today, it is a thriving independent school teaching 14 – 19 year olds in many academic subjects, with outstanding results. 

Mike says ‘We are very different.  We’re ‘very international’, we run very small classes (typical class size is 8) and because of this, we can authentically put the students at the centre of their own education. We ensure that students take ownership of their education and in return for their commitment; we provide the tuition, the environment and the support to enable them to achieve their goals.  They have to ‘buy’ into their part of the contract, as do we.  We’ve never had a single classroom discipline problem here in the 12 years that I’ve been Principal.  I think that’s because we provide a mutually trusting environment that has our students’ development at the centre of what we do.  All of our staff know the students so much better than in conventional schools and none of them are allowed to ‘hide or get lost’ within our classes.  We do place high demands on them, but we also devise individual strategies in order to meet the needs of the kids.’

It’s very clear to see that the environment at Bosworth Independent College is calm and peaceful.  The teachers expect a very high work ethic from their students, but support them all the way academically, socially and emotionally.  They genuinely want their students to be the best they can be and the students seem to want this for their teachers as well.

‘We try to squeeze the best out of everyone as long as they meet us halfway.  Some students join us because of disenchantment or marginalization in other establishments. We have many students that take their A Levels within 12 months here and go onto to excel in academic subjects at University’.

It is easy to see why Bosworth College is a successful independent school.  Mike McQuin, the charismatic Executive Principal at Bosworth College for the last 12 years is very proud of his students and their achievements.  Mike started his career in the comprehensive system in 1976, but it was soon evident to him that there was a better way to educate young people.  His quest took him overseas to Tanzania, where he headed up the 6th form at the International Baccalauriatic School.  This worldwide method of teaching is now becoming very popular in schools throughout the UK, as an alternative to A Levels. Mike went on to be the Principal in Kuwait and Indonesia until he finally returned to the UK to head up Bosworth College. 

Bosworth College now has around 320 students, the standards are fantastic and the provision of student welfare is paramount to their principles.  Mike says ‘We don’t have a school uniform – we care more about the development of our students so that they become the very best they can be.  We don’t have a ‘block timetable’ either.  Our students get a completely free choice of the subjects they want to study.  We are flexible enough to accommodate their choices, rather than have a student take subjects they’re not interested in because the timetable is too rigid to change’.

Although Bosworth College has a high percentage of foreign students, Mike is convinced that this is a good thing.  ‘Foreign students have an incredibly high work ethic and understand the reason that they’re here.  The international mix within the school helps to broaden students’ outlooks. 

We have had many young people who haven’t ‘made it’ within the comprehensive system – they come to us feeling disenchanted, lacking in confidence and undervalued.  It is a joy to see these people progressing at our school.  We give them the ambition, the confidence and the support to help them excel. Equally, for students who have high academic ambitions sometimes their current school cannot provide the right level of guidance, support and teaching, but in Bosworth they see an institution that can.’

All in all, Bosworth College is a great place for young people to study, develop their skills academically, socially and emotionally, and, if I had my time again, Bosworth College is where I’d go!

Bosworth Independent College
Nazareth House
Barrack Road
Northampton
NN2 6AF
United Kingdom

Tel: 01604 239995
www.bosworth.college.co.uk
info@bosworthcollege.co.uk