International Students

North Bridge House has a strong and burgeoning academic reputation in London and beyond. The Independent Schools Inspectorate regularly inspect each North Bridge House site and our focus on delivering a broad and innovative curriculum taught by specialist teachers, our commitment to the personal development of our pupils and the outstanding social, moral, spiritual, and cultural programme we offer is consistently recognised and valued by the inspectorate.

As part of the North Bridge House ethos, we aim to provide a well-rounded academic education that allows our pupils to become independent, lifelong learners, who can fully contribute to and make informed decisions within society. Our vision is for pupils to be able to pursue their personal academic interests through a relevant, engaging and appropriately challenging curriculum. We want our pupils to leave with the very best skills and achievements so that they are fully prepared for higher education.

All Year 12 pupils are encouraged to take the Extended Project Qualification (EPQ), with pupils receiving dedicated support with academic research and presentation skills and the assistance of a supervisor for their project work. Pupils applying to Oxbridge colleges visit Oxford or Cambridge in the final term of Year 12 and attend academic lectures and reading sessions, as well as workshops on writing their personal statement. At the start of Year 13, pupils are allocated a mentor to support the finalisation of their personal statement and begin preparing for international/admissions assessments. When invited to interview, pupils receive additional support from a mentor and an external tutor. North Bridge House alumni who have attended Oxbridge colleges are also involved in supporting our applicants.

North Bridge House takes a very similar approach with pupils applying to Health Sciences degree programmes and provides mentoring and specialist support for interviews. Time away from school for work experience and job shadowing in specialist fields is encouraged and supported.

Further information on recent 11+/Consortium exam/Common Pre-Test/Common Entrance exam/GCSE/A-level results can be viewed below along with information on destination schools/universities and scholarships awarded.

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 each pupil’s 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.

The school’s Admissions team will arrange for international applicants to sit entrance assessments wherever they are in the world. Ideally, these will be conducted at the pupil’s current school under exam conditions, with a teacher invigilating. We understand that it is not always possible to put such arrangements in place and are happy to work with families to agree appropriate alternatives, e.g., at a student recruitment agents or local British Council office. The final stage is an interview with the Head of School.

North Bridge House and Cognita work with a range of international student recruitment agencies, education consultants and relocation agents. Agents and consultants are invited to contact the international admissions team at Cognita about representation.

When families are ready to register with the school the following documents should also be submitted in support of the application:

Pupils who receive offers will be asked to accept their place by completing and returning the acceptance form and paying the deposit (£6,000). The deposit will be returned at the end of the pupil’s studies, providing appropriate notice has been given and all fees have been settled. The deposit must have been settled before Cognita Schools Ltd can begin work to prepare pupils for successful visa applications.

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 Ardmore, an English language school owned and operated by North Bridge House’s parent company, Cognita. Ardmore have over 35 years of experience supporting young English learners and have recently developed an online platform – Ardmore X – to support teacher-led and independent study. Ardmore can help 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.

North Bridge House’s parent company, Cognita, has a licence to sponsor Child Student and 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.

Pupils who plan to study with us whilst their parents are outside the UK can be introduced to reputable homestay and guardianship companies, who can arrange for pupils to live with British families within the school’s catchment area. The benefits of attending a day school and living with a homestay family include:

Please contact Cognita’s international team if you would like to discuss homestay and guardianship.

All pupils pay the same fees at North Bridge House, regardless of nationality or immigration status. Please refer to our standard fees page.