Basic Information & Location
Guildhouse School (formerly known as CATS College London) belongs to the CATS group from Cambridge Education Group (CEG) , having three other sister schools in Cambridge, Canterbury and Boston (USA). Established in 2011, the campus is situated in the centre of London town, near the British Museum and British Library. The CATS College is offering scholarship for 20% of tuition and there is also an opportunity for a very small of 40% scholarship for truly outstanding candidates. English proficiency, academic success and strong attitude and interest would be main assessment criteria.
Academic Development
In 2017, about half of students scored an A* or A grade , comparing with the average 26% of UK students. Over 90% of students progressed to universities, with 21% getting into Russell Group universities and 14% into Times top 20-ranking universities, including The University of St. Andres, The University of Durham, University College London, London School of Economics and Political Sciences and so on.
Different from her sister schools, Guildhouse School (formerly known as CATS College London) has a unique qualification to guaranteed access for her Business students to Year 2 of a Bachelor’s degree at a UK university. Students aged 17.5 or above can apply for the International Year One Business qualification which lasts for two semesters. It consists of eight modules, four for each semester. The split of coursework and examination varies by module but is at least 75% examination. Passing the programme, students are guaranteed at least two conditional offers and a place on Year 2 of a Bachelor’s degree at one of the NCUK (Northern Consortium UK) Universities. For reference, four of the NCUK universities are part of the Russell Group, it includes The University of Leeds ,The University of Sheffield and so on.
Sharing similar course arrangements with her sister schools, Guildhouse School (formerly known as CATS College London) is offering many courses to students with different ages. The school has no year 9 students. For students aged 15 plus, they can consider the Pre-programme that follows the GCSE approach, but for one year or less. Students can take GCSE exams in some subjects depending on the progress they make. The focus of the programme is to prepare for A-Level or IB. Except from this, if students have need in improving English, they can take the CATS Academic English Programme, as a full-time intensive course which lasts from one to four terms. Or if students want to have an insight into a British education and culture, they can also choose to follow an individual programme, High School Term, which lasts for about one to three terms, to improve English and understanding towards British culture.
For ambitious students, they can choose A-Level courses that last for five to six terms, making up two year in total. For year one, students can study three to four subjects and study three in the next year. There is a special Fast-Track one-year A-Level option. Students aged 17 or above who are confident for completing the normal two-year course in less time, or are highly ambitious in the last year of high school, can consider it. It is also suitable for students who want additional revision to retake examinations.
Apart from A-Level, students who aged 16 above can also consider the University Foundation Programme (UFP) which lasts for three terms, studying the three to four subjects at a detailed and challenging level. Again, a Fast-Track two-term Foundation Programme is also available. Students will receive extra teaching hours each week to ensure their preparations for exams are enough. In 2016, 50% of UFP students progressed to the UK’s top 50 universities.
The school is also offering summer programmes, such as the Medics Preparation Programme. The course is specially designed for Fast-Track A-Level students who are interested in studying Medicine, Dentistry, Veterinary Medicine or Pharmacy. The content comprises visiting medical facilities and top UK medical schools, preparing for university entrance exams, attending lectures on ethics and engaging with patient groups and so on.
Pastoral Care & Boarding
The school has two accommodations situate only 3 minutes’ and 15 minutes’ walk from the school respectively. The former is Premier House, which has 67 on-suite single rooms and 35 shared on-suite rooms. And the latter is Piccadilly Court, which has single on-suite bedrooms arranged in clusters of six. Each cluster shares a fully fitted kitchen and common area. There are live-in House Parents to provide them with the highest standards of safety and pastoral care. To ensure the students can focus and study happily in a big busy city, the school has been equipped by great pastoral care by assigning every students with a Personal Tutor to make sure students are happy and able to fulfil their potential. A Personal Tutor Group will be formed by 16 students, sharing each other’s ups and downs. There are also Financial officer, Programme Director, Welfare staff, Health Centre and nurse to take care of students with every aspect.
Extracurricular & personal development
To ensure students can develop their own interest, the school runs over 20 different activities each week, from sports clubs to academic and self-development activities. There are also a range of academic competitions including maths challenges or business competitions. Students can also participate in an annual exchange with CATS campus located in Boston, USA, experiencing the academic and cosmopolitan city of Boston has to offer.
