External assessment is an integral part of the British educational system. It is the evaluation of pupils' levels of attainment by a body independent of the school.

In broad terms, assessment in our educational system is conducted along the following lines:

• End of Key Stage tests at the end of Years 2, 6 and 9.
• General Certificate of Secondary Education at the end of Year 11. Pupils take public (external) exams in the subjects they have studied in Years 10 and 11. The exams taken at Runnymede College are administered set and corrected by the following examining boards: EDEXCEL and UCLES.
• Major changes were made to post-16 education with effect from September 2000. Curriculum 2000 was introduced with a view to broadening the curriculum in Years 12 and 13.

Pupils do a larger number of subjects than previously in Year 12 (four or five instead of three) and are examined in them in the course of the Year. These exams are known as Advanced Subsidiary: AS for short. The specification (syllabus) is divided into three units and candidates can choose whether to be examined in all units in June or take some units in the January session.

In Year 13 pupils concentrate on three of the subjects they have taken in Year 12. Which subjects they choose will depend partly on how they performed at AS and partly on what they hope to do at University. Again, the specification for these A2s, as they are known, are divided into units and the exams can be taken in January and June.

When pupils have taken both an AS and an A2 in a subject they are awarded an A level. The majority of traditional British Universities require pupils to have three good A levels and to have passed an AS in a fourth subject. Since September 2000 Runnymede has followed Edexcel specifications in all subjects except Latin which follows the AQA specification.

The minimum requirements to be able to apply to a British University are five GCSEs and two A levels. However, since admission to university is highly competitive, those who are accepted usually have at least seven or eight GCSEs and three A levels with good grades (i.e., A, B or C).

In IGCSE, grades A*, A, B and C are the grades accepted as passes by the universities. A peculiarity of the IGCSE system is that candidates may take the examinations at two different levels. If they take the higher level (known as extended), they may be awarded A*, A, B, C, D or E. If they take the lower level (known as the core), they may be awarded C, D, E, F, G or N. At Runnymede most pupils will attempt the extended level unless teachers believe that it would deprive them of a chance to gain a C.

Before pupils decide which subjects they want to take at A level, they should decide what they want to study at University and know what the requirements are at the University they might want to go to. Apart from the general requirements of so many IGCSEs and A levels, some Departments and Faculties require certain subjects to be studied to A level, and some, especially Maths, at IGCSE Details of these requirements can be obtained for consultation in the School Office.

Academic Guidance

Pupils receive academic guidance throughout their career at school from their Form Teachers. There are regular meetings of other teachers and Heads of Departments with the Headmaster and Deputy Head.

In the third term, an Orientation Week is held with meetings for all pupils in Year 9 and above, and their parents. The purpose of Orientation Week is two-fold: on the one hand we aim to inform parents of the decisions faced by their children depending on whether they are in Year 9 or year 10 and on the other hand we aim to get pupils in Year 12 thinking about what they want to study at university and, indeed, what they want to do thereafter.

To this end there are general meetings in which the School explains the whole of the British educational system and the implications of the choices of subjects that pupils will have to take on entering Year 10 (choice of IGCSE), and on entering Year 12 (choice of AS levels). There are also meetings at which the pupils in Year 12 are addressed by their Form teacher and the Headmaster and meetings at which the pupils are addressed by guest speakers. These talks the pupils generally find stimulating and thought - provoking. At the beginning of Year 13, just before pupils embark on the process of putting together their UCAS form the school invites a group of Old Runnymedians who are currently at university to come and give a brief account of their experience of going through UCAS and their life at university. Year 13 pupils are then given the opportunity to ask the Old Runnymedians questions.

Since half the University faculties in Britain require specific A levels, and these A levels can only be studied with hope of success if the pupil has acquired the necessary background in IGCSE (with the exception of Economics) a pupil's whole adult and professional life - may be determined by the choice of IGCSEs made at the tender age of 14. For this reason the School musters its best brains to advise both parents and pupils on this vital step. It should be said, however, that there are many professional careers and University faculties which do not require specific subjects, provided the pupil has been shown to have a good brain, good study habits and personality. This applies to such fields as Law, Business Management or Accountancy, where, in Britain at least, a student with a good school background and a good degree in almost any subject – example Classics, Fine Art or languages – may be taken on by an international company which will give the necessary professional training to the neophyte while working and earning.

University Applications

Application to a British University has to be made through UCAS (the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service) between September 1st and January 15th of the year before the candidate hopes to start at University. Candidates are advised to apply by the beginning of December at the latest. This means that they should decide on the universities they wish to apply to between Easter of Year 12 and the first half term of Year 13.

The deadline for applications to Oxford and Cambridge and Medical Schools is October 15th. They should preferably visit the Colleges and Medical Schools not later than the summer holidays.

UCAS applications have to be made through the Headmaster who has to write a reference, to which great importance is attached, so it is very important that all applications should be thoroughly discussed beforehand.

Increasingly universities expect to find evidence of summer work at the end of Year 12, preferably in an area related to what the applicant hopes to study at university. As this is very difficult to arrange in Spain, it is most important to make plans well in advance. Similarly increasing importance is being attached to the candidate's personal statement, guidelines for which are available in the candidates UCAS handbooks.

Whilst these changes in the selection criteria are to be welcome, it is important that candidates realize that universities are looking for more than three good grades at the end of two years.