Outstanding Education

It is important for students to develop the knowledge and skills to make informed choices about the next stages of their life after secondary school. Our Higher Education Team counsels students in a wide range of higher education and careers options.

At South Island School, careers education in the lower years is delivered mostly through the Pastoral Programme as well as some bespoke workshops intending to investigate the world of work. The team coordinates work experience for Year 11 students.

Higher education guidance happens through individual and group provision in Years 11-13. The team takes an active part in advising students on programme and subject options, particularly in Year 11. In Years 12 and 13 they advise students on a group and individual basis and manage applications for all the major higher education destinations: UK, USA, Hong Kong, Canada and Australia. They are also able to help students research and apply to other tertiary systems. They advise on overseas tests such as TOEFL/IELTS and SAT/ACT. Evening meetings that focus on Higher Education are organised for the parents of students in Years 11 and 12. 

We have a dedicated Careers Centre located in the Diploma Centre on the Sixth Floor and is stocked with a comprehensive range of reference materials and prospectuses. Students also have access to Unifrog, a platform that supports both careers and university research. SIS is lucky enough to be visited by university representatives from around the world, and there are hundreds of opportunities throughout the year to meet with them via the Higher Education Team.

The UK remains South Island School’s preferred destination, with 37.3% of the class of 2024 choosing to matriculate to this country. The second most popular with 21.1% was Hong Kong. USA (9.3%) and Canada (5.6%) experienced a drop in popularity this year and this seems to have come from a surge in the popularity of Australia where 25 students have chosen to matriculate, where it was only 14 last year. European applicants will be going to Switzerland, France and Ireland, and our non-HK Asia bound students are going to Japan and Korea, with one student doing military service in Singapore. We have one student attending university in South Africa. Unfortunately, the full list of specific institutions students will matriculate to in the Southern Hemisphere won’t become clear until later in the year. Fewer students than previous years have chosen to delay their study plans by building in time for a Gap Year (5.6%).