Home thoughts from abroad
Julie Booth looks at how tighter rules on overseas student visas will affect the independent school sector and reviews how technology can help support admissions from abroad
The Government has prioritised an overhaul of the UK's immigration policy in an effort to minimise abuse after the level of non-EU students coming to the UK rose by more than 75,000 in the 12 months to March 2010. Indeed, student visas for Nepal, northern India and Bangladesh were suspended earlier this year following a huge increase in applications.
In the current economic climate, overseas students bring vital revenue in to the independent school sector and attracting them is a key focus of the marketing strategy in many schools. How can schools support overseas students who come to study with them? And what can they do to make sure issues with student visas are kept to a minimum?
Ensure information on overseas students is up-to-date
Schools need to ensure that all the information they hold on their overseas students is accurate and current. Many schools use a management information system (MIS) to manage their admissions process. The advantage of this is that data gathered on all students, from enquiry through to an offer, can be stored securely in one place. This makes the relevant documentation on a student from overseas much easier to find if their visa is challenged.
There are systems that also allow automatic reminders to be set up and this will help ensure student visas are kept up-to-date. Take an active role in checking the progress of visa renewals for your overseas students and start looking at them some months before they are due to expire so there is time to iron out any problems if they arise.
Put good support in place for late starters
Many schools that recruit students from abroad have found that the increased beaurocracy associated with the new immigration rules can cause delays. Students can often arrive at their new school much later than expected and this will make it harder for them to settle in and make friends. They may also have missed important parts of their learning as a result of immigration delays and this could have a negative impact on their academic achievement.
Schools should ensure good pastoral support is in place for overseas students in the weeks and months following their arrival, particularly if they have joined later than their peers. This will help them adjust to school life much more quickly. It is also wise for teachers to keep a close eye on the late starters’ attainment as this will help them identify those who might benefit from some additional tuition. By making use of electronic student tracking tools that are available in some MISs, this is a much simpler task.
Know where your students are coming from
Ensuring a healthy cashflow is vital to the success of any school and this is dependent on the number of students coming through the door. Some schools analyse data on their student intake year-on-year – where they are coming from, what age they are joining and whether they have siblings at the school, for example. This information can be useful for uncovering whether changes to the UK immigration rules on overseas students might be having an impact on student numbers. Knowing this will make it easier for you to project future student numbers and adjust your marketing strategy where it will be most effective at encouraging students to your school.
The sentiment behind the Government’s review of the existing system is reasonable – there needs to be more stringent rules in place to prevent the UK student visa policy from being abused. But, it is essential that new rules do not dissuade genuine overseas students from coming to study in the UK. The future success of many schools could be put in real jeopardy as a result and our reputation as a nation of education excellence is essential to Britain’s economic recovery.
Julie Booth is head of independent schools at Capita. www.sims-independent.co.uk.
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