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  • Are you OfSTED/DofE accredited?
    We are not currently recognised by the DFE and do not fall under OFSTED inspections. Online schools do not currently fit the criteria for a recognised school, but we are continuing to work closely with the DFE to address this and hope there will be recognition of this type of education in the near future.
  • Who is Marbella International Academy?
    Marbella International Academy has been providing high quality and personalised educational solutions to IGCSE and A Level students around the world since 2016. Both online and via our physical academies - we have helped expat families around the world to provide students with industry leading teaching and support. In these current times of fear and uncertainty - MIA is well positioned to offer exapt families a real alternative to traditional schooling.
  • What is an online school?
    Online schooling with InterHigh includes a completely interactive Primary School, Secondary School and Sixth Form. Using our specialised online learning platform, InterHigh is accessible to learners wherever they are in the world. We provide students with everything they would expect from a traditional schooling environment, plus a whole lot more.
  • Are you recognised by the Spanish Ministry for Education?
    We are currently not under any obligation to be recognised by the Spanish Ministry for Education as neither do we fit their criteria as we are offering UK courses.
  • Is there a deposit or registration fee?
    For the IGCSE and IAL courses, yes. The deposit is a returnable deposit of €500 for each student. This is repayable at the end of the academic year providing that there are no outstanding fees and once students have sent their official exam results to the academy. Each student also pays a registration fee of €200 which is a non-returnable administration fee. This fees covers a number of costs incurred by new admissions. Please note that for all new students, the proceeding term's course fees, the registration fee and the deposit must all be paid in full prior to the start of classes. The language courses operate with a €50 non-refundable registration fee and zero deposit.
  • How do you take payments.
    Payments are made via bank transfer or online card payments. Cash payments are possible under certain circumstances. Please note we do not accept American Express or Diner cards.
  • How much do the courses cost?
    It depends on the course(s) being studied. But our rates are highly competitive and excellent value for money. IGCSE courses start at €100 per month, per subject for the group classes and €200 per month for private classes. Discounts are available if students enrol for more than 3 different IGCSE subjects. International A Level courses start at €200 per month, per subject for the group classes and €400 per month for private classes. Once more, discounts are available for students who enrol on more than one IAL course. Finally, our language courses are €45 per month for levels A1 - B1 and €55 per month for levels B2 onwards. Please note that in addition to course fees, all students must pay a registration fee and a deposit (see FAQ).
  • What if the students is starting after the start of term?
    It is not unusual for students to join us halfway through the year and although we recommened students to start at the beginning of one of the school terms (September, January or April), we appreciate that this is not always possible. Any new students joining the academy mid way through a term will be required to pay the usual deposit and registration fees plus a pro-rata calculation of the remaining course fees for that term.
  • What happens to the course fees if we leave the academy before the end of a school term?
    Unfortunately, all course fees are non-refundable. This means that in the event that a family wishes to withdraw their child a month into a school term - they are liable to forfeit the entire course fees paid for that current school term. As an academy, we plan courses and teacher schedules on a term by term basis. Charging course fees per term (and not monthly) allows us to plan effectively and commit to teacher contracts with out team members. As a result - we are unable to offer refunds for course fees for teaching days not enjoyed by the enrolled student. We advise parents to consider carefully the commitment they are making when they enrol a student at the academy as the minimum time commitment is a full school term.
  • Do you pay monthly or termly?
    Course fees are paid termly based on the following breakdown: Autumn Term (September - December) 4 months Spring Term (January - March) 3 months Summer Term (April - June) 3 months Course fees must be paid in full before admission to classes.
  • What happens to our deposit if we leave the academy before the end of the academic year?
    One of the great things about the academy is its flexibility. We appreciate that many expat families have changes in their circumstances. It is for that reason why enrolling in a large, private school is not always the best solution. For that reason, we try to be as supportive as possible when a student wishes to leave the academy before the end of the academic year. We will always return the deposit providing the following conditions have been met: a full 4 weeks of written notice is given prior to the date that a student terminates their studies with the academy (this must be done via email only) there are no outstanding fees
  • How do students sit IGCSE & IAL examinations?
    All IGCSE and IAL examinations are arranged by the academy in coordination with partner exam centres across Europe and in cooperation with students and parents. IGCSE exams can be sat in the UK and in exam centres across Europe. International A Level exams cannot be sat in the UK but they are readilly available in exam centres across Europe. Please note that exam fees are not included in the course fees (nor the deposit or registration fee) and must be paid separately. Exam fees must be paid in full before the stated deadline to guarantee a place.
  • How do students sit Cambridge English examinations?
    There are numerous examination opportunities throughout the year and although students are encouraged to take exams when they are deemed "ready" and as a cohort - students are free to sit examinations as and when they see fit. The academy will assist students in arranging the examinations in an exam centre close to their place of residence. Exam fees are not included in course fees nor registration fees and must be paid in full before the stated deadline.
  • What are the academic requirements to study A Level?
    Many private schools will require students to have 4 - 5 pass grades at IGCSE (i.e. grade 4 (C) or higher) to go on to Year 12. In addition, students in such schools would be expected to have a minimum grade 4 (C) at IGCSE for the subject they wish to study at IAL. This can often mean a lot of stress and disruption to a student's education as sometimes a student is required to resit IGCSE exams (sometimes taking a year out to do so) before being allowed to move on to Year 12. At Marbella International Academy, our goal is to offer flexible educational solutions and personalise our services to each student. For this reason, we do not require students to meet any specific academic standards to enrol on an IAL course. However, we do impress on students and parents that success at IAL is built on the premise that students have a sound foundational knowledge in that same subject at IGCSE level (or equivalent). It is also highly recommended for most IAL subjects that a student has a good level of English and Maths (preferably a grade 4 or higher at IGCSE). Although we do not have any academic requirements for A level study - we do expect all of our enrolled A level students to have at least a B2 level of English (or equivalent). This must be demonstrated during registration in the form of a formal qualfication.
  • Can your courses be used for entry to university?
    Yes. Our IGCSE and International A Level qualifications are assessed and awarded to students via Edexcel - one of the most respected and trusted exam boards in the world. We do advise students to investigate what specific entry requirements are typically required for the particular degree course that they wish to study at university.
  • What exam board do you use?
    For IGCSE and International A Level we use Edexcel. Unfortunately we do not offer any courses from other exam boards (e.g. AQA or Cambridge). However, please be assured that all IGCSE exam certificates are equal - regardless of which exam board is used. For example, a grade "4" (C) in IGCSE Biology with Edexcel holds exactly the same weight and merit as a grade"4" (C) in IGCSE Biology with Cambridge. There is no difference in the level or degree of difficulty between the IGCSEs offered by Edexcel and CIE. The differences are only in the way questions are asked and the format of the exams. We find that Edexcel offers unrivalled support to students and staff and that students respond much better to textbooks and exam papers from this exam board than any other exam board. For the language course in English we use Cambridge English. We do not offer courses in IELTS or Trinity or any other qualification. However, preparation is similar and students are free to take exams in IELTS if its more suited to their specific goals and aspirations.
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  • Do you offer shorter IGCSE courses?
    Typically, an IGCSE course is delivered over a 2 year period. This is because in larger schools, students are typically studying 8 - 10 different IGCSEs and therefore the learning is spread out over the school timetable. However, there is no reason at all why an IGCSE cannot be completed in just one year or even in 6 months. At Marbella International Academy we aim to offer flexible educational solutions which includes offering students shorter, express IGCSE courses. It must be made clear however, that these express IGCSE courses require a lot of hard work from both students and teachers - therefore we recommend this option only for very driven, self-motivated and organised students. Please get in touch with us for more details about these courses.
  • Do your IGCSE courses match what my son/daughter has already studied?
    There will be times when students join us half way through their studies and so it is natural that there will be some concerns about whether our courses match what has already been studied. This is a difficult question to answer as there are some small differences between different exam boards (e.g. Edexcel IGCSE Biology and Cambridge IGCSE Biology). But even if the student has previously been studying the exact same course, it may be that the teachers deliver the course in a different sequence. Rest assured however, that in all instances, Marbella International Academy will always do the very best to minimise the disruption.
  • What is IGCSE and what is the difference between this and the UK GCSEs?
    One of the most common questions we get asked by students is what is the difference between IGCSE and GCSE. This article will take a look at both qualifications and the positives and negatives of each. Let’s start with the GCSE. The GCSE is traditionally studied in UK schools over two years. Some schools will allow students to complete it in one year but this is rare. You can sit GCSE exams only in June and resits can be taken in November of each year. The GCSE is very linear and cannot be enrolled upon at anytime of the year due to the fact that coursework must be submitted throughout the year. However, coursework has largely been removed from the reformed GCSE in England. The IGCSE was introduced 30 years ago by Cambridge Assessment International Education. IGCSEs were created to give students overseas access to a qualification of the same standard as GCSE. Since then other UK awarding bodies, such as Edexcel, have joined suit and offer a range of subjects at IGCSE. IGCSE have become very popular with distance learning students at both home and abroad. GCSEs have historically included coursework, which always proved problematic for students studying remotely, so having access to a qualification, which on the whole removed this barrier, was very popular. Apart from that there is no real difference these days. There is a lot of overlap in the syllabuses, both qualifications are the same level, and they are treated as equivalent to one another by all colleges, universities and employers.
  • Which IGCSE courses do you offer?
    The list of courses on offer is ever changing according to demand. We always offer the core IGCSE subjects of English, Mathematics and Science. There is also a list of IGCSE courses that are very popular and are therefore always on offer: IGCSE Business Studies IGCSE Spanish IGCSE ICT IGCSE Psychology The remaining selection of IGCSE courses are fluid and will vary according to the demand for them each academic year. One of the benefits of being a smaller and more lightweight institution is we can be a lot more agile and flexible in adapting to demand. There are unfortunately some IGCSE courses that we are currently unable to offer for practical reasons including; IGCSE Drama, IGCSE Art & IGCSE Design & Technology.
  • Which IAL subjects do you offer?
    We currently offer the following subjects at IAL but we are always willing to add additional courses if there is a demand for it. The available IAL courses include: IAL Biology IAL Chemistry IAL Mathematics IAL Psychology IAL Business Studies IAL English Literature IAL Spanish
  • What is the difference between UK A Levels and International A Levels?
    International Advanced level qualifications (known as International A Levels, or IALs) are accepted by many universities globally; they are well respected and offer greater freedom to students when considering future career moves. International A Levels are subject based qualifications and serve several purposes, such as training for a specific career, general study or university placement. Many students and parents ask us what the difference is between UK A Levels and International A Levels and which one would suit their circumstances better. In 2015, UK A Levels changed dramatically and the transitional phase started, whereby a number of subjects transferred to the new linear structure of examinations, with final subjects transferring in 2018. The A Level is taught in the UK while the International A Level is taught mainly outside the UK. British universities and leading universities around the world treat the IAL and UK A Levels as exact equivalents in the admission process. International A Levels are an excellent provision, especially for those wishing to study Biology, Chemistry or Physics as they are 100% exam courses - with no requirement for an assessed laboratory practical.
  • When can students enrol?
    We have an open, rolling admission programme which means thats students can join the academy at any point during the year, however we would recommend joining before October half term. The enrolment process can take on average between 1-2 weeks to complete, this timescale is dependent on how quickly the admission team received all requested paperwork and all required fee payments. For this reason, we recommend registering to join us at least 2 weeks before the students intended starting date. With mid-year admissions we expect students to make up for some of the work from the time that they have missed.
  • What are MIAs Entry Requirements?
    Our goal at MIA is to offer flexible educational solutions for families where perhaps other, more traditional routes have failed. For this reason, our entry requirements are simply a commitment to learn and to complete tasks well and on time. Of course it would be advantageous that students have a good foundation in a subject before choosing it at IGCSE and it would be recommended to only select A Levels where you have been awarded a grade 4(C) at IGCSE. Other than that, providing all the relevant documentation has been provided and deposits/fees are all paid - there is no barrier to entry.
  • Can you provide proof that my child is in full time education?
    You will need to undertake your own investigations into whether home schooling is allowed in the country you are looking to work/live in. We can however provide a written letter of registration stating that your child is enrolled at Marbella International Academy which in the UK and many other European member states, should be sufficient to meet statuatory education rules.
  • What documents are needed to complete enrollment?
    You would need to provide copies of the following documentation: a copy of the student's birth certificate a copy of the student's photo ID a copy of the parent's photo ID a proof of address that is under 3 months old this could be a utility bill (or padrón if you live in Spain) a copy of the student's last academic report in the case of A Level students, a copy of IGCSE grades
  • How can I contact you for more information?
    Your first port of call for more information is this FAQ section. Use the search bar to find what you are looking for or browse through the different categories of questions. If you still wish to get in touch, then go to our "contact us" section.
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