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Tollbar Attracting Foreign Students
October 6th, 2009
The introduction of the International Baccalaureate at Tollbar is being credited with students from across Europe choosing to live in North East Lincolnshire.
The College has attracted candidates from Austria, Germany, Denmark and Norway this term.
Its sixth form college is the only one in the region to have dropped A-levels in favour of the IB.
Principal David Hampson OBE said: "I suppose it is quite remarkable that students are moving out of their home towns, and even countries, to study here.
"But the truth is that both they and their parents want the best education available and the International Baccalaureate provides that."
Some international students have joined directly at Sixth Form level, but others have left their home countries behind in their early teens to begin studying at Tollbar in Years 10 and 11, working towards IB.
Elouise Kellstad (15), who already speaks three languages, has moved to Grimsby from Estonia with her mum Cheryl, leaving her Norwegian Diplomat father Tormod, and younger brother Alexander behind for a while in order to study towards IB.
The family has lived all over the world through Tormod's job, including Africa, Lithuania, Norway and Venezuela.
They intended to move to England when Tormod retires next June, but brought forward the move when they discovered Tollbar's IB programme on the web.
"Our children have truly international educations and we have always been determined that this should continue," said Cheryl, originally from Lincolnshire.
"Tormod has an older son who studied IB in Oslo and we would have considered going back there if we could not find a decent IB school in England.
"We have been very lucky. Tollbar is a fantastic school with a growing reputation for excellence, and we were determined to get Elouise in as soon as we could."
Danish student Kieran Bjergstrom, who moved to Grimsby with his family last year to study IB at Tollbar at the age of just 13, said: "Although daunting at first IB pushes your abilities. I am really pleased to be studying here."
Mr Hampson added: "Criticism of A-Levels continues apace and the current economic climate has made university places even harder to come by. Students really have to stand out and we believe that the International Baccalaureate gives them that edge."
Tollbar holds an International Baccalaureate open evening for future students on Thursday 8 October 2009 from 6.30 pm to 9.00 pm.
Article from The Cleethorpes Chronicle - Thursday 1st October 2009
