If you are moving to the UK with children, determining how to choose the best school is likely to be one of your top priorities. The system here can seem very different from the US. There are also a wide range of school types to choose from. Everything from your local state school to full boarding school options exist here. Whether you’re planning a future move, or researching schools in a narrow area, let’s take a look at how to choose a school in the UK.
Questions to ask first
What age is your child?
If your child would be entering Year 9 or later (age 13+), you need to understand that they will be entering GCSE testing in the UK school system very quickly and may struggle to keep up with expectations for this age group. If your child is in this age bracket and wants to return to the US for university, your simplest option would be to seek out an American or IB school to keep them on track and not overwhelm them.
How long do you plan to stay in the UK?
If you’re only going to spend a year or two in the UK, you may also wish to seek out an American or IB curriculum to ease transitions entering and leaving the UK. Plenty of people come for a short stay that somehow becomes decades, though, so don’t rule out UK school entirely. My daughter attended Reception during the first year we lived in the UK and transitioned easily back to the US. If anything, she was just further ahead than the rest of her kindergarten class.
What is your budget?
Private school costs can be eye-watering and many state schools are wonderful. Don’t assume that the private schools catering to expats are the only option for a quality education. While my daughter was in private school during reception, she is now in a state secondary school that is also excellent.
Where will you live?
Similar (sort of) to zoning in the US, catchment areas define which state schools your child can likely attend. This will be based on your home address. Private schools often offer bus services to make up for longer distance and many also have boarding available.
UK school stages
Some schools provide all-through learning from Nursery to Sixth Form, but this is the most common breakdown of school levels in the UK.
Nursery and Primary School
Children typically enter nursery from age 3 and enter Reception in the September after they turn 4. School age cut off is September 1. There is some room for placement in combined Nursery/Reception classes for late Fall birthdays depending on the school. In contrast, it is very uncommon to hold a child back a year even if they have a Summer birthday. For what it’s worth, my daughter is a Summer baby and is happy and performs well in school despite being one of the youngest in her class.
Primary School continues with Years 1 through 6. Primary school children do wear uniforms and usually have separate clothes for sports or outdoor learning. Two things I absolutely loved about my daughter’s primary school experience were weekly trips to the forest for outdoor learning and class lunches that vastly expanded which foods she was willing to try.
Secondary School
Secondary School begins at age 11 with Year 7 and continues through age 16 with Year 11. The closest comparison as far as experience is likely a combination of middle school and high school in the US. Entering secondary school is a transition period for all children, not just expats. Students have time tables to keep track of and in general are expected to behave with more maturity than in previous years.
This is also when GCSEs come on the scene. Typically begun in Year 9 or 10 (depending on the school), your child will become aware of these tests as soon as they begin secondary school. These tests include core subjects such as English, Science and Maths, but may also include areas to suit the student’s future plans. Examples of elective subjects are GCSEs in Drama or Computer Science.
GCSE results can impact options for further study or early employment opportunities. A lot of emphasis is placed on them, similar to the focus the SAT exam receives in the US.
Sixth Form or Colleges
School in the UK is only compulsory to age 16. At this point, students will choose whether to pursue university preparation, vocational training, or exit school entirely. Students working toward university admission should look for a Sixth Form or Sixth Form College. A College, unlike the US use of the word, often equates to a primarily vocation based school.
Resources for researching UK schools
- Ofsted – This is the government review board for UK schools. Reports usually indicate whether a school is high performing or struggling. Keep in mind when the school was last reviewed as there may be a break of several years between reports. Outstanding rated schools could be resting on their laurels, while lower performing schools may have improved considerably and are just waiting on Ofsted’s next review to prove it.
- Good Schools Guide – This group reviews independent private schools in the UK and is best if you know you want to pursue private education options.
- Locrating – This subscription service can be very helpful if you’re trying to narrow down catchment areas and research schools in one easy step. I used this service when researching secondary schools and found it very helpful and easy to use. I also appreciated that there’s no hard sell hurdle when you’re done and ready to cancel.
- Contact schools directly – There really is no substitute for your own intuition when it comes to choosing what’s best for your child. Even before our move, I emailed all of the secondary schools I was considering for my daughter. This was in the summer, so I wasn’t expecting much. The one private school I considered didn’t respond at all. However, one of the state school Heads took the time to write me back and encourage our application. We now love the school, especially its Headteacher.
Looking for help with your fur babies? Check out posts on moving to the UK with pets.
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