Relocating to the UK? What You Need to Know About Education.
The UK with its over 32,000 schools has a reputation for having one of the most complex and confusing education systems when compared to other countries around the world. There is a lot for families to consider and think about. This two-part guide is designed to make the process a bit easier for mums relocating to the UK (London especially). Hopefully, after reading this you will be in a better position to make an informed decision about the education options that are the best for your family.
1. Age Requirements
In the UK children are expected to be in full-time education by the time they are 4 years old. They have to be 4 Years Old on the 1st September to begin the school year. This is called reception and they have to remain in some sort of education until at least the age of 18. After the reception, they enter year 1, 2, and 3 right through to year 13/upper sixth.
Below the age of 4, there is no legal requirement for your child to be in a formal learning environment but the vast majority of parents enroll their children in Nursery or preschool, to give them the opportunity to develop the skills they are going to need to be able to demonstrate by the time they begin school.
2. Types of School
Broadly speaking schools are divided by age and type. When considering age the vast majority of Children go to Primary school from the ages of 4 to 11, and secondary school from the age of 11-16. In the UK children must be in some form of education up until the age of 18. Children have the option to stay in their school after 16 and enter the sixth form or they can go to a college.
Sixth forms are an extension to schools, and have a more rigid and structured timetable, they focus on academic subjects needed for most universities in the form of A Levels and international baccalaureate (IB). Colleges also offer academic subjects like sixth forms but are different because they also offer more vocational subjects with different qualifications such as BTECs and NVQ qualifications.
Younger children will be in primary school and older children will be in secondary school. However, schools also differ by the type of school they are. Broadly speaking there are two types of schools:
- State Schools: These are schools funded by the taxpayer, they can take on different variations such as Comprehensive, Academies, Faith schools, Free schools, and Grammar schools. The difference between these schools is their admission criteria, their governance, and if they receive their funding directly from the government or the local authority. They are free for students to attend.
- Independent schools: Also known as Private schools (and for the oldest and most prestigious of boarding schools also known as public schools). These are schools that Parents pay for, via school fees which normally cost thousands of pounds per term. They can set their own admission criteria and selection process and will often have some sort of entrance exam.
You can also have state and private boarding schools where children live at school and go home during the school holidays. State boarding schools are very rare though the vast majority of the schools that offer boarding at Private schools.
The National Curriculum is an education framework that all state schools must follow. They set out what children should know and be able to do at each individual key stage throughout their development. Schools such as faith schools, and grammar schools have more flexibility about what aspects of the national curriculum they teach.
Independent schools can customise their curriculum and do not have to follow the national curriculum to the same extent as state schools many of them offer subjects and experiences that are not available to children in state schools.
Independent schools tend to be where the affluent students attend school and there is much debate around fairness and future. Students on average do significantly better in public examinations and represent a higher percentage of students that go to the top universities. Many independent schools have a slightly different structure when it comes to year groups. Pre-Prep ( Ages 3-7) Prep School (7-13) Senior School (13-18).
Virtually all schools have to take part in public examinations. GCSEs are the gateway to post-16 courses and university, after GCSEs students have the option to do very academic subjects via A Levels & IB or less academic vocational qualifications such as BTECS and NVQs.
3. Brexit and Education
The UK’s decision to leave the European Union means that after 31st December 2020 Families moving to the UK from the European Economic Area (EEA) and Swiss national children are eligible to apply to the EU Settlement Scheme. If your family is not eligible to apply to the EU Settlement Scheme, EEA and Swiss national children entering the UK after 2020 will be treated the same as other foreign nationals who only have entitlement to access free education if they fall within specific categories, that include:
- as a dependant of a foreign national parent who has settled status in the UK
- as a dependant of their parent(s) who is in the UK on a Work visa or Student visa
- as part of a family entering and residing in the UK under the immigration route for Hong Kong British National (Overseas) (BNO) and their dependents.
You can check the government website to find more information and see the full criteria to understand what you need to move to the UK.
4. School Year and School Hours
A normal school day begins between 8 am and 9 am and ends between 3 pm and 4 pm but this does not include after-school clubs and extracurricular activities, which are more commonplace at independent schools.
The School year is from September to July, it is split into three terms.
- Autumn term is from early September to mid-December.
- Spring term is from early January to late March/early April
- Summer Term is from April to mid-July
Each term is approximately 12 weeks and after the Autumn term is the Christmas holidays which are two weeks long. After the Spring term is the Easter holidays which are also two weeks long. After the Summer term is complete are the Summer holidays which are 6 weeks long.
Also during the middle of each term is a one-week break called Half term, the Autumn half term takes place in late October/ early November. The Spring Half term takes place in the middle of February and the summer half-term takes place at the end of May/Early June.
Independent schools tend to give their students longer holidays and it is becoming more common that schools both Private and State take a two-week holiday instead of a one week during the Autumn half term.
5. Catchment Areas
A catchment area is a geographical area surrounding a school from which it will usually take most of its pupils, this doesn’t tend to affect private schools as much as state schools, especially grammar schools that have a good quality of education and high levels of attainment comparable with private schools. These schools are free to attend, and having catchment areas mean that local children have more of a chance to attend good schools in their local community.
6. House Prices
These very selective catchment areas have a bearing on house prices and drive up the cost of houses in an area where there are good schools. Parents want to send their children to the best schools to give them the best education, so parents are prepared to pay more. This creates a seller’s market where considerations such as schools and transport can mean two houses of the same size can have vastly different costs with Parents paying a premium to be closer to good schools.
7. Application Timelines and Process
The admission criteria used to select which children are accepted into a school are usually set by the school themselves in the case of private schools or the local authority for state schools. For state schools, new applicants will have to register via the local councils’ website to begin the online application process or applicants can collect a paper application from your local council.
You will be required to select at least three schools in order of preference. The government guidelines do state that listing only one school will not increase your chances of getting a place there. The documents you’ll need to complete both types of application include but are not necessarily limited to:
- Proof of new address (mortgage, deed or rental agreement).
- Proof that you will live in the area before the start of the next school term.
- A copy of your passport and visa
Applications are open at different times depending on each local council area. For primary schools, applications open in September and close on the 15th of January. Your child will be 3 or have just turned
The deadline for applying for a secondary school place is 31st October. You can still apply if you miss the deadline but your child is less likely to be offered a place at your chosen school if you miss the deadline for applications.
Most state and some Private schools do have in-year admissions, where they accept students during the school year. Ideally, you would want your child to begin at the start of the year to make the transition as smooth as possible.
Grammar schools are the only type of state school that are allowed to select students based on how they perform on a test called the 11+. The application deadlines are normally well before other state school deadlines, so parents know if they have passed before they enter their choices on the local councils’ application form.
Private schools have their own application process that can vary from school to school, many schools try to align their timeline with the state school system so parents can apply for both types of school around the same time. There is normally a fee for the application but this can be waived for families from lower-income backgrounds.
Some prestigious schools such as Eton have a 3-year application process, where advancement is dependent on performance on entrance exams such as the common entrance and interviews. There will also be scholarship and bursary applications, these may be part of the main application or a separate application may need to be made. If you are successful and your child gets a place you will be paid reduced fees.
Councils will send offers for school places for Primary schools on the 16th of April and Secondary schools on the 1st of March if either date falls on a weekend or a bank holiday offers are sent the next working day. Offers from private schools will also be released on a predetermined date but will normally coincide with the national offer day given by the state school system.
Parents must accept the offer by the deadline otherwise it may be withdrawn and the place given to someone else. For Private schools, this may mean a deposit of school fees given by a certain date to secure your child’s place.
If the local council is unable to offer your child a place at any of the schools you have applied for they are required to offer you another school, this will normally be at the nearest school with places available.
You may be put on a waiting list and your child will be able to attend the school if a place becomes available. You are able to appeal against decisions for both Private and State schools, the process and criteria are outlined via the school or local council.
8. Nursery and Daycare
Nurseries and preschools are not mandatory, but the vast majority of parents enrol their children, so when they begin reception at 4 which is mandatory they already have the necessary skills to flourish at school.
There are a number of Nurseries and early-year provisions available and you can learn more by getting in contact with the Family information service of your local council or using resources such as the Daycare Trust.
During your research you’ll be able to identify if there are any funded places for early years education available; 3 and 4-year-old children in England have a legal right to 15 hours of free education per week 38 weeks per year.
Along with this, your employer may offer childcare vouchers as part of your job benefits package, these can’t be used alongside tax credits. Working Tax credits is money from the UK government for the care of your children. To be entitled to this money both you and your partner need to work at least 16 hours a week.
You can use tools such as government Benefits calculators to understand what you are entitled to. Both funded places and tax credits are conditional on your immigration status.
9. International schools
London especially is home to some of the best international schools in the UK. International schools are Private schools that offer the curriculum and culture of a particular country.
Most international schools offer similar standards of schooling around the world and the use of the International Baccalaureate which is recognised all over the world and provides a gateway to all of the top universities in the world. They tend to be very popular with families relocating to the UK.
For children arriving in the UK international schools can be a better fit than state schools as staff are more likely to understand the needs of foreign students and children may feel more comfortable and find it easier to make friends as they are surrounded by fellow international students.
International schools don’t have to follow the national curriculum; they can cater more to the needs of their students. A good example of this is if the family will be experiencing successive family moves, international schools will have the benefit of a consistent education so students can continue working towards a particular qualification.
They are set up to receive relocating pupils and have systems in place to help children settle. Some examples of international schools include:
- The American School in London
- Hockerill Anglo-European College
- TASIS: The American School in England
- Lycée Français Charles de Gaulle
- Deutsche Schule London
- Instituto Español “Vicente Cañada Blanch
10. Special Schools
If your child has special educational needs (SEN) you are going to require specific provisions. State schools and private schools will have a SEN department but there are also specialist schools for children with particular SEN needs.
The best thing to do is to work on a school-by-school basis and see how they would be able to support your child specifically and use this in your decision-making.
11. School Behaviour Policies
A school’s behaviour policies are essential for parents to be aware of because they provide a very important insight into the culture of the school and how seriously a school takes behaviour. Good School Behaviour policies will do the following;
- Help students develop character
- Reform students who misbehave through support programmes to address behavioural issues.
- Ensure student safety.
- Counteract the use of harmful substances such as drugs and alcohol.
- Encourage daily attendance to school and contact parents when there is an absentee.
12. University for international students
The UK has many of the best universities in the world and is a very popular destination for families relocating to the UK with a view to in the long term joining one of these institutions. International students pay more than home students.
Application and admission are a lot more streamlined and comprehensive as UK universities welcome hundreds of thousands of international students to the UK every year and are normally processed via the university and college admission service (UCAS).
13. Where to look for a UK school
There are many online directories and parent forums, there are also league tables that rank schools on a number of metrics such as how they perform in public examinations and the proportion of students that go on to the top universities.
Whilst useful this doesn’t always give you a complete picture of a particular school that will be a good fit for your child. Parents should also pay attention to other things such as the culture of the school, transport links and provision of extracurricular activities. Parents need to assess if their child will be happy there, and will they thrive in this school environment?
A lot of useful information can also be found on the department of education website and by reading school reports by Ofsted which oversees state schools or the Independent Schools Inspectorate that oversees Private schools. Don’t forget to ask Friends and family that have sent children to UK schools, what their experiences have been.
Attending open days and speaking to staff and students is essential but I would argue that if you’re able to visit the school during the normal working day this would be even more useful, many schools are able to accommodate this.
There are also virtual tours available for many schools if you’re not able to visit but I would encourage those relocating to attempt to see schools beforehand to make an informed decision.
14. When is a good time to start the UK school search?
It is never too early to begin looking at the different options available, some useful questions to think about are;
- How long do you plan to be in the UK?
- What happens if you have to stay in the UK longer than planned?
- Which education system do you want your children to adhere to?
- Is university part of your planning? If so, which country may your children choose for university?
Conclusion
Hopefully, due to this article you now have a solid foundation on where to begin or continue your research of the UK education system, this list is in no way exhaustive but does contain much of the foundation that families need to be aware of when relocating to the UK.
If you do need any further help you can get in touch and myself and my team would be happy to help with your move to the UK. Happy moving and I’ll see you on the other side!
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