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Moving to the UK with children? Four nations, different year groups, unfamiliar exams, and a system that assumes you already know how it works. This guide doesn't assume that.
Key facts
If you're moving from one of these countries, we have a more specific guide that maps your home qualifications onto the UK system.
Moving from India
CBSE / ICSE / Cambridge → GCSE / A-level
Moving from Hong Kong (BN(O))
HKDSE / IGCSE / IB · BN(O) route · EMI vs CMI
Moving from Nigeria
WASSCE / NECO · English-medium · foundation route
Moving from Pakistan
Cambridge / Matric / Intermediate · faith schools
Moving from USA
Grade ↔ Year · AP / IB / SAT · vocabulary trap
Moving from Philippines
K-12 / SHS Diploma · Catholic provision
Moving from Ukraine
Атестат / NMT · Homes for Ukraine · trauma-informed support
Don't see your country? This guide covers the universal UK schooling concepts that apply regardless of origin.
20%
Of UK pupils speak English as a second language
360+
Languages spoken in UK schools
Free
State school education for almost all visa types
5–7yr
Average time to academic English fluency
Schools cannot ask for your visa
The DfE explicitly prohibits schools from requesting passports or immigration documents. Every child has a right to education.
Placement is by age, not ability
UK schools place children in year groups by birthday, not by academic level. A 10-year-old goes in the year group for 10-year-olds, regardless of their prior schooling.
Mid-GCSE arrival is very hard
Joining Year 11 (age 15–16) is extremely challenging. GCSEs are 2-year courses. Your child may need to repeat a year or sit fewer exams.
UK year groups work differently from most other countries. This table maps ages to year groups across all four UK nations, the US, and continental Europe.
| Age | England | Wales | Scotland | N. Ireland | US | Europe |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4–5 | Reception | Reception | P1 | P1/Year 1 | Kindergarten | Pre-school / CP (France) |
| 5–6 | Year 1 | Year 1 | P2 | P2/Year 2 | 1st Grade | Year 1 / CE1 |
| 6–7 | Year 2 | Year 2 | P3 | P3/Year 3 | 2nd Grade | Year 2 / CE2 |
| 7–8 | Year 3 | Year 3 | P4 | P4/Year 4 | 3rd Grade | Year 3 / CM1 |
| 8–9 | Year 4 | Year 4 | P5 | P5/Year 5 | 4th Grade | Year 4 / CM2 |
| 9–10 | Year 5 | Year 5 | P6 | P6/Year 6 | 5th Grade | Year 5 / 6e (France) |
| 10–11 | Year 6 | Year 6 | P7 | P7/Year 7 | 6th Grade | Year 6 / 5e |
| 11–12 | Year 7 | Year 7 | S1 | Year 8 | 7th Grade | Year 7 / 4e |
| 12–13 | Year 8 | Year 8 | S2 | Year 9 | 8th Grade | Year 8 / 3e |
| 13–14 | Year 9 | Year 9 | S3 | Year 10 | 9th Grade | Year 9 / 2nde |
| 14–15 | Year 10 | Year 10 | S4 | Year 11 | 10th Grade | Year 10 / 1re |
| 15–16 | Year 11 (GCSEs) | Year 11 (GCSEs) | S4 (Nat 5s) | Year 12 (GCSEs) | 11th Grade | Year 11 / Terminale |
| 16–17 | Year 12 (AS) | Year 12 | S5 (Highers) | Year 13 | 12th Grade | Post-16 |
| 17–18 | Year 13 (A2) | Year 13 | S6 (Adv Highers) | Year 14 | College Freshman | Post-16 |
| Age | England | Scotland | US |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4–5 | Reception | P1 | Kindergarten |
| 5–6 | Year 1 | P2 | 1st Grade |
| 6–7 | Year 2 | P3 | 2nd Grade |
| 7–8 | Year 3 | P4 | 3rd Grade |
| 8–9 | Year 4 | P5 | 4th Grade |
| 9–10 | Year 5 | P6 | 5th Grade |
| 10–11 | Year 6 | P7 | 6th Grade |
| 11–12 | Year 7 | S1 | 7th Grade |
| 12–13 | Year 8 | S2 | 8th Grade |
| 13–14 | Year 9 | S3 | 9th Grade |
| 14–15 | Year 10 | S4 | 10th Grade |
| 15–16 | Year 11 (GCSEs) | S4 (Nat 5s) | 11th Grade |
| 16–17 | Year 12 (AS) | S5 (Highers) | 12th Grade |
| 17–18 | Year 13 (A2) | S6 (Adv Highers) | College Freshman |
Birthday cut-off dates vary
England, Wales, & NI: 1 September cut-off (children born before 1 Sept start school that year). Scotland: 1 March cut-off (with Feb deferrals common). This means a child may be in a different year group depending on which part of the UK they move to.
Get a personalised UK Year placement and risk warning
Free: pick your origin, age and arrival month — see the likely UK Year plus the highest-priority transition risk for your timing.
Almost every child in the UK can attend state school for free, regardless of immigration status. Here's the detail.
Find the best-matched schools near you
Tell us your priorities and we'll rank nearby schools by how well they fit.
If your child is not fluent in English, schools must provide support. Here's how the system works.
EAL proficiency stages
A — New to English
Can understand very little. Needs intensive 1:1 or small group support. Typically lasts 6–12 months.
B — Early acquisition
Basic conversational English but struggles with academic language. Can follow simple instructions.
C — Developing competence
Growing confidence in social English. Still needs support with curriculum-specific vocabulary and written tasks.
D — Competent
Oral fluency close to peers. Written English still developing. May need occasional vocabulary support.
E — Fluent
Fully competent in English. No additional support needed. Typically reached within 5–7 years of arrival.
Arriving during GCSE or A-level years is one of the biggest challenges international families face.
New to the UK? Enter your postcode to discover schools in your area with detailed profiles and admissions guidance.
Search results open with filters matching this guide
A practical timeline from before you arrive to your child's first term.
Many international families moving to the UK consider both state and independent (private) schools. UK state schools are free and high-quality across most of the UK, but independent schools may fit for: curriculum continuity (Cambridge IGCSE / IB / AP-track families), boarding (for families splitting countries), faith-aligned education, smaller class sizes, or selective day-school academic profiles. Below are the practical levers — fees, scholarships, boarding, admissions mechanics, and the recent VAT change.
Day: £15k–25k/year (lower-fee day schools £8k–15k in some regions).
Senior boarding: £35k–55k+/year. Top boarding schools (Eton, Harrow, Winchester etc.) at the top end.
Plus uniform, trips, music tuition, exams. Allow ~10–15% on top of headline fees.
Most independent schools offer scholarships (5–25% off fees) for academic, music, sport, art, drama, or all-rounder strength. Bursaries are means-tested and can cover 50–100% of fees at some schools.
International families are eligible — check each school's policy.
If your child was on Cambridge IGCSE, Cambridge International A-level, IB Diploma, or AP at an international school in your origin country, many UK independent schools (and some state schools) offer the same qualifications — no curriculum switch needed.
IB Diploma is offered at ~100+ UK schools; IGCSE at most independents and some state.
UK boarding has a long-established international tradition. Common reasons international families choose boarding: family splitting countries, established UK boarding networks from extended family, or pursuing a specific school's academic / sporting profile.
Full, weekly, and flexi boarding all available. Pastoral care is rated as part of inspections.
VAT on independent school fees (since January 2025)
UK independent school fees now attract 20% VAT. Many schools absorbed part of the rise rather than passing it through in full. The headline fee figures above already reflect post-VAT pricing at most schools. See the VAT guide for detail.
Start here: UK private school system explained
Terminology (independent / private / "public school" paradox), HMC / GSA / IAPS associations, and orientation to the sector.
Private vs state — side-by-side
Direct comparison across academics, fees, class size, EAL provision, and admissions.
Independent school fees: the true cost
Tuition + extras + uniform + trips. Day £15k–25k; senior boarding £35k–55k+.
Scholarships & bursaries
Most independent schools offer 5–25% off fees; some bursaries cover 100% on means-test.
UK boarding schools
Long-established international boarding tradition; full / weekly / flexi options.
How independent admissions work
11+, 13+, 16+ entry tests; ISEB Common Pre-Test; per-school applications, not centralised.
VAT on independent school fees
Since January 2025, independent fees attract 20% VAT. Many schools absorbed part of the rise.
Sources
This guide draws on the Department for Education admissions guidance, the School Admissions Code (England), UK Visas and Immigration guidance on education rights, the EAL Nexus resources (British Council), the NALDIC (National Association for Language Development in the Curriculum), and local authority in-year admissions guidance. This guide is for general information only and does not constitute immigration or legal advice. Immigration rules change frequently — always verify your rights with a qualified immigration adviser or your local authority before making decisions about school places. Last reviewed April 2026.
Moving Between UK Nations
Year-group mappings and exam equivalences across 4 nations
How the UK School System Works
Key stages, inspections, and how the system is structured
Every Type of UK School Explained
State, private, grammar, faith — what it all means
SEND Rights & Processes
If your child has special educational needs
Search by postcode, filter by school type and inspection grade, and compare schools across all four UK nations.