中国家庭欢迎使用本指南。Chinese families arrive in the UK through Skilled Worker, Health & Care, Student-dependant, Family, and Innovator routes, with established communities across London, Manchester, Birmingham, Edinburgh and Liverpool. This guide maps Gaokao (高考), Zhongkao (中考), Cambridge IGCSE, A-level, IB and AP onto the UK system, sets out year-group equivalence by age, and walks through the 90-day decisions you'll face after arrival.
Key facts
China runs a 6+3+3 structure: 6 years primary (一年级–六年级) + 3 years junior secondary (初一–初三) ending in Zhongkao (中考) + 3 years senior secondary (高一–高三) ending in Gaokao (高考). Academic year typically runs September–July. UK state schools place by age. The mapping below uses the UK 1-September cutoff.
| Age | China (中国) | UK (England) | Stage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4–5 | 幼儿园 K2 (Kindergarten) | Reception | Early Years |
| 5–6 | 幼儿园 K3 (Kindergarten) | Reception / Year 1 | Early Years / KS1 |
| 6–7 | 一年级 (Primary Grade 1) | Year 2 | Key Stage 1 |
| 7–8 | 二年级 (Primary Grade 2) | Year 3 | Key Stage 2 |
| 8–9 | 三年级 (Primary Grade 3) | Year 4 | Key Stage 2 |
| 9–10 | 四年级 (Primary Grade 4) | Year 5 | Key Stage 2 |
| 10–11 | 五年级 (Primary Grade 5) | Year 6 (SATs) | Key Stage 2 |
| 11–12 | 六年级 (Primary Grade 6, end) | Year 7 | Key Stage 3 |
| 12–13 | 初一 (Junior 1) | Year 8 | Key Stage 3 |
| 13–14 | 初二 (Junior 2) | Year 9 | Key Stage 3 |
| 14–15 | 初三 (Junior 3) — 中考 Zhongkao | Year 10 (GCSE start) | Key Stage 4 |
| 15–16 | 高一 (Senior 1) | Year 11 (GCSE) | Key Stage 4 |
| 16–17 | 高二 (Senior 2) | Year 12 (AS / start of A-level) | Key Stage 5 |
| 17–18 | 高三 (Senior 3) — 高考 Gaokao | Year 13 (A-level) | Key Stage 5 |
Scotland uses P1–P7 (primary) and S1–S6 (secondary); Northern Ireland uses Year 1–14 with a one-year offset; Wales follows England's Year numbers. See the UK School System guide for full nation comparisons.
Get your child's exact UK Year placement and risk warning
Free: year + top transition risk for Chinese Gaokao / Zhongkao / IGCSE / A-level / IB / AP arrivals. Sourced to MOE, NEEA, Cambridge International, College Board and UCAS.
UK admissions teams (school and university) handle Chinese transcripts routinely, though Gaokao acceptance varies widely by university. Cambridge International, IB and AP qualifications taken at Chinese international schools are directly equivalent to their UK counterparts.
Almost all visa routes give dependent children full state-school access. The route doesn't change the school choice — it changes the visa-renewal calendar. School Atlas does not give immigration advice; consult an OISC-regulated adviser for visa questions.
Used by Chinese professionals across IT, finance, engineering, academia, hospitality, and healthcare. Children of Skilled Worker visa holders have full state-school access.
A meaningful UK route for Chinese health professionals. Same school-access rights for dependants.
Since January 2024 only PhD/research-level student visas can bring dependants. Children of eligible student-visa parents have full state-school access. China is one of the largest source countries for UK postgraduate students.
Children moving to join a UK-resident parent — common where one Chinese partner moved earlier on Skilled Worker, Student, or other route. Full state-school rights from arrival.
A smaller but established route for Chinese entrepreneurs and senior researchers. Same school-access rights for dependants.
School Atlas is not authorised to give immigration advice. For visa applications, dependant rules, or settlement, consult an OISC-regulated adviser (search the official OISC adviser register) or read official guidance at gov.uk/visas-immigration. We can help you choose a school once you know your visa.
Search by postcode once you know where you'll live. Once results load, filter by school type (state vs independent), phase, faith, fees, and inspection grade.
Enter your UK postcode to discover schools in your area, with filters for state vs independent, phase, faith, fees, and inspection grade.
Search results open with filters matching this guide
The transition difficulty depends largely on your child's prior curriculum. Children from Chinese national-curriculum schools (Mandarin medium, English as foreign language) typically need substantial EAL support for the first 1–2 years. Children from Cambridge IGCSE / A-level / IB / AP-track international schools transition more smoothly with little or no EAL load.
The UK has a substantial Chinese diaspora, concentrated in London (Chinatown, Greenwich, Surrey, Wimbledon), Manchester (Chinatown, Trafford), Birmingham, Edinburgh, and Liverpool. Chinese supplementary schools, Mandarin Saturday schools, and cultural community programmes are well-established in these areas.
A growing number of UK universities accept Gaokao for direct undergraduate entry, with subject-grade thresholds varying by institution. Several Scottish universities have particularly long-established Gaokao recognition. UK NARIC / Ecctis can issue a formal Statement of Comparability if requested. Plan the route 12+ months ahead and verify each university's admissions page.
A meaningful share of Chinese international and bilingual schools (especially in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen) teach Cambridge IGCSE / A-level, IB, or AP. These transition cleanly into the UK system — IGCSE and Cambridge International A-level are accepted directly; IB Diploma is recognised by all UK universities; AP scores are accepted by many UK universities for entry.
Chinese families on Skilled Worker, Student-dependant, or Family routes often consider UK boarding schools — the UK has a long-established Chinese boarding-school tradition with significant Chinese pupil populations at many independent boarding schools. Boarding fees range ~£35k–55k+/year. Many schools have dedicated EAL, pastoral, and cultural support arrangements.
Gaokao is a single-shot June national exam that fixes the entire final year (高三) of senior secondary around it. Arriving in Senior 2 or Senior 3 makes a clean transition to UK A-level very difficult. Schools may recommend repeating a year, switching to BTEC, going via a UK foundation programme, or applying to UK universities directly using Gaokao results.
Mandarin is offered at GCSE and A-level by AQA and Edexcel (and some other boards), but provision in UK state schools is uneven. Independent schools with significant Chinese populations are more likely to offer Mandarin. Saturday Chinese schools serve major UK Chinese communities.
Many Chinese 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.
UK independent / boarding schools are a particularly common path for Chinese families relocating to the UK. The decision is well-trodden — but there are five China-specific points that commonly surprise families on first contact with the system.
Cambridge IGCSE at a Chinese international or bilingual school (Senior 1, age 15–16) → UK senior independent or boarding school for Sixth Form (Year 12, age 16) → A-level or IB Diploma at the UK school → UK university (UCAS) or repatriation to a US/Canadian university with strong A-level / IB results. This avoids the highest-risk Gaokao mid-cycle scenarios entirely.
International Families Guide
Year-group mapping for any country, EAL support, mid-course GCSE entry
The UK School System Explained
Reception, Key Stages, GCSE, A-level — the full structure
Moving to the UK from Hong Kong (BN(O))
HKDSE / IGCSE / IB mapping for Hong Kong families
UK Boarding Schools Guide
Long-established Chinese boarding-school tradition