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Filipino families have been a long-established cohort on the UK Skilled Worker — Health & Care route, with strong community networks around hospitals across the UK. This guide maps the K-12 / Senior High School Diploma 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
The Philippines moved to a K-12 structure in 2013: Kindergarten + 6 elementary + 4 junior high + 2 senior high. UK state schools place by age. The mapping below uses the UK 1-September cutoff.
| Age | Philippines | UK (England) | Stage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5–6 | Kindergarten | Reception / Year 1 | Early Years / KS1 |
| 6–7 | Grade 1 (Elementary) | Year 2 | Key Stage 1 |
| 7–8 | Grade 2 | Year 3 | Key Stage 2 |
| 8–9 | Grade 3 | Year 4 | Key Stage 2 |
| 9–10 | Grade 4 | Year 5 | Key Stage 2 |
| 10–11 | Grade 5 | Year 6 (SATs) | Key Stage 2 |
| 11–12 | Grade 6 (end of Elementary) | Year 7 | Key Stage 3 |
| 12–13 | Grade 7 (Junior High) | Year 8 | Key Stage 3 |
| 13–14 | Grade 8 | Year 9 | Key Stage 3 |
| 14–15 | Grade 9 | Year 10 (GCSE start) | Key Stage 4 |
| 15–16 | Grade 10 (end of Junior High) | Year 11 (GCSE) | Key Stage 4 |
| 16–17 | Grade 11 (Senior High — chosen Strand) | Year 12 (AS / start of A-level) | Key Stage 5 |
| 17–18 | Grade 12 — Senior High School Diploma | 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 Philippine DepEd K-12 arrivals. Sourced to DepEd.
UK admissions teams handle Philippine transcripts routinely. SHS Diploma usually needs top-up; Cambridge / IB transfers cleanly.
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.
Filipino nationals are a long-established cohort on this route, particularly in nursing and care. Children of Health & Care Worker visa holders have full access to UK state schools, free of charge.
Used by Filipino professionals across IT, engineering, and finance. Same school-access rights as Health & Care for dependants.
Children moving to join a UK-resident parent — common where one Filipino partner moved earlier on Skilled Worker or Health & Care.
Since January 2024 only PhD/research-level student visas can bring dependants. Children of eligible student-visa parents have full state school access.
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
English is one of two official languages of instruction (alongside Filipino) across the Philippine school system. Most subjects in elementary and secondary are taught in English. UK transitions are linguistically smooth for most children; Filipino-medium subjects (Araling Panlipunan, etc.) sit alongside English-medium core subjects.
Around 80% of the Philippines is Catholic. UK state-funded Catholic schools are well-established (around 2,000 across England), and many serve significant Filipino communities. Catholic schools can give priority to baptised Catholic children in oversubscribed areas.
UK NARIC / Ecctis benchmarks the SHS Diploma below A-level standard for university entry. Most UK universities ask for A-level top-up or a foundation year. STEM and ABM strands transfer slightly better than GAS or TVL. Plan the route 12+ months ahead.
If your child was at a Manila-area private school offering Cambridge IGCSE / A-level or IB, the UK transition is straightforward — these are the same qualifications. Choose a UK school that offers the same exam track to preserve continuity.
The UK Filipino population is concentrated around hospitals and care-sector workplaces. Strong community networks exist in London (Earls Court, Barnet, Greenford), Manchester, Birmingham, and Glasgow. Saturday Tagalog supplementary schools, Catholic parish events, and Filipino community associations all serve school-age families.
Grammar schools are selective state schools (free). They exist in Kent, Buckinghamshire, parts of London, Birmingham, Lincolnshire, and others. Entry via 11+ exam in Year 6. Filipino pupils from competitive Manila private schools often perform well; late entry beyond Year 7 is harder.
Many Filipino 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.
International Families Guide
Year-group mapping for any country, EAL support, mid-course GCSE entry
Faith School Admissions
How Catholic and other faith schools admit pupils
The UK School System Explained
Reception, Key Stages, GCSE, A-level — the full structure
UK Exams Explained for Parents
SATs, GCSE, A-level, IB — what each one is and when it matters