UK International Schools 

Relocation Information

Choosing the right school for your child is one of the most important decisions that parents may ever make. The process can often be daunting and can cause hours of agonising over websites, prospectuses and other sources of information. Even then parents can never be sure that they have got it right, until their child emerges intact and smiling from the other end of their school years.

Once an international assignment has been accepted the transferee has to find somewhere to live, and schools for their children. It can be a bit of a chicken and egg situation in that it is difficult to choose an area to live in without knowing what schools the children are  to attend, and it is equally difficult to choose a school without knowing where you are going to live.

You may have already decided that the UK state system will provide the education that you would like for your child. In which case The Relocation Bureau has an Educational Specialist who can guide you through the process of reviewing results tables, choosing a school and applying for a place.

If you would like to explore other educational possibilities, we can also be of assistance. The education section of our website, www.reloburo.com, outlines the options and reviews the schools. We also have years of experience in helping transferees choose and gain places for their children in international schools. 

Consider the age at which your child will start and finish their education in the UK. What is their educational history, what stage are they at and where will they fit in best? At what stage will their education be at the end of the assignment, and where do you anticipate the family will move to next?  What are the requirements for the next stage of their education, and where can these requirements best be achieved in the UK?

There are three main types of International School in the UK, those that offer an American curriculum and High School Diploma, those that offer the International Baccalaureate, and foreign language schools that teach the curriculum and language of the home country.

If your child is to progress to an American college or university and you wish them to graduate with a high school diploma, then one of the American schools would probably be your first choice.

The American School in London - ASL, offers a traditional, college-preparatory American curriculum from Kindergarten to Grade 12. Based in St John's Wood in London, the school has over 1200 international students, and although roughly 70% of them hold a US passport, over 50 different nationalities are represented in the school.

Students from the American School in London have gone on to universities throughout the US and the UK. The school offers the Advanced Placement Programme which is recognised by UK universities as being equivalent to A levels. 

The American School in England - TASIS, is located in Thorpe, Surrey and takes American and international students from nursery through to Grade 12, offering boarding facilities from Grade 9. There are about 650 students in total, representing over 35 nationalities and speaking more than a dozen languages,

TASIS offers a balanced, American college-preparatory education, and the Advanced Placement Programme. Students go on to universities in America, the UK and many other countries around the world.

The American Community Schools - ACS, are on three sites to the west of London. The largest campus is in Cobham and has over 1000 students, whilst Egham has 550 students and Hillingdon has over 650. Boarding facilities are available at Cobham.

All three run from pre kindergarten to Grade 12 and offer the High School Diploma, Advanced Placement and the International Baccalaureate. The campus at Egham offers the Primary and Middle Years International Baccalaureate Programmes as well.

Marymount International School for Girls - situated in Kingston, Surrey, Marymount is a college preparatory school for girls aged 11-18. The middle and high school syllabuses are based on the American High School system, integrated with the Middle Years Programme and the International Baccalaureate Diploma. The school also has boarding facilities.

Centre Academy - is a school for children with learning difficulties, particularly dyslexia and Attention Deficit Disorder. Situated in central London, the Academy was originally founded to serve the American Expatriate Community. The school now offers a broad based curriculum with American students staying through graduation and going onto universities in the US or Europe. British students can study to GCSE level and then go on to sixth form colleges.

Woodside Park International School - is situated in north London with a student body consisting of 550 pupils of 35 different nationalities. The school offers the Primary Years, Middle Years and the Diploma Programme of the International Baccalaureate.

The International School of London - ISL, is situated in West London and offers the Primary and Middle Years Programmes and the International Baccalaureate Diploma. The school also has provision for pupils whose first language is not English, and around 20 different languages are also taught by native speakers.As of September 2004 the school will also run the Early Childhood Programme which is designed for children aged 3 and 4.

The European School, Culham - near Abingdon, Oxford is a multi-lingual school for European pupils, who are taught in their mother tongue. Pupils study for the European Baccalaureate.

Southbank International School - is a small school which has three sites in London and offers the Primary and Middle Years Programmes and the International Baccalaureate Diploma.

St Clare's, Oxford - is an independent international college in Oxford, which offers English Language courses, as well as courses at university and pre university level for international students.

Sevenoaks School, Kent - is an independent co-educational day and boarding school in Sevenoaks, Kent. There are about 980 pupils from the ages of 11-18 in the school who come from 40 different countries. The pupils study for GCSE's and the International Baccalaureate.

Anglo European School - in Ingatestone, Essex is a self governing state school with over 1200 pupils from the ages of 11-18. It has been given language college status and offers the International Baccalaureate Diploma.

Sherborne School International College - is a co-educational boarding school that prepares pupils from overseas for entry to independent senior schools in the UK.

Deutsche Schule - is in Richmond, Surrey and teaches the German curriculum in German.

Hellenic College of London - Based in central London the school accepts pupils from nursery through to pre university, with Greek studies as a main part of the curriculum from Nursery. The examinations taken are GCSE's and A levels, including Modern Greek which is usually taken two years early.

The Japanese School - situated in Acton, the school teaches the Japanese curriculum in Japanese to mainly Japanese pupils. 

There are a number of other Japanese schools around the country, click here to see more information.

King Fahad Academy - is situated in Acton, London and teaches the Saudi Arabian national curriculum in Arabic for children of the Muslim faith living in the UK.

Ecole Jacques Prevert - is in Hammersmith, London and takes children from the ages of 4-11

Ecole Primaire D'Ealing - is in Hanwell, London and takes children from the ages of 3-11

Ecole Primaire de Wix - is in Clapham, London and takes children from the ages of 4-11

L'ille aux Enfants - is in Kentish Town, London and takes children from the ages of 2-11

Lycee Francais Charles De Gaulle - situated in Kensington, London, children are taught in French and English from the ages of 4-19. Pupils sit GCSE, AS and A level exams and the French Baccalaureate

The Norwegian School in London - is in Wimbledon and follows the Norwegian curriculum. It teaches both Norwegian and English. It is a small school with about 130 pupils from the ages of 6-16. There is also Kindergarten provision for children aged 3-5.

Prins Willem-Alexander School - is in Woking, Surrey and specialises in teaching children of Dutch speaking families who have recently moved to the UK. It teaches the curriculum of The Netherlands in Dutch.

The Swedish School in London - is situated in Barnes and at Richmond College and takes children from the ages of 3-18.

ISCis - The Independent Schools Council Information Service.

SEC - The Society of Educational Consultants

Emetis - Independent Schools Advice

Education Prep Inc - University Placement Services

IECA - The Independent Educational Consultants Association

Here at The Relocation Bureau we have an education specialist who would be happy to help with any enquiries. We offer a school search programme which can be included as part of a Home Search at no additional cost. We maintain our own computerised schools database which forms the basis of our school search programmes. We can advise you on the options available to you, contact schools on your behalf and accompany you on visits to the schools.

We also produce detailed reports for each child showing which schools have spaces available in their year group. Please visit the Relocation Services area of our website for a full description of the services that we offer.