Moving to London? Things to Consider When Looking for the Right School
London and greater London offer an extraordinarily rich education landscape. Whether you’re looking at British state schools, independent schools, international schools, or schools following the national curriculum of another country, just about everything is on offer. That’s the good news.
The challenge is that with so many options comes real complexity, and the British education system works differently from what many families expect. Whether you’re a British family looking for a change of school, a family repatriating to England after time abroad, or an international family relocating to London for the first time, there’s a good chance you could use some expert guidance. The questions you need to ask aren’t always the obvious ones, and the answers can have long-term consequences for your child’s education.
At Bennett International, our London-based team of experienced consultants works with families across all of these situations. They’re well versed in independent schools, state schools, international schools, and boarding schools. They’re always out visiting schools, and they know the landscape from the inside. Here’s a closer look at what families moving to or within London should keep in mind.
The British Education System Is Built Around Exam Points
One of the most important things for families to understand about education in England is that the system is structured around defining exam points, particularly at the secondary level. This makes it very different from, say, the American system, which is more forgiving in terms of when a student can enter or re-enter.
In England, Years 10 and 11, when students are ages 14-16, are focused on the GCSE (General Certificate of Secondary Education) exams which students sit at the end of Year 11. The GCSE qualification is the equivalent of a secondary school diploma, and having a GCSE matters. Years 12 and 13 are the A-level years, which determine university options. Because these are structured as two-year examination cycles, it’s very difficult to enter the system partway through. A child returning to England who wants to join Year 11 but wasn’t there for Year 10 will face real challenges. Similarly, a student who wants to sit A-levels but doesn’t have GCSEs will need a carefully planned alternative route.
This is where many families, particularly repatriating British families, are caught off guard. If you’ve been on an international assignment and your child has been out of the British system during these critical years, the transition back isn’t seamless. It requires planning, and ideally, the support of a professional who knows how to navigate the options and problem-solve.
The IGCSE Consideration
Here’s something that surprises a lot of families: IGCSEs (International GCSEs) and GCSEs are not the same qualification. They’re owned and administered by different examination boards, and transferring from one to the other mid-stream is not straightforward.
Many British families on international assignments enroll their children in schools offering IGCSEs, assuming this will make repatriation simple. While the IGCSE is a valid credential that enables students to progress to A-levels, it is not the same program as the GCSE, and if your family is called back to England halfway through the programme, a student can’t simply pick up GCSEs where the IGCSEs left off. The curricula, the assessment structures, and the examination boards are different.
This is one of those questions that families sometimes don’t think to ask until it’s too late. If there’s any chance your family might return to England during your child’s secondary years, it’s worth understanding this distinction before you leave.
The Diploma Gap: A Risk British Families Don’t See Coming
There’s a related issue that catches repatriating families off guard, and it has to do with the age at which students earn their qualifications in each system.
In England, students effectively earn their secondary qualification (GCSEs) at age 16, which is younger than the diploma age in many other countries. In the United States, for example, a high school diploma isn’t awarded until age 18. So, if a British family leaves England when their child is 14 and spends three years in the US, their child will have missed the GCSE window in England but won’t have stayed in the US long enough to earn an American diploma. They return to the British system having essentially passed through both the British and US education systems, but without a qualification from either.
It’s remarkable how many families discover this at the end of an assignment rather than at the beginning! In one case, the solution was as straightforward as extending the assignment by a year so the student could complete an American diploma. But ideally, a family would plan for this before leaving England.
How State Schools Work in London (and Why It Can Be Stressful)
For families planning to use the state school system in London, it’s important to understand that having an address in a particular area does not guarantee a child a place at the local school. State schools can and do fill up, and enroling a child in a preferred school can be more competitive than many families expect.
For most families travelling to the UK and looking to secure a place at a state school, the application schedule is fairly straightforward and children arriving between the ages of 4 to 15 yrs will likely apply using an ‘in-year’ application form. Applications are made via your local council (or borough – where you have your permanent home) but this cannot be done from a temporary address and your child must be seen to be living at your new permanent address. You will be required to provide your lease agreement, and depending on the local council they might also request documents that help them understand that you are in fact living in their derestriction, such as a utility bill, boarding pass, visa copy, GP registration, council tax number, etc. On your application form there will be room to put up to five schools in order of preference, and after around ten school/working days, you should receive an offer for the nearest school with space on your form.
There are a couple of deadlines for children starting school at 4 years old and 11 years old. If you are hoping to start your child in Reception at 4 years old, you would apply by 15th January of the year they turn 4, for the new academic year starting in September. If you arrive after this time, you can still apply late, but you might not get one of your preferred local state schools and it might be necessary to join a wait list in case a spot should come up in the future. Again, if you arrive with a child needing to join secondary at 11 yrs old, you would usually make an on time application by October 31st the previous year, when the child is enjoying their last year of primary school. Similarly, you can also apply late but you will be considered after the first offers have gone out. Your child will get a school place, but you might need to go on a wait list for a preference school.
It is important to note that schools will not go over numbers, and can only offer if they have an available space. The council where you live will take responsibility for educating your child until the age of 16, but after that schools and colleges can decide if a student is a good fit for them or has obtained the right number of GCSEs or academic standard in order to study at the next level.
This is where Bennett’s London team can be especially helpful. Our consultants have built strong relationships with councils across London and greater London, and they’re often able to get an indication of likely placement before a family has finalised their residence. It’s not always a guarantee, but it’s a significant advantage that can save families weeks of uncertainty and help them make informed decisions about where to live.
For families arriving in the summer, enrolling in a state school is always a point of stress. Many of the most desirable state school spots, particularly at the secondary level, are already allocated for Year 7 and can be full in other year groups and this means that families will want to think carefully about where to live and maybe consider an area where there are plenty of good state schools or independent or international schools as an alternative.
OFSTED: Understanding How Schools Are Evaluated
For families researching state schools in England, it’s worth knowing about OFSTED (the Office for Standards in Education), which conducts inspections of state-funded schools and publishes its findings.
OFSTED overhauled its inspection framework in late 2025, replacing the previous system of single-word headline assessments with a more detailed report card model. Schools are now assessed across multiple evaluation areas, including curriculum and teaching, achievement, inclusion, attendance and behaviour, personal development and wellbeing, and leadership and governance. Each area receives a grade on a five-point scale, from “Exceptional” to “Urgent Improvement,” with safeguarding assessed separately.
This is a significant change from the old system, and one that our consultants are well versed in. When recommending state schools, our team takes OFSTED assessments into account alongside their own firsthand knowledge from visiting schools and speaking with school leadership.
Moving to London with Children with Additional Needs: A System That Cares, But Takes Time
For families relocating to London with a child who has special educational needs or disabilities (SEND), the British education system is, on the whole, attentive and well resourced. The state system in particular takes its responsibility to children with additional needs seriously, and there are strong provisions in place to support them.
That said, the process isn’t instant. The council will assess a child and work to assign them an appropriate placement, but this takes time. For families who are moving and need to get their child settled quickly, the waiting period can be stressful.
It’s worth preparing for this psychologically. The system does work, and it does look after children with additional needs, but families should expect that securing the right placement may take a little longer than it would for a neurotypical child. Our consultants can help families understand what to expect and how to navigate the process as smoothly as possible.
University Planning: Residency Rules That Can Catch You Out
This one is particularly relevant for British families who are heading out on an international assignment and plan to send their children back to England for university.
British nationals pay home-rate tuition fees for university, which are significantly lower than the fees charged to international students. However, to qualify for that home-rate status, a student generally needs to have been resident in the UK for the three years leading up to their university start date.
If a family leaves England on a long-term assignment, there’s a risk that their child may not meet the residency requirement when they apply to university. Individual universities have some discretion in how they classify students, and some families report that keeping documentation of trips in and out of the country (boarding passes, for example) can help demonstrate ongoing ties. But others consider the risk too significant and factor it into their planning with their employer from the outset.
This is exactly the kind of question that families should be asking before they leave England, not when they’re preparing university applications. Our consultants can help families think through the long-term educational implications of an international move, including how it might affect university eligibility and fees.
How We Work with Families in London
Our process in London follows the same approach that Bennett uses globally. It always starts with the intake interview: a detailed conversation to understand the family, the children, and what they need. Are you moving in? Moving back? Moving on? Does one child need a different type of school from another? Is boarding school worth considering because the family’s next move might be to a location with limited options? Every family has a slightly different story, and that first conversation is where we begin to understand yours.
From there, our consultant puts together a personalised list of recommended schools, based on the family’s criteria, research, availability checks with the schools themselves, and a thorough understanding of each child’s academic profile and learning style. They’ll arrange school visits, help with applications, ensure the correct documentation and testing are in place, and liaise with schools and councils on your behalf throughout the process. If the family is working with a relocation agent or settling-in consultant, our team coordinates with them to make sure everything aligns, particularly when state school placement is linked to where the family is going to live.
Our consultants walk with families through the entire process, from that first conversation all the way through to enrolment.
For families who don’t need or want full-service support, we also offer one-off consultations. If you simply want an hour with an expert to get your bearings, to understand whether A-levels are possible without GCSEs, or to talk through your options between state, independent, and international schools, that’s available too.
Bennett International’s London team supports families with school placement across London and greater London, from a child’s very first school through to university applications and the UCAS process. Whether you’re relocating to England, repatriating, or just a local family looking for a change, our consultants have extensive knowledge of the education landscape and strong relationships with schools and local authorities.
Bennett International Education Consultancy works directly with hundreds of families each year across the globe. We support families by helping them make informed decisions about the best-fit schools for their children; with our guidance, they secure placement in preschools, private day schools, public/state schools, boarding schools, colleges and universities, including schools with particular programmes, such as special needs support.
