Admission to London school if the whole family is moving

Admission to London day schools with the help of an agent in the country

Today we will discuss the admission of children in British schools, if the whole family moves to live in the UK, particularly in London.

Usually parents that get work in London know how difficult it might be to arrange the school or kindergarten for children, even if we are talking about the arrival of the youngest students to private schools in London. Typically, these families have the experience of acquaintances (friends or colleagues) who have moved before and went through the same painful process of selection schools and pending confirmation of places for children, especially if we are talking about popular and prestigious areas of the city. Well before moving, usually at least a year, these families seek help from professionals, agencies that have been on the market, understand the difference in education systems and have connections in the local schools. In this case, of course it's better if the Agency hasd its permanent representative in London, who can personally call in and chat with management, as well as to accompany family (or mom sometime) when they arrive to do the entrance tests and interviews.

My daughter, Marina Neklyudova, has extensive experience in the educational business, knows 6 languages, received a bachelor's degree in the Netherlands, and M. A. from the University of London.

Knowing all details of international education, Marina represents the interests of our clients in British schools, working directly with them, meets and accompanies the families to visit the school and have interviews.

In this article, Marina shares her experience about enrollment into London school of the youngest, children of age 3-11 years.

"Let's discuss why majority of families moving to London will have to consider private schools: private schools are able to educate  foreign children better as at the time of admission they usually speak English poorly and are not adapted to the British system of education. In particular, these schools have smaller classes and teachers can give pupils more individual attention. In addition, if necessary, at such schools your child can get private lessons in EFL (English as Foreign Language) that will help the child to improve English, to improve academic performance and to feel comfortable among their peers.

And yet, the main reason why at first you would probably have to consider private schools rather banal: schools in the city with a population of ten million people are overcrowded. To get into a good public day school (grammar school) in London, your child will have to pass exams in English and mathematics, to impress the Committee with good behavior and all sorts of talent - say, musical ability or sporting achievements. Not having the appropriate training and not being before in the British system, many children are simply unable to pass the entrance exams in a good state school.

A traditional British school: what is nursery, reception and where actually begins school. Pre-School

First stage: Nursery School

Many British kids contact education system for the first time at the age of three, when they are sent to primary school - Nursery School or Pre-school, which is similar to our kindergarten. Here children learn to perceive phonetic sounds, visually recognize letters and to understand role playing situation. Usually children are in Nursery from eight in the morning, before half after one, but you can find schools where children can stay until five. At this stage children can integrate into the British educational system easier. In order to enroll in Nursery children do not need to go through an interview, although in order to register your child into a prestigious Nursery School you will need to put it on the waiting list are not less than a year before the anticipated start of schooling. Nursery is not compulsory, but for many families it is the only way to get a child to a really good school, without putting themselves to severe stress.

Second stage: Reception

At the age of four years, all while still in Pre-school, children are sent to so-called Reception: here they begin to learn the alphabet and numbers. Most private schools begins the learning process at this age and believes this year is the mandatory year of training, although public schools are considered mandatory from five years.

Preparatory School

Preparatory school (often abbreviated to Prep school) starts in 5 years. At this stage, by the standards of traditional British education, education becomes mandatory for all schools. Prestigious prep school is a guarantee that the child will develop well and will continue to be able to take GCSE and A-levels and then study at a top University. It is not easy to get into a good prep school in London: in many schools competition is high, waiting lists are long and preference is given, as a rule, younger brothers and sisters of children who are already pupils of the school. Often, the child will be asked to pass a test in English and mathematics and complete informal interview. But there are a number of good schools that will take the child to a preparatory school on the results of interview, school report card (if child already goes to school) and the recommendations of teachers.

Admission to a private London day school: tips for parents

• Do not be late with admission process - start to engage in the selection of school as early as possible: the London school, even private schools, are crowded, and therefore fill up very quickly. Good private schools end up enrolling new pupils for the year before the start of classes, i.e. in September. The best private preparatory schools accept students only at the age of three or four years. In some cases, to get into one of these schools, you need to register your child soon as he was born.
• In order to begin to look for an elementary school you need to understand clearly in which area of London you are going to live and what system you want your child to study further: international IB or traditional British. Each system has its advantages, and the choice of school will greatly depend on what system you prefer and what schools are nearby your home.
• Day schools of London pursue a policy of "first siblings". This means that if one of your children already listed in school then the second child will get to school almost-automatically. It also means that if on one site your child applies and on another one who has siblings at school, the place will be given him, not to your child.
• The tuition at good private schools and very good private schools is not much differ, but you will be amazed by the difference in the equipment and premises of the schools. The result of how good school you can get for your child will depend not so much on English level or on how good are academic achievements  if the child is very young, but how much in advance you started to be engaged in school selection process.
• When the child started to study at the British school, don't try to talk to the child at home in English. Allow kids to speak your native, familiar language with you at home and English at school. This will reduce stress and allow kids to blend into new system quickly.