In the UK schools can be largely divided in 2 categories:

• State schools. These schools are free of charge. But they are only available for UK residents. The best state schools from year 7 are called  grammar schools. There are various types in this category.
• Private Schools. They are independent schools or so-called Public Schools. Public Schools in the UK mean Private Schools but only in context with children from 8 to 13 years old. All Private Schools in the UK are fee-paying schools. There are Day Schools and Boarding Schools in this category.

There are 3 types of boarding available in the UK Private Schools. If the school does not have a boarding facility, then it is called a Day school.

• Weekly boarding — during the week the child lives in the school and during weekends, the child stays at home.
• Full boarding — the child actually lives in the school during term time and only goes home during holidays.
• Flexi boarding — usually you can choose when your child stays at the school and when at home.

There are 3 types of Private Schools, dividing by age of the child. Please bear in mind that we include only England and only Private Schools. For Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland and state schools, they are different.

• Pre-preparatory schools
  • 3 to 4 years old — KS (key stages) “Early Years”
  • 4 to 5 years old — KS (key stages) “Early Years”
  • 5 to 6 years old — KS-1 Year 1
  • 6 to 7 years old — KS-1 Year 2
  • 7 to 8 years old — KS-2 Year 3
• Preparatory or Junior schools
  • 8 to 9 years old — KS-2 Year 4
  • 9 to 10 years old — KS-2 Year 5
  • 10 to 11 years old — KS-2 Year 6
  • 11 to 12 years old — KS-3 Year 7
  • 12 to 13 years old — KS-3 Year 8
• Senior schools
  • 13 to 14 years old — KS-3 Year 9
  • 14 to 15 years old — KS-4 Year 10
  • 15 to 16 years old — KS-4 Year 11 GCSE
  • 16 to 17 years old — KS-5 Year 12
  • 17 to 18 years old — KS-5 Year 13 A-Levels

In the UK, schools usually have 3 terms per academic year.

It depends on what is best for the children, especially in terms of schoolmates and friends.

• Local schools. These are schools where most of the pupils are local and there is a small proportion of international students. This can be helpful for you if the child is open to integration into the local community.
• International schools. These schools have pupils mostly from outside the UK, often from wealthy families. Friendships established with schoolmates can have global flavour and impact. (This is not to be confused with American Schools, Japanese, Russian or Chinese Schools in the UK.)

This depends on your needs, preference and availability. Whether you prefer London or in the country, there are always pros and cons. For example, in London your child can have a very busy life; while in small villages, or even in a forest, life can be quiet, secluded, even resembling a fairy tale setting. Troubled children who are easily distracted from their studies, may need a location far away from busy cities and temptations.

Our advice is to assess the school educational output first, then clarify religious subjects with the particular school. The only exception can be if you are religious, and/or you are planning religious education for your child in the future.

If you are planning to study in UK universities after your school, then you are advised to take A-Levels. If you are not sure about your further educational path, then IB can be a better option. The choice is entirely yours.

The main difference between them is that A-Levels are more focused on specific subjects, and you can often choose only 3 (minimum) subjects and spend all your time on these limited subjects, therefore can have a much better chance to get the grades needed for your preferred university. Whereas for IB, you need to take care of 5-6 subjects usually, spreading your attention, time and effort. This can indeed be significant for your education path and career.

Consider carefully before making decision.

A very common mistake is only to look at school rankings. Why? The school education is not an item you buy on Amazon, and various criteria in the ranking assessment may or may not have any tangible substantial significance to the learning and development of the child of particular background and under particular circumstances. The most important element in the education process is the child. Further, apart from school results, there is day-to-day life; and let’s not forget, your child must be happy, especially at boarding schools, to enjoy learning and life.

Most of the schools in the UK have statistics in terms of what universities their students applied to, and most important, had a placement. This can show how good this particular school help prospective students to choose the right universities for them, and prepare their UKAS application.

You can see more about Oxbridge applications in the set of sessions HERE.