Independent schools in London for an American expat

[anniesta]

We are moving from NYC to London, and I would appreciate any advice with school selection . With the exception of ASL, which seems impossible to get into, which school could be a good option for an American student entering middle school? What do people think of TASIS? Thank you!

Where in London will you be living?

If you are in the suburbs of SW London, the American School in Cobham Surrey is also worth a look.

Middle school is what age? And do you have any idea where you want to live? It can easily take an hour to get from one area of London to another, even though the distance as the crow flies it may not be far - so this is important!

Re TASIS - it's in Surrey, so not in London. Would you therefore be living in Surrey (presumably either you or DH will need to then commute into the city for work) or would DC be boarding?

Middle school is y8 ish iirc. When does your dc turn 13? Do you want an American, IB or uk curriculum? Any other criteria? Where do you plan to live/work? ACS has several sites within commute for London based jobs.

What ages are your children, which area are you looking at moving to, and what are your children like?

Thank you, everyone, for your replies. My dc is currently in 4th grade in the US. We would prefer to stay in the city of London, close to Zone 1, on the west side. I keep forgetting how large London is compared to NYC... I don't know enough at this point to decide which curriculum we should select, but am trying to stay open minded. Will schools like Thomas's Battersea be out of question for a 10 year-old foreign applicant? Thanks again.

Where specifically will you or your spouse be working?

The answers will be quite different if you say Victoria or Canary Wharf.

If you both work you probably want to live close to school, for an easy drop off and then commute. If one of you stays at home then you can cast your net a bit wider.

Just for info, watch out for the term 'city'. 'The City' is quite different to the overall term for living in the geographical area of London.

'The City' or 'The City of London' means the specific area of east/central London containing the large banking, insurance and financial institutions.

Just trying to save you confusion later on!

So you would be looking at year 6 in September, assuming still 10 at that point. Prep schools which go up to year 8 might take him but that would limit your options if you plan to stay more than 3 years. Prep schools may well be more formal than you are used to. Most children transfer into secondary at 11 , even in the independent sector, so it may be worth considering schools with linked senior schools to avoid further moves. Agree The City is not West London , or even the West End, so you need to be clear about where you/dh will work and time you are willing to commute. Can you get a relocation agent to help identify suitable schools?

How long do you expect to stay in the UK?

The curriculum is very different as you get towards the end of middle school, so if you expect to move back in a few years I would suggest you try to get your dc into an American school. If you will stay at least until the end of high school, I think there are many many options that will work fine.

I am British living in NYC and have had several friends return to the UK with similar aged children, they have generally had very few problems adapting to the UK curriculum.

Will you stay a while? If just looking for a short time then maybe try one of the International schools.

Don’t bother with Thomas’s.

I think the US embassy were looking at Newtons as a proposed school for staffs kids. It goes to 13 for boys and girls.

Some more info would be helpful, particularly:

Month and year of birth
How long you plan to be here / whether you plan to go back into the American education system or stick with the British system.
What things you prioritise in a school - academic stretch / sport / music / traditional values / being progressive / a cosy environment

Thomas's Battersea is part of a small chain. There are lots of London day prep schools, but equally, lots of well off Londoners decide to use the state system because there are some very good London state schools.

It always amazes me how many people moving to London only consider a narrow range of areas to live in. It is very easy to commute in and out of London and you may find that, if you start with your / your husband's place of work that people can recommend schools and location that make sense in relation to that.

If you’re going into year 6 you could also consider state (public) school for a year and prepping for private secondary school entrance for year 7 which is the usual secondary school entry point - this will probably give you more options than you will get coming into the final year of elementary school.

I’m sure people do commute from west London to American schools in Surrey but it will be time-consuming and miserable imo.

But exams for year 7 entry to senior schools would be sometime between November and January this year, hardly long enough to catch up and become familiar with the format and expectation.

Agree LIZS, and that’s before you even consider how competitive those y7 entrance exams are

Thank you, everyone! It sounds like I need to hire a consultant, as the process is more complicated that I had envisioned. I had not realized that year 7 is a big year for private secondary schools. Back to research!

Yes private schools either have main entry at 11(year 7) perhaps with a further, smaller intake at 13 , or at 13(year9) for the traditional "public" schools which tend to be largely boarding and/or academically competitive.

Try joining American Expats in London on Facebook

If you are only here for a few years and want non-American, I recommend the preps to 13 ie Newton Prep, the various Thomas's schools and Fulham prep. (Fans would add hill house to that).

They lose children at 11 so prospective pupils who are going to stay have appeal. They have streams not doing 11+ so your child wouldn't be thrown into grinding exam papers sept -Dec which the other year 6 children would be (I am assuming your child turns 11 between sept 2019 and August 2020).

Newton and Thomas's Battersea tend to have quite a large American element which might appeal too.

Friends have been happy with the conham asl too

What about Hill House in Knightsbridge.
A bit further out but Ibstock and Harrodian could be worth a look too.
That is if you are happy with a UK curriculum. Others have already suggested Newton Prep.
If you want International there is Southbank, Dwight , ACS , ISL to look at

As PPs say much depends on things like where your DC will be sitting senior exams, here or US.

Yes, entry is at fixed points and often highly academically competitive.

Also, plan where to live once the school and work are sorted: transport can be slow and very unpleasant!

You don’t say how academic he is.

London prep schools are usually selective and can go at quite a pace. Newton Prep is well worth a look, and similar schools that go up to 13. If he is less academic, I would take a look at Portland Place. Not sure they start in Yr but if not they can recommend.

The City is a small specific area. The American community tends to be concentrated around Chelsea in the West, and places like Hampstead/St Johns Wood in the North. If you are only here for a short time I would stay as Central as possible.

What about Southbank International?