Relocating from NYC to London - ASL or UK schools?

[DreamyShaker]

Hello,

We may be relocating from NY to London for work - not confirmed yet. One of the factors that worries me is education. Our 6 year-old DD is at a top private / independent school in NYC and we’re delighted with it. I feel she just went through kindergarten admissions and now we may need to restart it all, which is daunting to say the least.

I’m curious to hear from folks who may have done or know of others who’ve gone through similar moves. What would DD’s options be in London, only ASL (American School in London) or do Americans also take their kids to UK schools? How is ASL regarded academically? Would she have any chances of getting into one of the top girl prep schools at the age of 6 (year 2) or, given it’s not an entry point, that door is closed? Are there any Americans in those schools (eg Glendower, KP)?

I’m so very confused — would appreciate any insights.

Thank you!

[Edited by MNHQ at poster's request]

what’s ASU and ASL? I figure it’s not American Sign Language in this context?!

get in touch with the schools you’re interested in, ask admissions policy. Without knowing where in London it’s impossible to say. If you can afford it there’s a lot of choice and it may influence where you move to.

US friends have done a mix- some have moved into state, some into private. All seem happy.

the door is never “closed”. Admissions can happen at any point including mid year. It’s more about whether you meet the admissions criteria and if the school has a space.

the one thing I will mention is the US system doesn’t seem as fast as the UK system, so often children can be “behind” with regards to academics. They catch up easily enough, but something to be aware of if you’re looking for a school with an academic admissions policy.

ASL meaning American School in London :-)

Are you here short term or permanently?

Will your DD ever be back in the US system?
Because they are very, very different systems.

By the age of 6 most children in the UK will have been in full time school for 2 years and the competitive prep schools are serious.

You also need to think about your life and roots-again important to know how long but integrating into a British school/parents/friends etc will be very different than the ASL. It is by definition very transient.

London prep schools often have movement due to expat families coming and going. There are numerous nationalities at many schools - please be assured - and they are used to assessing children coming from different countries.

Each school has its own “vibe” and main selling points. The “top” schools may not be aligned to what you’re looking for in an education. Just in the same way someone looking at Nightingale-Bamford is probably not also considering Calhoun.

You also need to define “top”. A school like South Hampstead High or City Girls is consistently towards the top of U.K. league tables but are schools that go from prep all the way through to 18. Somewhere like Pembridge Hall, however, is known for having quite wealthy parents, is prep only, and girls go to a wide range of schools at 11 - super academic schools like St Paul’s, other London day schools (including quite a few to ASL), and a wide range of boarding schools.

If you have an idea of how long you may be in the UK then this may help too. If it’s a short term move and you’ll be back in the USA before High School then you may have very different requirements to if it’s a permanent move.

There are educational consultants who can help you with this. I’m sure someone will be around soon with recommendations.

My very good friend is an US expat, well was, as they had to go home. She was adamant she wanted the kids in an American school over here but she couldn’t get them in. Ended up in a country prep school, kids thrived in so many ways (sport every day being one) and her eldest is now in their sophomore year at High School with a 5.0 GPA because he was so far ahead when he returned to the states and he just stayed ahead. The biggest issues they faced were with different teaching and assessment styles over here. And history. No US history……….

People have covered most points by t you need to work out where you are living too, a child so young will struggle with long journey times. There's always going to be spaces opening because people move for work.

When would you be moving? If she’s in the equivalent of Y2 now, Y3 is a common entry point for many prep schools. The assessments for those would be coming up soon, but it might be worth calling some of them to see if she could possibly be assessed remotely. Many schools have deadlines at the end of October for registering for 7+ (Y3 entry), so it’s not too late.

If you would be moving sooner than that, you probably will just have to find a school with a place. But with VAT being introduced on private school fees and a decline in birth rate, that may not be as daunting as it seems.

Thank you all so much!

DD is in Kindergarten now, so I think she’d move into year 2 in the UK? Unfortunately it seems to be an off year.

Does anybody know how London Prep Schools would compare to the NYC K12s? I understand the difference between Nightingale and Horace Mann and Dalton, for example, but I have no idea about the differences among London schools. And we may not even have a choice, of course!

The transient community is something that worries me about ASL. We want our kids to go to the US for college but we’re not sure we’d move them again during the K12 years. So we’re probably looking at all elementary, middle and high school. Although you never know!

I would 100% put them in British schools.

You and they will have a completely different experience culturally.

Lots of prep school kids go to Uni in the US-def very popular right now and the schools know how to support the entries.

I also agree the various schools in london will have very different vibes and ethos so look around-I am sure you will find one to suit.

Good luck-keep us posted!!

OP - I know it seems daunting and scary, but in reality moving with a 6yo between US and UK system is actually not as complex or even difficult.

(for e.g. - Would have been much harder if your child was 14 - an age when UK kids start 2 year program to do GSCE exams at the end of Y11...)

UK system starts the more formal education earlier than US, but at 6yo, the catch up she'll have to do is not massive. And is quite possible to do.

Most central London private schools will have plenty of Americans. There are still a lot that live in the UK, and many chose UK schools over ASL - both for quality of education, and for widening their kids exposure to other cultures. In secondary - those kids apply to the US colleges if this is what they want to do.

As to the places being available - lucky for you - out local private system is undergoing a huge stress - Labour just removed some tax exemption on private school fees and fees are going up across all schools. That means that you will most likely find a place at a good school.

Personally I think international experience is great for kids. And UK private education system is quite solid - so you will be able to find a school that will suit your daughter.

If you are seriously considering the move - I'd come and look at the few areas you might consider living, and then contact the schools. There are plenty of americans, and other people on MN who can help you with some advice once you are further along in your decision....

Good luck

The American and international schools all have a fairly transient community due to expat clientele. Do you need to live in London? There are several ACS schools within commute distance which might be less so. If you plan for dc to stay in UK until 18 a local school might be better. Prep schools do have occasional places.

I recommend reading a book called Finding Myself in Britain by a US immigrant to the UK. She explains the school system and many other cultural differences from an American's perspective

If your daughter is already 6 in kindergarten, is her birthday in September or October or is it in the summer? I’ve heard from a few American friends that age cutoffs are much looser in the US than they are in the UK. If her birthday is in the summer (before 1st September), she’d technically be entering Y3, not Y2, next school year.

Again, to reassure, most of the top London secondary schools now employ staff specifically to support US college applications. It’s becoming increasingly popular for British students to cross the pond for university.

If you want American schools there are also the ACS schools (three locations around the M25) but as she is so young, I’d not restrict yourself to the American curriculum. That’s more important for families with kids preparing for American university admissions who don’t want to disrupt them. However, with more and more British children studying in the US, American universities are now far more familiar with A levels and IB.

London has really good train links, so you don’t have to live in London at all. You can commute into whichever station is most convenient for work from a wide range of places in all the neighbouring counties. Eg Cambridge to King’s Cross, Brighton to London Bridge. That opens up both cute little village primary schools and plush country prep schools with lots of facilities. But it depends whether you want to immerse yourself or live an expat life. Either way, you’ll find the British education system is quite stretching compared with the US. If you look at the pre-covid PISA rankings for both countries you’ll see the US and U.K. are approximately identical at age 15, but in the U.K. children start school a year earlier and so tend to be more advanced at primary school.

We moved from the US when my DDs were older so decided against the British system. It is very different from the US system and well suited for a particular type of student.

Both of my girls have gone through ASL (youngest is a senior) and we've had a great experience. It has become substantially less transient in recent years - it used to be at least 30% turnover every year and more recently it's less than 10%. Just to refute that specific point.

I looked at UK, IB and American schools before we moved over. If you have specific questions ask her or PM me. Good luck!

At 6yo it is not a massively important distinction between uk and us schools, at 16 it would be hugely different. If you plan on seeing them through education in the uk I would definitely go with a UK oriented prep, but if you are potentially moving back before secondary school I would say it doesn’t really matter and to choose the school that best fits your child. it is increasingly common for uk private schools to send children to the us for university, and many will be able to support that, but that is many years away.

London is huge and school choices will be somewhat constrained by where you live/work. Admissions will be a factor - not all schools will have an opening in a non-transition year, but 7+ entry is a thing (exams for entry into prep which is y3 on) so you would have more options at that point, I think. Keep in mind that in the uk they tend to jump start education really early, which means there may be a mismatch between what your child has learned vs. A well prepped uk pre-prep child. That learning gap doesn’t endure, and there’s lots of evidence supporting a later start to formal education, but just be prepared.

I am a US expat raising kids in the uk, but no longer in London, so can’t advise on specific schools, unfortunately. Personally I think the US is much better for education at the secondary school level, but to some extent it will depend on your child and the environment they thrive in.

Hi,

I have children at ASL and I just wanted to share our experience. The school while probably having more movement than some non-international schools, typically has 85-90% retention rate each year and it hasn't been an issue for our family.

Our children previously were in a British school and while we were happy while they were there, we do think that the ASL culture suits our children better. While they are bright, the academic focus in their previous school was somewhat at the expense of their social and emotional development and we feel that they are now receiving a very rounded education. I do believe that their British school taught them ahead at least in KS1 (4-7 years old) and the Lower school at ASL is much more focussed on the broader growth of the child, not just academic achievements. The school culture was very different and felt much more relaxed than their previous school. We do feel confident with what our children are learning and they are thriving academically at ASL.

We consider the High School to be academically rigorous and high achieving, and while many students apply and go to US universities, an increasing number now go to UK universities, which is what we intend for our children.

I hope this helps!

I think you might benefit from using a school consultant in this instance.

So, if entering from Yr 2 it’s usually Pre Prep/Infants. Yr 3 is more likely to be some sort of entrance exam depending on the school set up. There will certainly be more of an assessment at Yr 3 at the majority of schools.

We moved with a four year old and opted to enrol him for a kindergarten/nursery and have him start Reception/Foundation Pre Prep in an out of year placement. He was, literally, age 5 and a few days when he started school. I’d be inclined, with your 6 year old, to look for a less competitive school setting to begin with. Village school or International School and then switch later on.

If you were moving with a teenager and planning to go back, I would strongly suggest sticking with US schools. Since your child is younger and this sounds like a possible long-term move, I would look into UK schools for the moment at least.

Once your child is approaching secondary age, review the situation and look at your child's personality and preferences, as well as how much money you want to spend, to decide if you should stick with the UK system through secondary or switch to the US system at that stage. Your child can go from the UK secondary school system to an American university - people do do this all the time and US universities are more familiar with A levels these days - but it's possible a US junior high and high school will prepare them better for this, especially if the teachers are experienced with the rather different requirements that US unis have and how to prepare students (the greater emphasis on extra curriculars and so on).

You could also look into a UK secondary school that offers IB, if you feel like this might prepare your child for a US university better.

Bear in mind that kids do have their own feelings about this as they get older - kids going to a UK school may want to go to a UK university too, if that is what their friends are doing.

Is cost ever going to be a factor here? The US and UK economies feel like they are on such different trajectories and the cost gaps are probably going to get wider not narrower as time goes on. American university is expensive anyway, and will feel very expensive indeed if you have to fund it from UK salaries.

Put your child in the American school, and then choose a secondary that focus on the IB, or stay in the traditional American high school system.

Kindergarten in American schools is nothing like the early years in UK schools. The transition would be very upsetting, especially coming from a leading private elementary in NYC. The culture and ethos do not translate.

IMHO, the American system is far superior. Certainly, if you hope to send your child to university in the US, she will be far better prepared for third level liberal arts by the American middle and high school or IB curriculum than a student who has done GCSE and A levels.

@GreenTeaLikesMe
Many expats receive salaries that are equivalent. You're not expected to impoverish yourself because of a move abroad if you leave the US for work at the behest of your US based employer.

Also, students who are American citizens or resident aliens are eligible to apply for financial aid via the FAFSA and/ or CSS Profile and are eligible for financial aid far in excess of what's available for international students, including specific loan programs guaranteed by the government, and direct grants.

The child is six! Transitioning from any school system is likely to be straightforward at this age. Kids regularly transfer from far more different systems and even different languages at six, and get used to the change pretty quickly.

If the OP has the money, she can do what she likes, but suggesting that her child is going to be harmed by the transition is unnecessary.

Which school is your DD at? Feel free to DM me if you prefer. I will probably be able to give you a London equivalent in terms of culture, academic strength etc. I doubt very much the ASL is it (this school has suffered considerably over the past 4-ish years with a few destabilising issues).

Hello! I'm moving to London from NYC with my two young girls (they'll be 2 and 5) this summer and seems we're looking/finalizing spots at some of the same schools. If you want to connect offline would be happy to fill you in on some of the things I've learned in the process. I hired a consultant, which helped tremendously. Good luck!