Getting a spot in year 4 when coming from abroad

[ItsLondonCalling]

We are moving to London next summer with a son who would start year 4 in fall 2026.

We are not native English speakers but our son has been going to European school in English since age 5.

He is bright, social and interested in maths, science, music, singing, chess, French etc. He reads Oxford level 10 books in school and has great reports from his school. I am sure that his language is not at a native tutored since birth level, but he is smart and eager to learn and we wish for him to have an environment in which learning is encouraged.

How difficult will it be for an international child to get into great prep schools in London starting year 4 when we have not yet had any special tutoring? We will start tutoring asap.

We are planning to move to Maida Vale but are open to other areas too as long as we get him into a good school. I have understood that the schools that have 8+ tests are very competitive and hard to get in and other schools do not have many open spots.

Does anyone have any experience with moving at this stage?

You could ask mumsnet to move this post to the private school thread. I’d also suggest changing the title so that it is clear you are interested in London prep schools. Good luck!

There are a lot of prep schools in London, many of which are not full so would probably have places in Y4 for September 2026. I wouldn’t look at the super-competitive ones as those will be full anyway - and probably too fast-paced if his English isn’t to a native speaker’s level yet. A nurturing prep plus some tutoring can help him get a place at a more competitive senior school eventually if you think that would be the best place for him. I’d suggest hiring an education consultant as they will know what schools might have places and can help guide you through the process.

Private school demand has fallen with VAT, I'm sure you'll find a place

Yes, 8+ is very competitive, you could try for that or get into a prep as someone advised here and then try for an 11+ place with a 11+ or 13+ entry option.