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Relocating from China

How to apply for a British school

Important information about applying for a place in a British school

  1. Go to: https://www.gov.uk/check-uk-visa/y to apply for the correct visa for entry into the UK
  2. In most cases, children arriving from overseas have the right to attend state-funded schools (non-fee paying) in England
  3. The following children are not entitled to a state (non-fee paying) education: Non-European Economic Area (EEA) children here as short-term visitors. Non-European Economic Area (EEA) children with permission to study in the UK at independent fee-paying schools only.

Good Schools Guide Education Consultants

The Good Schools Guide Education Consultants have more than 20 years’ experience of helping families from China - and all over the world - find the best UK schools for their children. Good Schools Guide Education Consultants offer a range of specialist services. For international, overseas or relocating families in search of a top boarding or day school in the UK we recommend The Global Premier School Consultancy

Here is a typical example of how our consultants were able to help a family relocating to the UK from China:

The Global Premier School Consultancy - Case study 1: London day schools

Our consultants were contacted by a Chinese family with twin 11-year-old girls. The family had just found out they were relocating to London in the summer and would need year 7 places for their daughters. Most schools had closed their registration for 11+ exams the previous term but our consultant managed to persuade several top schools to take late entries. Some agreed that the girls could take the entrance exams at their current school but others insisted that the girls take them in the UK. Our consultant arranged a schedule that would enable the girls to take several entrance exams in different parts of London, and also allow time for possible interviews. The girls had good English but were not totally fluent and found verbal reasoning papers particularly challenging. However, they ended up with several offers and took up places at one of London’s top academic girls’ schools.

The Global Premier School Consultancy - Case study 2: Boarding schools

A Chinese family with two children contacted our consultants. They needed a place in a UK school for their 14-year-old son and a nursery place for their two-year-old son. The family planned to move to England but their son would be starting school before they moved so a boarding school place was needed. The parents did not speak English so we arranged for a translator to be present for our Skype meetings.

Finding a Year 10 (age 14) school place is particularly difficult in the UK because pupils are halfway through their GCSE syllabus. Our consultant was able to secure the boy entrance tests and interviews at three boarding schools. She helped with all the administration necessary to register with schools and also found them a tutor company that provided on-line tuition in maths and English. She met with the family and translator at their London hotel and helped the boy prepare for his interviews. The result was that all three schools offered the boy a place and the family decided to accept the place at the school that had a linked nursery and prep so that their younger child would be able to attend once they’d moved.

The Global Premier School Consultancy typically offers:

In some cases we can also offer advice in your own language – please contact us for further details about this.

Contact us: +44 203 286 6824 or consultants@goodschoolsguide.co.uk or fill in the online request form

Families seeking advice about applying to schools outside the UK should contact the Good Schools Guide International

Families seeking advice about schools for children with special needs should contact The Special Educational Needs Service

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