School for 16 year old

Before I give my boss a definite “no” wanted to check and see exactly what school options are for us.

We would be relocating to the UK on a work visa, with my husband and soon to be 16 year old.  He is a freshman this year (because of the birthday cut off), literally first in his class, and would enter US grade 10 this next school year / UK year 11. Would he be able to attend public school in the UK or is our only option International school, which the company won’t pay for and I cannot afford?


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Before I give my boss a definite “no” wanted to check and see exactly what school options are for us.

We would be relocating to the UK on a work visa, with my husband and soon to be 16 year old.  He is a freshman this year (because of the birthday cut off), literally first in his class, and would enter US grade 10 this next school year / UK year 11. Would he be able to attend public school in the UK or is our only option International school, which the company won’t pay for and I cannot afford?


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The problem with attending U.K. state schools (confusingly ‘public’ school in the U.K. is private school), or any U.K. education school is that Year 11 is halfway through 2-year courses which give qualifications called GSCEs... these are generally considered equivalent to a US high school diploma.  GCSE’s are taken between age 14 and age 16 (during years 10 and 11)... so if he is going into year 11 he will be a bit stuck because he will have missed a year of the GCSE courses and all the classes will be in the middle of their coursework.

The best thing really would be for him to attend a US international school which teaches the US education system. But that will be private and expensive.


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Well that settles it.  Thanks.


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It is kind of between a rock and a hard place. A year earlier would have been fine. I am not sure if he would be allowed to start A-Levels if he were to arrive at the start of his junior year. I would contact schools and sixth for colleges (where many juniors and seniors go - to keep with the American terminology) to see if he would be allowed entry without GCSEs.

I honestly don't think transferring to the UK system would be the best thing for him, even if he were permitted. I speak as a (former) teacher in the UK for 7 years.

Near London there are three American curriculum schools, but they are all private.

It's probably for the best if your employer is not willing to pay what it takes. 

Moving an employee over here is not something you can do on the cheap.

It's probably for the best if your employer is not willing to pay what it takes. 

Moving an employee over here is not something you can do on the cheap.

I whole heartedly agree with this!

You can also consider schools that have "International Baccalaureate" courses, as a thought. 

Sounds like your son is clever and could quite possible benefit from the challenge of moving over here and adapting to a new system. Personally, I wouldn’t dismiss a UK school just because of reasons above.
I am biased, of course. When I was 16 I was applying to universities in Scotland and look where I ended up...

We had similar issues concerning education. Our situation is a little different as we are planning a permanent move and my kids are UKC, but perhaps the info I've received can be helpful. We ended up having to send my son over a year early so he could start Year 9 and delaying the rest of the family for a year so my daughter could go into Sixth Form. We were flat out told by schools in the area we'll be living in that Year 9 is key and that would not accept a student, new to the UK school system, in Year 11. They said at best, they would put her in Year 10 and hope she could keep up, or at the worst, all the way back in Year 9 (totally not an option as far as my daughter was concerned and can't say I blame her!) So we delayed our return until Summer 2018.

My daughter (currently a sophomore in High School) has applied at two Sixth Form Colleges: they both asked for transcripts, course descriptions and samples of her math and English work. They both stated that she must take math and English GCSE's and would review the sample work to determine if she could handle taking the Level 3 BTEC she selected at the same time. If not, then the plan is to complete math, English and two more GCSE level classes in the first year then the Level 3 BTEC the second and third year. We still have the hurdle of residency - one college has a stipulation that you have to have been resident in the UK for the 3 years before start of term for tuition waiver. The other has no issue, as long as she a UKC she doesn't have to pay tuition.  In your situation, you would definitely have to pay - no idea how much it is though.

For a temporary gig, the move may not be the best thing for your son. Not because of the quality of education mind you. You'd end up paying tuition whether he went to a private (public in the UK) or Sixth Form. I'm sure he'd get a quality experience in a UK school, my concern would be how that would translate when you return to the States because the two systems do not compare apples to apples.