Where to go for expat school advice?

[Anonymous]

Potentially moving to the greater London area and need advice. We are not government, dod or State Dept. people nor are most of the people in our circle, so very few of our friends have ever moved abroad with kids. The ones who have are in Asia and the school landscape for expats is pretty different there and all of our friends’ kids there have landed in American or Canadian schools.

Where is a good place to go for advice on schools in London? Is there an expat website that is like dcum? Everything I’m finding is more focused on foreign service and dod relocations.

For context:

DD will be in 5th next year so the curriculum is an issue especially since we may be back in HS…or not. We would love to put her in local schools but managing the curriculum mismatch is daunting- it looks like she’ll be a grade behind in some ways and once she’s in middle school things will be completely off and sometimes too far ahead in terms of the math progression. Places like the American School London are probably not a good fit in terms of location or vibe. We won’t have a tuition benefit.

[Anonymous]

My friends who moved to London had a lot of difficulty finding a good fit school and ended up having their child do online school. I hope you have better luck, but I’m sorry I don’t have suggestions for you.

[Anonymous]

How long would you move for? I would start by looking at international schools in London and look at reviews and talk to a small list of schools and reach out about curriculum.

I’d also considering having her be tutored for a year and join school next year, if that’s at all feasible…

[Anonymous]

Try looking for a Facebook group. I’m sure there are groups for American expats in London that could answer your questions and give advice.

[Anonymous]

I am French and when we briefly moved back to Paris, the only acceptable option for us was international schools with a joint British and French curriculum. There are a lot in Paris. We did not actually want the American School - not the right vibe, you're entirely correct

I'd look at any of the international schools in London that have the International Baccalaureate curriculum, which is recognized and respected the world over. If you're going to stay in the UK for years, you might want to do IB, so your kids can attend any college anywhere in the world. Please don't worry about future curriculum discrepancies for IB, the level is on par with APs, and if there are differences here and there, it's nothing that good tutoring can't overcome if you move to another country.

Enjoy London!!!

[Anonymous]

^ meant to explain that some high schools in the US have the IB programme, in a few MCPS and FCPS schools, for example, in you're from the DC area. So it would be a nice way of slotting back into high school here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My friends who moved to London had a lot of difficulty finding a good fit school and ended up having their child do online school. I hope you have better luck, but I’m sorry I don’t have suggestions for you.

Thank you. Op and our friends who had luck were starting with reception and had arrived the year before so they had a decent runway to create options. I am realizing that we would be arriving on a non-intake year for many private schools and that it would be challenging to find a spot in a catchment area school giving our timing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How long would you move for? I would start by looking at international schools in London and look at reviews and talk to a small list of schools and reach out about curriculum.

I’d also considering having her be tutored for a year and join school next year, if that’s at all feasible…

It would be either through her American 8th grade year or all the way through HS, depending on how things play out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My friends who moved to London had a lot of difficulty finding a good fit school and ended up having their child do online school. I hope you have better luck, but I’m sorry I don’t have suggestions for you.

Thank you. Op and our friends who had luck were starting with reception and had arrived the year before so they had a decent runway to create options. I am realizing that we would be arriving on a non-intake year for many private schools and that it would be challenging to find a spot in a catchment area school giving our timing.

It’s worth exploring online options that you could pivot to if needed, maybe.

[Anonymous]

Maybe check Mumsnet online?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My friends who moved to London had a lot of difficulty finding a good fit school and ended up having their child do online school. I hope you have better luck, but I’m sorry I don’t have suggestions for you.

Thank you. Op and our friends who had luck were starting with reception and had arrived the year before so they had a decent runway to create options. I am realizing that we would be arriving on a non-intake year for many private schools and that it would be challenging to find a spot in a catchment area school giving our timing.

International schools usually keep a few spots for families who move mid-year. I was such an international student back in the day, and my son was too, and we had no difficulty finding schools, but we were not in London. I'd be surprised if there aren't international schools with a few open seats in the capital of the UK!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: I am French and when we briefly moved back to Paris, the only acceptable option for us was international schools with a joint British and French curriculum. There are a lot in Paris. We did not actually want the American School - not the right vibe, you're entirely correct

I'd look at any of the international schools in London that have the International Baccalaureate curriculum, which is recognized and respected the world over. If you're going to stay in the UK for years, you might want to do IB, so your kids can attend any college anywhere in the world. Please don't worry about future curriculum discrepancies for IB, the level is on par with APs, and if there are differences here and there, it's nothing that good tutoring can't overcome if you move to another country.

Enjoy London!!!

What is the vibe at the American School?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: I am French and when we briefly moved back to Paris, the only acceptable option for us was international schools with a joint British and French curriculum. There are a lot in Paris. We did not actually want the American School - not the right vibe, you're entirely correct

I'd look at any of the international schools in London that have the International Baccalaureate curriculum, which is recognized and respected the world over. If you're going to stay in the UK for years, you might want to do IB, so your kids can attend any college anywhere in the world. Please don't worry about future curriculum discrepancies for IB, the level is on par with APs, and if there are differences here and there, it's nothing that good tutoring can't overcome if you move to another country.

Enjoy London!!!

What is the vibe at the American School?

OP and my DD has classmates who spent a few years at the American School and then returned. They struggled with the transience of the school and the wealth aspect of the families and students. My DD is at a far more modest girls' school right now and I'm not sure that the sophistication and co-ed aspect of the school would be a positive for her at her age. But I realize that a lot of schools will have those issues in a major international city so that's something I'm trying to understand better.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: I am French and when we briefly moved back to Paris, the only acceptable option for us was international schools with a joint British and French curriculum. There are a lot in Paris. We did not actually want the American School - not the right vibe, you're entirely correct

I'd look at any of the international schools in London that have the International Baccalaureate curriculum, which is recognized and respected the world over. If you're going to stay in the UK for years, you might want to do IB, so your kids can attend any college anywhere in the world. Please don't worry about future curriculum discrepancies for IB, the level is on par with APs, and if there are differences here and there, it's nothing that good tutoring can't overcome if you move to another country.

Enjoy London!!!

What is the vibe at the American School?

The Paris one? Rich and stupid. To be frank. The academic level isn't great compared to selective international schools, and a lot of the families have an attitude. All international schools will have a smattering of wealthy people, of course, but they tend to be a lot more culturally experienced and open-minded.

[Anonymous]

Huh, I used to live in London and I knew people who went to the American School and LOVED it. It seemed like a nice balance of academically good, but not super rigorous like Sidwell or NCS. It seemed like a fun place to go to school while also getting a good education.

What is wrong with the location of the American School? I lived in St Johns Wood for a while and loved it.