Navigating London's School System

The three types of school

• State schools — free, funded by the local council, with admissions based on catchment area and published criteria. You apply through your borough, not the school directly.
• Private (independent) schools — fee-paying, and each sets its own admissions process, often including entrance exams or interviews. Costs and academic focus vary widely between schools.
• International schools — follow a specific curriculum (American, French, IB, and others), a common choice for corporate relocations wanting curriculum continuity for a child moving mid-way through their education. Fee-paying.

If you're moving mid-year

This is the in-year admissions process, separate from the main annual cycle. You apply directly to your borough's School Admissions Team, not the schools themselves — listing every school you'd consider, ranked in order of preference, through your borough's own in-year application portal. Most boroughs aim to process an application within about 10 school days. Your child stays enrolled at their current school throughout — don't withdraw them until a new place is actually confirmed.

If you're planning around the school year

The standard admissions cycle runs to fixed national dates. For a September Year 7 (secondary) start, applications typically open in September the year before, with an end-of-October deadline and offers released on National Offer Day the following March. For a September Reception (primary) start, applications open a little later, with a mid-January deadline and offers released in mid-April. If you have any flexibility on timing, moving to line up with these dates — rather than mid-year — generally gives you a wider choice of state school places.