Family guides
Family guides
Guides to the parts of international schooling that are hardest to work out from school websites alone, grouped by where you are in the process.
Prepared by InternationalSchools.orgPublished July 2026Last reviewed July 2026
In short
- Each guide answers one question a family actually asks, and says plainly what varies by school or country.
- Each one explains the process and the vocabulary, so you can judge any school against your own requirements.
- Read the guides for process and vocabulary, and the curriculum library for how each education system is built.
- Anything about your own child's place, year group or offer can only be answered by a school.
Start here
The two guides most families read first: what a school year actually costs, and how applying works.
Planning a move
Before you have a shortlist, and often before the destination is confirmed.
Moving abroad with children: a school timeline
For families with a move confirmed or likely. What to do at twelve, six, three and one month out.
School year and intake timing
For families whose move does not line up with the school calendar. Where the real intake points fall.
Entry year and age cut-offs
For families unsure which year group their child will enter, and why schools disagree about it.
Working out what fits
Turning a city and a year group into requirements you can compare schools against.
Checking a school properly
Verifying what a school offers, before it becomes a decision.
School visits and tours
For families booking visits. How to see an ordinary school day rather than an open-day version of it.
Learning support and additional needs
For families with a support need to raise. How provision is structured and when to disclose.
Accreditation and recognition
For families checking claims. What each badge certifies, and how to verify it in minutes.
Applying and deciding
From first contact with admissions through to accepting a place.
Assessments and entrance tests
For families facing a test or observation. What is assessed by age, and what the result is used for.
Waiting lists and availability
For families told a year group is full. How places free up and how lists are actually reviewed.
Questions to ask an international school
For families in conversation with admissions. What to ask at each stage, and what a good answer sounds like.
Choosing between two offers
For families with a decision to make under a deadline. What to compare, and what to ignore.
Where we cover
The guides apply anywhere. Our school search runs city by city, starting with Dubai.
When you are ready to speak to schools, complete one form and open your own private school search: a recommended shortlist plus other suitable schools to explore. Compare your options and choose up to three admissions teams to contact directly. No family account is required.
Last reviewed: July 2026
Practice varies by country and by school. Where a guide describes something as typical, treat it as a starting point to confirm, not a rule.
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