International schools in London
Discover international schools in London
London combines independent British schools with international schools teaching the IB, American and other national curricula. Tell us your children's ages, curriculum, budget and where you will live, and start a private school search.
No account needed. Tell us you are moving to London and our team will email your recommended schools.
London at a glance
- Oversight
- Department for Education; ISI or Ofsted inspection
- Main curricula
- English national curriculum and GCSE/A level, IB, American
- School year
- September to July
- Ages served
- 3 to 18
One search
Tell us about your family once instead of enquiring school by school.
Focused shortlist
Start with schools recommended for your requirements, so you have somewhere to begin.
Explore and compare
Other suitable schools stay available to explore, compare and add.
Direct contact
Choose which admissions teams to contact and message them directly.
Start your school search for London
Tell us your children's ages, the curriculum you are considering, your budget and where you will be living. Our team will review your request and email a recommended shortlist of London schools worth looking at.
Your school search is private to you. Nothing reaches a school until you choose it and send your message.
Your schools
Your search
International School A
North campus
Curriculum
British / IGCSE
Ages
3-18
Location
Example location
Fees
Within your budget
Why this school may fit: British curriculum with places in the entry year you need.
International School B
City campus
Curriculum
International Baccalaureate
Ages
3-18
Location
Example location
Fees
Within your budget
Why this school may fit: IB continuum with mid-year entry support.
International School C
Main campus
Curriculum
American / AP
Ages
4-18
Location
Example location
Fees
Upper end of your range
Why this school may fit: American curriculum and transfer-credit recognition.
Select up to 3 schools to contact
What shapes the choice in London
Independent British or international
An independent British school and an international school in London serve different journeys. The difference matters most if you expect to move country again.
Compare the main curriculaEntry points and assessment
British independent schools have established entry years and often assess at 4+, 7+, 11+ and 13+, with registration well in advance.
Entry year and age cut-offsTiming and deadlines
Registration deadlines can fall a year or more before entry, which is unusual compared with many relocation markets.
School year and intake timingFees and location
Fees vary widely across the city, and central London day schools sit at the top of the range. Where you live changes both cost and commute.
Understanding school feesHow schooling works in London
Independent schools in England are regulated by the Department for Education and inspected by the Independent Schools Inspectorate or Ofsted, depending on the school.
Regulation and inspection
Independent schools must meet the independent school standards set by the Department for Education and are inspected by ISI or Ofsted.
Inspection reports are published and describe how a school met the standards at the time of the inspection.
Curriculum routes
Most independent British schools teach towards GCSE and then A level, while a number offer the IB Diploma either instead of or alongside A level.
International schools in London also offer American diploma routes and other national curricula for specific communities.
Admissions timing
Registration for common entry points frequently opens years in advance, and some schools close lists early.
Relocating families arriving off-cycle should ask directly about occasional places, which are handled separately from the main intake.
Year groups and age placement
English year groups are set by age on 1 September, which can place a child a year differently from the system they are leaving.
Confirm placement in writing before accepting a place, particularly for children born close to the cut-off.
Explore international-school curricula
We explain each system once, in the curricula library.
How matching works for London families
Results are based on fit, not on payment. Schools cannot buy a position in your shortlist, and nothing you write reaches a school until you choose to contact it.
Ages and entry year
Where each child would be placed in the systems available locally, including age cut-off differences.
Curriculum
The systems you are open to, and how easily a later move would carry across.
Budget
Tuition alongside the fees that are commonly billed separately in this market.
Location and commute
Where you will live or work, and what the daily journey realistically looks like.
There is no single best school in London
League tables in the UK measure examination outcomes at selective schools, which says more about admissions than about teaching.
For a relocating family, the practical filters are the entry point available, whether the school takes occasional places, the curriculum route to 18, the commute and the fee level you can sustain.
Set those out first, then approach the admissions teams you choose.
Common questions about searching in London
Planning a move to London?
Start your search and tell us you are moving to London. Our team will match you against the schools we cover and email your recommendations.
No account needed. Tell us you are moving to London and our team will email your recommended schools.
Continue reading
How admissions work
The stages most international schools use, and where families lose time.
Understanding school fees
What sits inside tuition, what is billed separately and what to confirm in writing.
School year and intake timing
When places open, and what a mid-year move changes.
All destinations
Every city we cover, and where school search is open.
Last reviewed: August 2026
London information is compiled from official regulators, curriculum authorities and school-published material. Fees, intakes and requirements change, so confirm details directly with a school before you rely on them.
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