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School Ready Guide
Choosing a school

State, grammar, faith, private or international?

Five main types of school, five very different routes in. Here's what each one actually means, and a guided chooser to point you to the right starting place.

A confusing quirk: in the UK, a “public school” is actually a private, fee-paying school (like Eton or Harrow), a centuries-old naming leftover. Free, government-funded schools are called state schools. If someone says “public school” in Britain, they almost always mean private.

Guided chooser

What’s your starting point?

Terminology decoder

"Public" vs "private", untangling the names

Britain uses these words differently from almost everywhere else in the world. Here's the decoder.

Public versus private school terminology

State school

Funded by the government. Free to attend.

e.g. Your local comprehensive, academies, free schools

Private school

Funded by fees paid by parents. Not government-run.

e.g. Any fee-paying school

Independent school

The formal name for a private school, they are the same thing.

e.g. What private schools call themselves officially

"Public school"

Confusingly, an old and prestigious PRIVATE school, not free. The name dates from when they were "public" (open to any paying family) rather than church- or guild-restricted.

e.g. Eton, Harrow, Winchester, Rugby

Prep school

An independent primary school (ages 7 or 8 to 11 or 13) that prepares children for senior school entrance exams. "Pre-prep" covers ages 3 to 7 before it.

e.g. The independent route through the primary years

Senior school

The independent sector name for secondary school, usually starting at 11 or 13. Entry is via 11+, the ISEB Pre-Tests or Common Entrance.

e.g. Where prep school children move next

Boarding vs day

Boarders live at school during term (full, weekly or flexi); day pupils go home each evening. Many independent schools offer both, and boarding roughly doubles the fees.

e.g. Full, weekly or flexi boarding, or day places

Sixth form college

A state or independent college teaching only Years 12 and 13. A common free alternative to staying at school for A-levels.

e.g. A-levels or the IB without changing at 11

The short version:in the UK, “public school”, “private school” and “independent school” all mean fee-paying. If it's free and government-funded, it's a state school. (This is the opposite of American usage, where “public school” means the free government one.)

The five types

Each type, explained in plain English

What it costs, how you get a place, who it suits best, and what to watch out for.

State school

Comprehensives, academies & free schools

Free

Free, local, and where over 90% of UK children go

Funded by the government and free to attend. Most are "comprehensive", they accept children of all abilities. Many are now academies or free schools, which follow the same admissions rules but have more freedom over curriculum and term dates.

How admissions work

Apply through your local council. Places are usually offered by distance from the school ("catchment area"), siblings already attending, and other published criteria. No entrance exam.

Best for

  • Families who want a good education at no cost
  • Children who thrive in a mixed-ability, diverse environment
  • Staying close to your local community and friendships

Worth knowing

  • Quality varies by area, check Ofsted reports and results
  • Popular schools can have very small catchment areas
  • Larger class sizes than private schools (typically ~30)

Grammar school

Selective state schools

Free

Free, but academically selective via 11+ exams

State-funded and free, but they select pupils by academic ability using an entrance exam called 11+, taken at the start of Year 6. Only around 160 grammar schools remain in England, concentrated in certain counties (e.g. Kent, Buckinghamshire, Lincolnshire).

How admissions work

Your child sits 11+ exams (verbal reasoning, non-verbal reasoning, maths and English) in September of Year 6. Passing does not guarantee a place, high-scoring, oversubscribed schools rank by score and distance.

Best for

  • Academically strong children who enjoy being stretched
  • Families wanting private-style academics without the fees
  • Areas where grammar schools actually exist

Worth knowing

  • 11+ is competitive, many families feel pressure to tutor
  • Not available in most of the country
  • A near-miss can knock confidence; have a plan B school you like

Faith school

Church of England, Catholic, Jewish, Muslim & others

Free (most)

Free state schools with a religious character

Most faith schools are state-funded and free. They follow the national curriculum but teach religious education according to their faith, and often give admissions priority to practising families. Around a third of state schools in England are faith schools.

How admissions work

Apply through the council as usual, but many prioritise families who attend worship regularly, often evidenced by a form signed by a religious leader. Non-religious families can and do get places, especially where undersubscribed.

Best for

  • Families who want education aligned with their faith and values
  • Parents who value a strong ethos and community feel
  • Areas where the faith school is the strongest local option

Worth knowing

  • Admissions criteria may require evidence of religious practice
  • Collective worship is part of school life (parents can withdraw children)
  • Check how welcoming the school is to families of other or no faith

Private school

Independent schools, confusingly also called "public schools"

~£15k to £50k+/year

Fee-paying, with small classes and extensive facilities

Funded by fees, not the government. Confusingly, the oldest and most famous private schools (Eton, Harrow) are called "public schools", a historical term. They set their own curriculum and admissions, class sizes are small (often 15 to 20), and facilities and extracurriculars are typically extensive. Bursaries and scholarships can cut fees substantially.

How admissions work

Apply directly to the school. Most have their own entrance assessments and interviews, commonly at 4+, 7+, 11+ or 13+ (Common Entrance). Registration can be years in advance for famous schools.

Best for

  • Families who can afford fees comfortably (or win a bursary)
  • Children who benefit from small classes and individual attention
  • Access to extensive sport, music, drama and networking

Worth knowing

  • Day fees average ~£15 to 20k/year; boarding £30 to 50k+ (plus VAT now applies)
  • A strong state school may achieve similar results for free
  • Ask hard questions about bursaries, up to 100% fee support exists

International school

IB World Schools, American, French & other curricula

~£15k to £40k+/year

Fee-paying schools teaching a globally portable curriculum

Private, fee-paying schools that teach an international curriculum, most commonly the International Baccalaureate (IB), but also American (AP/High School Diploma), French (Lycée), German and others. Concentrated in London and other big cities, they suit globally mobile families because a child can slot into a sister school abroad without losing a year. Classes are typically multilingual and multicultural.

How admissions work

Apply directly to the school, as with any private school. Assessments are usually less about competitive selection and more about readiness and English level, many admit year-round to accommodate relocating families. Waitlists in London can be long.

Best for

  • Families who relocate internationally (or might in future)
  • Children who benefit from a globally recognised qualification (IB)
  • Multilingual households wanting language continuity (e.g. French Lycée)

Worth knowing

  • Fees similar to private schools (~£15 to 40k+/year in the UK)
  • The IB Diploma is broad (6 subjects), less specialised than A-levels
  • Mostly found in London and large cities; rare elsewhere
SEND & disability

Choosing a school when your child has additional needs

Every school type above must support children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). What changes is the level and kind of support. Here are the main routes, from most integrated to most specialist. SEND is the term used in England; Scotland uses Additional Support Needs (ASN) and Wales uses Additional Learning Needs (ALN).

SEND and disability provision

Mainstream school with SEN Support

Most children with SEND are taught in ordinary mainstream schools. The school’s SENCo (Special Educational Needs Coordinator) arranges support such as extra help in class, small-group work and reasonable adjustments, without needing a formal plan. Available at state and independent schools.

An Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP)

For higher or more complex needs, this is a legal document setting out your child’s needs and the support the local authority must provide. It can name a specific school. You or the school can ask the council for an assessment. It is a process, not a type of school.

Resourced provision and SEN units

Some mainstream schools run a specialist unit or resourced provision, for example for autism, hearing impairment, or speech and language. Children belong to the main school but get specialist teaching for part of the week.

Special schools

Schools built wholly around particular needs, with smaller classes, specialist staff and adapted facilities. There are state special schools (usually accessed through an EHCP) and independent special schools. Visiting in person matters enormously here.

Access, medical needs and the law

Whatever the type, ask each school directly about step-free access, lifts, accessible toilets, and how they handle conditions like epilepsy, diabetes or allergies. Under the Equality Act 2010, schools must make reasonable adjustments so a disabled child is not put at a disadvantage.

Other admissions priorities

Admissions rules also give priority in defined situations, including looked-after and previously looked-after children, and sometimes medical or social need supported by professional evidence. Check each school’s published admissions policy.

Where to get the right advice.We explain the landscape, but we do not assess children or recommend a placement. For that, speak to the people who can: the SENCo at your child’s school; your local authority’s Local Offer (every council publishes one online); your GP, health visitor or an educational psychologist; and free, independent specialists such as IPSEA and your local SENDIASS. If you think your child may have an unidentified need, start with the SENCo or your GP.

Inside international schools

The American, French & IB systems, and the exams they take

“International school” is an umbrella term. Here are the main curricula you’ll meet in the UK, how each one is structured, what it takes to get in, and the exams your child actually sits.

International curricula compared

American curriculum

United States

A broad, continuous-assessment system based on the US K-12 model. Progress is measured by grade point average (GPA) built up across high school, rather than by one set of final exams. Students choose to sit Advanced Placement (AP) subjects for extra rigour and university credit.

How the school years work

Elementary (Kindergarten to Grade 5, ages 5 to 11), Middle School (Grades 6 to 8, ages 11 to 14) and High School (Grades 9 to 12, ages 14 to 18). A US grade is roughly the child’s age minus 5.

Tests to get in

Direct application to the school. Most use an internal placement assessment (often the MAP test in maths and reading) plus an English-language check (such as WIDA) for non-native speakers. Highly selective schools may ask for the SSAT.

Exams & qualifications your child sits

  • High School Diploma, awarded on GPA and course credits, not final exams
  • Advanced Placement (AP) exams, taken subject by subject in Grades 11 to 12
  • SAT or ACT, the admissions tests for US university
  • PSAT, the practice/qualifying test taken earlier in high school

Where it leads: Primarily US universities, but AP results carry a UCAS tariff and are accepted by UK and global universities too.

Example UK schools

  • ACS International Schools (Cobham, Egham & Hillingdon)
  • TASIS England (Thorpe, Surrey)
  • Southbank International School (London)

Good to know

There is no single school-leaving exam. Strong universities look at the GPA, the number of AP subjects, and SAT/ACT scores together.

French curriculum

France

A structured national system taught largely in French, following the official French Education Nationale programme. It builds to two national exams, and year groups count downwards (Sixième is the first year of collège, Terminale is the final year).

How the school years work

École maternelle (ages 3 to 6), école élémentaire (ages 6 to 11), collège (ages 11 to 15) and lycée (ages 15 to 18). Many UK French schools are bilingual in the primary years.

Tests to get in

Direct application, usually with an assessment of the child’s French language level (and maths). Schools accredited by the AEFE often prioritise French nationals and internationally relocating families, and places fill quickly.

Exams & qualifications your child sits

  • Diplôme national du brevet, sat around age 15 at the end of collège
  • Baccalauréat (the “Bac”), the main leaving exam at age 18
  • Baccalauréat français international (BFI) or OIB, a bilingual Bac with a British section, offered at some UK schools

Where it leads: French and European universities (via Parcoursup) and, because the Bac is UCAS-recognised, UK and international universities.

Example UK schools

  • Lycée Français Charles de Gaulle (South Kensington)
  • Collège Français Bilingue de Londres (CFBL)
  • École Jeannine Manuel (London) & Lycée International Winston Churchill (Wembley)

Good to know

A genuine French-language environment gives strong language continuity for francophone families, but a solid level of French is usually needed to join beyond the early years.

International Baccalaureate (IB)

International (Geneva-based)

The most common international curriculum in the UK and the most globally portable. It is a full programme from primary age up to the IB Diploma at 18, which keeps six subjects broad rather than narrowing to three or four A-levels.

How the school years work

Primary Years Programme (ages 3 to 12), Middle Years Programme (ages 11 to 16) and the Diploma Programme (ages 16 to 18). Schools may offer one or all stages.

Tests to get in

Direct application with a readiness and English-level assessment. Entry is usually about fit rather than heavy competitive selection, and many schools admit year-round for relocating families.

Exams & qualifications your child sits

  • IB Diploma, six subjects plus the core (Theory of Knowledge, Extended Essay and CAS)
  • IB Middle Years Programme assessments (eAssessments) at age 16
  • IGCSEs, offered instead of the MYP certificate at some schools

Where it leads: Universities worldwide. The IB Diploma is well understood by UK admissions and carries a clear UCAS tariff.

Example UK schools

  • Many international and some independent/state schools nationwide
  • ISL (International School of London) & other IB World Schools
  • A growing number of state sixth forms offer the IB Diploma free

Good to know

The Diploma’s breadth suits all-rounders; students who already know they want to specialise early may prefer A-levels.

Comparison tool

Still weighing it up? Line them up, side by side.

Pick the school types you're considering and compare what actually differs, cost, admissions, class sizes, curriculum and more.

Choose which school types to compare (2 to 4):
Side-by-side comparison of selected UK school types
AttributeState schoolGrammar schoolPrivate school
CostFreeFree£15k to £50k+ per year
How places are decidedDistance / catchment, siblings11+ exam score, then distanceSchool's own exam & interview
Academic selectionNone, all abilitiesHighly selectiveVaries, many are selective
Typical class size~30~3015 to 20
CurriculumNational curriculum (academies have some freedom)National curriculum, taught at a fast paceFree to set its own (many offer IGCSEs / IB)
AvailabilityEverywhereOnly ~160 in England, in certain countiesMost towns and cities
Inspected byOfstedOfstedISI or Ofsted
Exams takenGCSEs, A-levels / BTECs / T-levelsGCSEs & A-levelsGCSEs / IGCSEs, A-levels or IB
Entry preparation neededNone, just apply on time11+ practice from Year 4 to 5School-specific exam & interview practice
Wraparound & extrasVaries by schoolVaries by schoolUsually extensive (sport, music, clubs, longer days)
6-question quiz

Which school type fits your family?

Answer six honest questions about budget, your child, and your priorities, and get a ranked recommendation in under a minute.

Choosing partly because of additional needs or a disability? Start with the SEND guide above, then use this to weigh the wider options.

Question 1 of 6

Could you comfortably pay school fees of £15,000+ per year, per child?

Made your choice? Now make the plan.

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