Schools in London: state schools, catchments, American and IB schools, and the road to US college

London has free state schools that many British families would move across town for, a handful of American-curriculum schools and a big IB scene. Which one is right comes down to two questions: how long you're staying, and where your kids are headed after high school.

The short version

• State schools in England are free. You apply through your local council, not the school, and deadlines are strict: October 31 for secondary school and January 15 for primary [1].
• Most popular state schools are oversubscribed, and distance from home is a common tiebreaker, so your address can matter as much as your child's grades.
• The American School in London, in St John's Wood, teaches a US curriculum for ages 4 to 18 with AP courses and an American high school diploma [2].
• ACS International Schools runs three campuses in and around London offering the IB Diploma, and two also offer AP [3].
• Planning on US colleges? Keep transcripts, standardized testing and a US-savvy counselor in the picture from 9th grade.

USD conversions use the Federal Reserve H.10 rate of October 30, 2026: £1 = USD 1.3398 [4].

How English schooling is organized

The labels are the first hurdle. England counts years differently from US grades, and kids start earlier.

At the end of Year 11, students take GCSEs, national exams in a range of subjects. In the final two years, most specialize in three or so A-level subjects. That narrowing is a big difference from a US high school, where you'd keep taking English, math, science and social studies through senior year. It matters for US college admissions, which we come back to below.

A note on vocabulary: in England a "public school" often means an old, elite fee-paying school. Free government-funded schools are "state schools," and fee-paying ones are "independent" or "private" schools.

State schools: catchments and admissions

State schools are free for children who are living in England legally, including the children of most work-visa holders. The system is run through councils, and London has 32 boroughs plus the City of London, each with its own admissions team.

How to apply

1. Find schools through your council's website and read their admissions criteria [1].
2. Apply through your home council, even if the schools you want are in a neighboring borough [1].
3. Hit the deadline. For a September start, primary applications close January 15 and secondary applications close October 31 of the year before [1].
4. Wait for offer day. Primary offers go out April 16 and secondary offers March 1 (moved to the next working day if it falls on a weekend or holiday) [1].
5. Accept the place by the date in the offer letter, or it may go to someone else [1].

Moving in the middle of the year? That's an "in-year" application. Contact your council, which can tell you which schools have places. If you get one, your child usually starts at the beginning of the next term [1]. Applying from the States? Contact the council where you'll be living. You may need proof of your new address, like a signed lease, and proof you'll be living there before the next term starts [1].

The catchment question

There's no official "school district" line like back home. Instead, each oversubscribed school ranks applicants by published criteria, which typically include children with special educational needs plans, looked-after children, siblings and then distance from home. In practice, that creates an informal catchment area that can shrink to a few streets for the most popular primaries.

What this means for your apartment hunt:

• Check last year's "furthest distance offered" for schools you like. Many councils publish it.
• Don't count on a place just because you're close. Distance cutoffs change every year.
• Faith schools may prioritize families of that faith and ask for evidence of religious practice.
• Grammar schools select by exam at age 11. London has a few, mostly in outer boroughs, and they're very competitive.

Checking quality

Ofsted inspects state schools. Since late 2025, Ofsted report cards grade schools on several areas on a five-point scale, from "exceptional" to "urgent improvement," and safeguarding is marked as met or not met. There's no longer a single overall grade [5]. Read the full report card, not just the headline.

American schools in London

The American School in London

The American School in London (ASL) is at 1 Waverley Place in St John's Wood, NW8. It's a co-ed independent school for ages 4 to 18 with an American elementary curriculum, a college-preparatory US high school diploma and more than 24 AP courses, according to The Good Schools Guide [2]. The same guide lists annual fees of £29,900 to £34,700 (about USD 40,000 to 46,500) [2]. Fees rise most years, so check the school's own fee page.

Demand is high, especially in the lower grades. Apply as soon as you know your move date, and ask about rolling admissions if you're arriving mid-year.

ACS International Schools

ACS runs three campuses [3]:

The campuses take children from age 2 to 18 [3]. Cobham and Egham are commuter-belt options; families often choose them for the space and settle in surrounding towns rather than central London.

IB schools

The International Baccalaureate Diploma is a two-year program for ages 16 to 19 that keeps students taking six subjects, including a language, math and science, plus an extended essay. That breadth looks more like a US high school transcript than A-levels do, which is one reason many American families like it. US colleges know the IB well.

In London, IB courses are offered at a mix of international schools (including ACS), some independent schools and a small number of state sixth forms. The IB organization's online school directory is the best place to check which London schools are currently authorized.

Applying to US colleges from London

Plenty of kids raised in London head back to the States for college. A few things make that easier:

• Keep the transcript readable. US admissions offices handle GCSEs, A-levels and the IB, but your school should send a school profile explaining its grading system. Ask whether the school has experience sending students to US colleges.
• Plan testing early. Check whether the colleges on your list require or consider the SAT or ACT, and book a test center in London or southeast England well ahead.
• Get a counselor who knows the US system. UK schools focus on UCAS, the British university application service. If your school doesn't have a US-focused counselor, you'll need to fill that gap.
• Watch residency for in-state tuition. State universities set their own rules on who counts as a resident. Families who've been abroad for years often don't qualify, even with a US home address. Check each school's policy.
• Financial aid still applies. US citizens abroad can file the FAFSA for federal aid at US colleges. Some federal loans can also be used at eligible UK universities, which our UK universities guide covers.

And if your teen is thinking about staying in the UK for university, the timelines are different: UCAS applications for many courses are due earlier than most US regular decision deadlines.

A quick decision guide

Sorting out a school place is the part of a London move that most needs early planning. Other parents in our community group for Americans in the UK can tell you how in-year applications went in their borough.

Sources

1. GOV.UK: School admissions: how to apply
2. The Good Schools Guide: The American School in London
3. ACS International Schools: Leading international schools in London
4. Federal Reserve: H.10 foreign exchange rates
5. GOV.UK: Understanding Ofsted report cards and grades

Keep reading

• UK universities for American students
• Renting in London
• Moving to London as an American: visa routes
• Registering a child born abroad: the CRBA