- Relocation Services
They say that moving home is amongst the top most stressful things to do, alongside death and divorce. It is therefore best to plan ahead, and not let one thing lead to another.
For families relocating a different country it is a huge risk to rely on finding a good state-maintained (i.e free) school. You will first need to have a confirmed address in that country, and the Local Education Authority may then provide you with a school based on whether your home falls into each school's catchment area. The catchment areas for excellent state schools will often have correspondingly inflated house prices or rental values. The best schools will all be oversubscribed. In short, you will have little to no choice, and it is very much a lottery.
Most families who relocate to another country, therefore, need to negotiate a school-fee package with their employer and opt to send their children to a good private school.
However, there remain two main obstacles for families who are relocating and need to find a private school for their child:
- Most successful private schools require you to register well in advance, over a year and very often more than that. Unfortunately, most relocating families do not have the luxury of such notice.
- There are also set "common" entrance points - particular school years where schools enrol a new cohort of students every September. Unless you are particularly fortunate, there is a strong chance you may need to apply for an "occasional place" outside of the regulation entry points. These can be few and far between at the better schools, even more so if you are looking to move to an area where local demand for private schools is high. However, truly international schools often have “rolling” admissions policies and can admit pupils mid term.
These two obstacles can severely limit the available options for a relocating family.
You will also need to consider specific requirements for your child's new school such as location (distance from the office and neighbourhood) budget, curriculum, and extra-curricular activities. Depending on how long you plan to stay, you may need a short term or interim plan, and also a longer term educational strategy for your child.
Working with both you AND your child, we can quickly help you understand how the land lies, and what school options will be available when you relocate to any town, village or city in the UK. There will always be solutions and, whilst compromises sometimes need to be made, we can always guide families to help them find the best available options for their child's immediate and future schooling.
Relocation cases are often convoluted and complicated, but once one of our expert consultants has taken the time to know and understand your family's needs, we will be able to take care of this issue, and let you get on with sorting out the million other things which need to be done.
Please call us on +44 1622 813870 or complete an enquiry form with further details.
Other relocation services
Visa and immigration advice
We do not provide this service ourselves, but can introduce you to good visa and immigration solicitors. They can provide the most efficient and reliable options for you and your family to gain a visa to live in the country. They are expensive, but this is not an area you want to get wrong.
If your visa is NOT being sponsored by your employer, you would be best advised to see what immigration options are available before you even consider the question of schools.
Comprehensive relocation services
For home viewings, shipping, car leasing and other settling in services, we collaborate with an award-winning Relocation company. They are especially efficient at arranging home visits to coincide with the appointments we make for you at schools, meaning you get to check out the school, local area, and a potential home all in the same visit.
We would love to hear from you and help ease your move. Please tell us how we can help you and your family.