British Schools vs American Schools: What School Is Like In UK

What is school like in England compared to America?  That’s one of the first questions I had as soon as the idea of moving to England from the USA surfaced.  Deciding between British schools vs American schools to enroll your kids while living abroad can be a stressful affair. Making the right choice for your kids after a huge move abroad from the USA to the UK is a big deal. It’s where they spend most of their life as kids, so it’s vital to get the school right so that the kids love where they live. It’s one of the most important decisions expat parents will make.  Do we enroll in a British school system or an American one?

Before you can decide, you need to know what school is like in England compared to America.

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US vs UK School Years

One of the first things to learn how about a US vs UK school is how the school years, or more commonly referred to as ‘grade’ in the States, are different.  I’ve broken down the differences between US and UK school years since they don’t match up.  Kindergarten in the US is Year 1 in the UK, and so the mapping of US vs UK school begins.

American School Years vs UK

Once you know the US vs UK school year differences, you know what school phase and language to use as part of your school search.

For questions to ask and expectations around enrolling a child in a school outside their native country, I highly recommend reading Raising Global Nomads, specifically Chapter 6.  I didn’t read the book until AFTER moving to the UK and after the kids started school, but Robin’s insights lay out what to expect, what to do to actively participate as a parent and key factors that play into choosing the right school for children at different years (younger years, middle school, teenagers, etc) or even learning disabilities.

British School vs American School

Depending upon how much lead time there is to prepare for your move abroad can somewhat dictate the options available. For our own family of four, we had to move within 3 months just prior to the start of a new school year. Attending the local British primary school literally next door to our future expat home wasn’t an option due to missed enrollment dates and oversubscribed schools. (If this is a path you’re interested in, read How To Find A Primary School In The UK.)

Like most American expats I know, enrolling expat kids in private schools tend to be the way most go and really the only choice depending on if driven by an aggressive moving schedule.

Our particular moving situation landed us choosing a British private school for our kids, then 5 and 8 years old. We toured the American School in London, Dwight School London, and even Cambridge International – you can get the full list of schools and my notes in Just The School Pages.

If you’ve plotted these schools in England, you’ll see that we were quite literally all over the map. 🗺 In the end, where we chose to live drove our decision to let go of the American School and focus on a British private one.

Reasons why Americans favor an American school system vs British.

Enrolling in an American school felt incredibly important. Not only because it would be familiar and an easier transition, but the curriculum would also match. I believed that enrolling the kids in an American school system would make it like they never skipped a beat. 🎓

And that all might be true.

But here’s the deal about a British school system vs American.

My American kids love their British school. They don’t loathe getting up to go to school. They are fired up about it. When half-term breaks are over or it’s time to return to school at the end of the summer, they aren’t only ready for it, they are excited about it.

And it’s not just because they want to see their friends again, that their uniforms match Gryffindor or that their British school, like most, resembles something out of Hogwarts. 🧹

It’s because of the awesome things kids learn in British schools that they simply don’t in American ones. They are focused on building confidence and practicalities of how to live vs just getting the grade. They are balanced, academic, sporty, creative, and most importantly fun.

British School System vs American

So, what is school like in England and why is a British school system so different?  Kids learn these awesome 7 things as part of their British curriculum that seem totally unconventional in an American school system, like how to…

1 – Play rugby, cricket, netball…

And all the sports that are at the core of Great Britain. They don’t try out for a team. They are simply on one and sports are built into their school day, so there is no extra pick up and drop off at various school locations. The kids travel to other schools and vice versa. They learn the game, play, and then enjoy afternoon tea with the opposing team like true sportsmanship.

But more than just the sport or afternoon tea time, these kids learn resilience to harsh weather conditions.  My Texan kids who knew nothing more than life to be a hot sunny weather one have learned to not only embrace playing sports in crazy weather but charge into it with open arms.  The Brits still play regardless, and now my Texan kids do, too.

2 – Dance, drama, art, music…

And can even join the choir if they want. Learning the arts and willingness to perform in front of a large audience is part of what British private schools do to help build confidence, self-esteem, and public speaking. It’s pretty incredible when you witness the magnitude of what an 8-year-old class can memorize for a 2-hour play production. Or that your very own kid displays signs of a budding pianist. Who knew! 🎨

3 – French…

But not just how to spell and read it but how to apply it in real French situations. It’s not about the language choice itself. It could be any other language really. What makes it awesome in British schools is how they teach it. They prepare kids for a real “I live in France” (life/language lesson away from mom and dad) situation. 🇫🇷

At our particular British private school, year 5 (grade 4) kids go off for a week to attend school in France where they have all their lessons in French. Order lunch in French. Navigate the market in French…simply live just using French. Even with all the Spanish lessons in Texas, nothing comes close to the level of understanding the kids consume of a new language and self-responsibility learned in a British school.

4 – How to climb trees…

Even unsupervised after year 2 (grade 1)!  For an overprotective mom who panics at the very thought of her child putting himself in harm’s way, this is the freedom every kid seeks. Can you even imagine letting kids wander the fields to climb trees during a school break at an American school? Heck no!  But in British schools, they encourage tree climbing as it’s linked to boosting confidence and self-esteem. Now we can barely stroll through a park without my kids ending up in a tree. 🌳

5 – How to knot a tie…

On their own. I never even considered how much learning to tie a knot would demonstrate maturity, but it does. Every day. All the boys do their own and even though I personally still can’t manage a Windsor, my son can bang one out in an instant like it’s no big deal. Learning to knot your own tie might sound silly, but the truth is, it demonstrates responsibility and a practical life skill that he’d never learn in an American school.

6 – Religious studies…

Different religions are taught, embraced, and celebrated in their own unique ways, leading children to explore the world with an open mind at a very young age.  Rather than explain or try to teach different religious beliefs or concepts from a textbook, British schools immerse the children in it so that they can apply all senses to understand it. Regular field trips are incorporated into their school schedule so that the children truly see and feel the surroundings in order to learn. 🕍

7 – Technology…

Both design and actual computing. I personally never had the opportunity to take a shop class as a kid, but my 6 and 8-year-olds are learning to build all sorts of things in their British school. From catapults to podcasts, nothing seems to be off-limits. And even more surprising is that my own “Design of Everyday Things” book I purchased as an adult, would be basic knowledge kids learn in British schools vs. American ones. 👩‍💻

The Difference Between A British School System vs American

I could go on about English and Maths (they add an ‘s’ to math in the UK) but while those are the root of every kid’s academic performance, they aren’t the subjects that completely send my kids over the moon. It’s everything else they learn in a British school vs. American school that makes attending a British private school awesome.

British schools focus on untapped potential and interests of a child vs. a narrow academic syllabus. And I mean that in the nicest possible way because I do love the American school I attended as a kid. To this day my 4th-grade math teacher is the spark that got me to pursue math as a degree. I just wonder though if I had known about everything else…🤔

British education system vs American – including sports

So, what are schools like in England?

They are pretty amazing compared to America.  Whether you end up in private or public, the British approach and breadth of curriculum allow kids to explore and experiment with different concepts at a young age vs only English, Math, Science, and History in the USA.

If you’re at the beginning of your British vs American school search for your expat kids, use Just The School Pages (or entire Moving to England Workbook) for a list of all the international schools in the UK for kinder through grade 12, insights of schools I toured, plus a printable questions checklist to use for your own school tour.

For deciding between a British school vs an American one, I hope these 7 awesome things kids learn help outline what school is like in England.  If it helps, I’m beyond thankful that my kids had the opportunity to attend a British school.

If you’re still undecided or have questions, post in the comments!

Looking for more moving abroad with kids’ resources?

• Is It OK To Move Abroad With Kids?
• How To Find A Primary School In The UK
• A British Lesson for America
• Moving to the UK?  Use the MOVING CHECKLIST