Step-by-step
Moving Abroad With School-Age Kids: Where to Start
Whether you're moving to Tokyo, Dubai, London — or just exploring ideas for a family heading anywhere — this guide starts in the same place: work out where your child wants to end up, then work backward. Each step links to a free tool or guide.
Start with the destination — and what it offers after graduation
Most families pick a school first and discover the country's constraints in final year. Work the other way. Compare destinations on cost, the universities they lead to, and — crucially — whether a graduate can stay and work. A near-free German degree can out-return a costly UK one once you count the whole arc.
Choose the curriculum that keeps the right doors open
IB, A-Levels, AP, or a national curriculum is the highest-stakes lock-in — it's set at 15-16 and shapes which universities are reachable. If you might move again, the IB's portability matters; if your child is depth-focused and UK-bound, A-Levels fit. Take the quiz for a reasoned starting point.
Shortlist schools — on verifiable facts, not brochures
Once the country and curriculum are set, build a shortlist on what you can verify: accreditation, inspection bands where they exist, fees, and eligibility (in mainland China, who can even apply is a legal question first). Compare schools head-to-head rather than trusting a ranking.
Plan the application — and the fee-status timeline early
The strategic decisions happen years before the application. UK home-fee eligibility must be built three years before entry; multi-country scholarship deadlines can fall a year before admission opens. Map the whole timeline backward from where your child wants to end up.