Why thriving overseas depends less on reputation and more on understanding your child, the system, and the realities of international schooling.
Relocating abroad is exciting. It’s brave. It’s full of possibility.
It’s also one of the biggest transitions a family can make. When families move overseas, one question almost always surfaces first:
“What’s the best school in the area?”
It sounds sensible. It feels efficient. But in my experience, it’s rarely the most helpful place to start. A better question is this:
What does my child need in order to thrive in a system that isn’t the UK?
That shift - from comparison to consideration - changes the entire conversation.
Because the truth is, international education is not one neat, uniform system. It’s varied. It’s contextual. And it requires more nuance than we sometimes expect.
Here are seven priorities I encourage families to think about when navigating schooling overseas.
1. There is no such thing as “the international system”
The word “international” feels reassuring. But it isn’t a regulatory framework. It isn’t a guarantee of consistency. It’s a label.
A British international school in Portugal can operate very differently to one in Spain or Dubai. Governance structures vary. Inspection models differ. Leadership stability shifts. Teacher turnover can be higher in some regions.
Some schools are exceptional. Others are still developing. Most sit somewhere in between.
Rather than asking which school is “best,” ask:
- Who oversees this school?
- How is quality assured?
- What does stability look like here?
The answers matter far more than the marketing.
2. Curriculum shapes everything
Curriculum isn’t just about subjects. It shapes how children think, how they’re assessed, how much breadth they experience, and what doors open later.
For example:
- A Level students typically specialise in three subjects.
- IB Diploma students study six subjects alongside additional core components.
That’s not a minor difference. It’s a fundamentally different academic model. Some children thrive with depth and specialisation. Others flourish with breadth and interdisciplinary thinking.
The question isn’t which is superior. It is . . . which aligns with your child?
3. Language is the hidden load
Even in English-medium schools, children are living in another language. Playground conversations. Notices. Coaches. Friendships. Daily life.
Language carries cognitive weight. Academic language, in particular, can take five to seven years to fully develop - even when conversational English sounds confident.
Fluency can mask vulnerability.
For children navigating relocation, that additional processing load can affect confidence, participation and progress more than families anticipate.
Language support isn’t a bonus. It’s foundational.
4. Inclusion and SEND support do not automatically travel
This is often the hardest reality for families to hear. EHCPs do not automatically transfer overseas. UK entitlements do not follow a child across borders.
Many international schools are private institutions and are not legally bound by the UK SEND Code of Practice. That does not mean support is absent. It means support varies.
Some schools are deeply inclusive and proactive. Others are limited by staffing, training or structure.
It is essential to ask:
- How are needs identified?
- What does intervention look like?
- How are exam access arrangements managed?
- What training do staff receive?
Clarity here protects both the child and the relationship with the school.
5. Transition points matter
Timing can be more important than location.
Entering mid-way through GCSEs, IGCSEs or the IB Diploma can create avoidable pressure. Exam pathways are built over time. Foundations matter.
A move in Year 7 feels very different from a move in Year 10.
Families sometimes underestimate how much invisible curriculum scaffolding sits beneath exam years.
Think carefully about phase, not just geography.
6. Culture matters more than facilities
A beautiful campus is lovely. It is not culture. Culture lives in how teachers respond to struggle.
It shows up in how difference is discussed.
It’s reflected in staff retention and how settled new colleagues appear.
It’s felt in parent communication. Children transitioning internationally need relational stability more than impressive buildings. Visit if you can. Observe corridors. Listen carefully.
You’ll learn more from atmosphere than architecture.
7. The parenting role expands
Relocation is considered a significant life stressor - even when it’s positive.
Children are not only adapting to a new school. They are adjusting to a new cultural rhythm, social codes and often a new identity.
As expat parents, your role widens.
You become advocate. Translator. Emotional anchor. Cultural interpreter.
Stability at home becomes the secure base from which everything else unfolds.
And that role, while demanding, is powerful!
Final thoughts:
There is no universal “best” school overseas.
There is only the right fit for your child, at this moment, in this context.
Instead of asking which school is the most impressive, ask:
- Where will my child feel secure?
- Where will they be understood?
- Where will they be appropriately challenged?
- Where will they grow?
International relocation can be an extraordinary opportunity. I’ve seen children flourish in ways families never anticipated.
But thriving rarely happens by accident. It happens when decisions are thoughtful, informed and centred on the child: not the postcode.
If you are navigating this journey, take your time. Ask better questions. And trust that clarity comes from conversation . . . . . .not comparison!
Ian Edwards
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