If your child is starting a UK school after studying abroad, begin with the school they will attend and the curriculum it follows. Share previous reports and work, ask how the school will assess what your child knows, and agree one or two learning priorities. Give them time to settle socially as well as academically. An unfamiliar topic or difficulty explaining it in English does not automatically mean they are behind.
A move can change a child’s school year, classroom language, teaching methods and friendships at the same time. Parents often want to help immediately, but a stack of generic “catch-up” workbooks may target the wrong problem. The first month is better spent understanding the new setting, identifying a genuine gap and building confidence.
Is there one UK school curriculum?
No. Education arrangements differ across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Start with the nation, your child’s school stage and what the school is teaching this term.
| School location | What to ask about |
|---|---|
| England | The National Curriculum, your child’s year group and key stage. Year 6 pupils in England ordinarily take end-of-key-stage-2 tests. |
| Scotland | Curriculum for Excellence and your child’s current curriculum level. It is not a direct year-for-year copy of England’s system. |
| Wales | The school’s curriculum under Curriculum for Wales. Progression steps broadly correspond to ages 5, 8, 11, 14 and 16; they are not rigid tests on those birthdays. |
| Northern Ireland | The Northern Ireland Curriculum, the year group and the school’s current assessment arrangements. Year numbering and key stages differ from England’s. |
What this means in practice: Do not use an online “grade conversion” chart as a diagnosis. Ask the teacher which topics the class is covering and what your child needs to understand to take part now. A topic may simply have been taught in a different order abroad.
Before school starts: prepare a useful handover
Collect recent school reports, a few samples of writing and maths work, and details of any support or adjustments your child previously received. If grades or documents use another language or scale, explain what they mean. Include your child’s strengths, interests and the languages they use at home. A sample of work often shows more than a single grade.
If you are applying for a state school in England from abroad, GOV.UK advises contacting the local council in the area where you intend to live. For other UK nations, follow the relevant local admissions route. If your child is already enrolled, ask the school who will coordinate their induction and how you can share records securely.
The first school meeting: six questions worth asking
- Which year group, curriculum and current topics will my child follow?
- How will you find out what they already know, including knowledge shown in another language?
- Which school terms, routines or teaching methods may be unfamiliar?
- What language support is available, and who coordinates it?
- Are there any specific gaps that are affecting current classwork?
- When can we review both learning and how they are settling socially?
Write down the teacher’s answers and agree one contact point. This creates a shared plan and avoids treating every unfamiliar worksheet as a crisis.
Is it a subject gap, a language gap or an unfamiliar method?
These can look similar on paper. Suppose a child solves three-quarters of 20 correctly using a diagram, but cannot answer a word problem that says “three-quarters of the pupils attended.” Ask them to show the calculation, explain it in a language they are comfortable using, and then talk through the English wording. If they understand the fraction, the immediate priority may be classroom vocabulary rather than reteaching fractions. If they cannot explain why 20 is divided into four equal parts, revisit the concept itself.
Likewise, a child may know a maths method learned overseas but be unfamiliar with the layout expected in the new classroom. Ask the teacher which method children are using. Show your child how the methods connect before insisting that the familiar one was “wrong”.
Keep using your family’s home languages for conversation and reading. They help your child express complex ideas and stay connected to family life while learning classroom English. Ask the school how it supports learners who use English as an additional language. Local-authority guidance on newly arrived pupils emphasises induction and helping children feel secure in the new environment.
A calm four-week plan for home
This is an example to adapt with your child’s teacher, not a formal school programme.
| Week | What to do | What to notice |
|---|---|---|
| 1: Settle | Establish sleep, travel and homework routines. Talk about friends and the school day; read together for pleasure. | Which parts of the day feel comfortable or confusing? |
| 2: Choose priorities | Use teacher feedback and a little current work to choose one language or literacy goal and one subject goal. | Is the barrier vocabulary, a concept or an unfamiliar task format? |
| 3: Practise | Try short sessions three or four times a week. Model one example, complete one together, then let your child try independently. | Can they explain the idea without prompts? |
| 4: Review | Compare a fresh piece of work with the starting point and meet or message the teacher. Keep, change or drop the goals. | What has improved in confidence and participation as well as marks? |
Avoid trying to cover an entire year’s curriculum at once. A few well-chosen steps make it easier to see real progress.
How to support English, maths and science
English and classroom language: Read age-appropriate material and talk about its meaning. Introduce useful school terms in context: compare, explain, evidence and estimate, for example. For older learners, practise explaining an answer in a clear paragraph. Let them discuss a complex idea in their home language first if that helps them think.
Maths: Ask your child to show their method before deciding a topic is new. Compare notation and methods with the school’s approach. Work on one underlying idea, then use a different question to check that they can apply it.
Science: Link new words to diagrams, observations and examples. A child can often demonstrate a scientific idea before they can produce a polished written explanation in English. Build from that understanding to the subject vocabulary used in class.
If your child remains distressed, cannot access lessons despite support, or has previously identified additional learning needs, speak to the teacher and the school’s relevant support lead. One-to-one tutoring can complement the school’s plan; it should be aligned with the needs the school and family have identified.
When might one-to-one tutoring help?
Targeted tutoring is useful when there is a specific recurring barrier: perhaps the child understands arithmetic but cannot unpack English word problems, or knows the science concept but struggles to explain it in written answers. A good first session checks what is already secure, identifies the obstacle and sets a small goal that can be reviewed with current schoolwork.
FocusFirst Tutors offers personalised one-to-one online support in English, maths and science.
Frequently asked questions
Is my child behind if the class is studying unfamiliar topics?
Not necessarily. Topics can be sequenced differently across curricula. Ask which specific knowledge is needed for current work, and check what your child can already do.
Should we stop speaking our home language?
No. Continue the meaningful conversations and reading your family enjoys. Work with the school on the English vocabulary needed to participate in lessons.
Will my child take Year 6 SATs anywhere in the UK?
No. The familiar Year 6 key stage 2 SATs timetable applies to England. The other UK nations use different curricula and assessment arrangements.
How soon should we consider tutoring?
There is no fixed waiting period. Give your child room to settle, ask the school what it sees and consider support when a specific barrier is limiting participation or confidence. Set a goal and review whether the help is working.