For international families
Britain's best schools
made comprehensible.
The British independent school system is widely regarded as among the finest in the world. The application process, however, is bewildering — even for families who have lived in the UK for years.
Schoolmaster guides you through every step: understanding the system, finding the right schools for your child, and managing every deadline and requirement in one place.
Free to start · No credit card required · Used by families in 40+ countries
Understanding the system
The British school system, explained
Before you can choose a school, it helps to understand how the system works. British independent schools are organised into distinct stages — each with its own entry process, terminology, and deadlines.
Pre-Prep
The earliest years of independent schooling. Many top schools have their own nursery and pre-prep attached.
Prep School
"Prep" is short for preparatory — these schools prepare children for entry to senior schools. Most are day schools; some offer boarding from age 8.
Senior School
Most senior independent schools take pupils at 11 or 13. At 16 pupils sit GCSEs; at 18 they sit A-Levels or the IB.
Sixth Form
The final two years before university. Some schools accept pupils at 16 only. This is often called "Sixth Form entry" or "16+ entry".
What does “11+” actually mean?
You'll see “11+”, “13+”, and “7+” used everywhere. These simply refer to the age at which a child enters a school — “11+” means the child is 11 or turning 11 that academic year. Each entry point has its own separate assessment, registration deadline, and application process. A school may offer multiple entry points, and the process for each is completely different.
Read the full guide to entry points →How Schoolmaster works
From confusion to confidence
Most international parents start with a pile of questions and no clear place to begin. Schoolmaster gives you a structured path through the process.
Tell us about your child
Enter your child's age and where you're based. We'll show you which entry points apply and roughly how much time you have before key deadlines.
Explore and shortlist schools
Browse our database of 3,000+ British independent schools. Filter by boarding or day, boys', girls', or mixed, location, and academic profile.
Understand each school's process
Every school has a different application process, timeline, and set of requirements. We translate it all into plain language, with every deadline in one view.
Track every application
As you apply, mark off each step. Receive reminders before deadlines. Keep all documents in one place. Never lose track of where you stand.
Why Britain?
An education that opens every door
British independent schools are sought after by families worldwide — not just for academic results, but for the values, networks, and character they develop. The process of getting in, however, was not designed with international families in mind.
London consistently hosts more top-ranked schools than any other city in the world.
Of Oxbridge undergraduates attended an independent school, despite accounting for only 7% of UK pupils.
UK independent schools have produced heads of government, Nobel laureates, and global business leaders.
Countries represented in the student bodies of major UK boarding schools.
Boarding schools: a different consideration for international families
For families based outside the UK, boarding schools are often the most practical option — and British boarding schools are genuinely world-class. But they operate on entirely different timescales to day schools. Some of the most sought-after schools require registration years in advance. Schoolmaster helps you understand these timelines and act before it is too late.
Read our guide to boarding schools →Families we've helped
You are not the first to feel lost
We moved to London from Singapore when our son was nine. We had no idea that registration for some schools needed to happen years earlier. Schoolmaster showed us exactly where we stood and what we still had time to do.
Priya M.
Singapore → London
Applying for 11+ entryThe terminology alone was confusing — prep school, common entrance, 13+. Schoolmaster explained it all without making us feel foolish. Now we have three schools shortlisted and a clear plan.
Khalid & Fatima A.
Dubai
Applying for boarding at 13+I thought getting into a top British school was just about getting good marks. Schoolmaster helped us realise the process starts much earlier — and much more formally — than we expected.
Wei-Lin C.
Hong Kong
Applying for 7+ and 11+Start with a clear picture
Create a free account, add your child's details, and get an immediate view of which schools suit your situation — and what the application journey looks like from here.
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