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Pupils from overseas

Advice on admissions

Children from overseas do not automatically have the right of entry to the UK or to a school in the United Kingdom. Circumstances in which parents and their children are admitted to the country vary and are governed by the Immigration Rules. It may be reasonable for an application for a school place to be rejected, for example if the family's stay is short enough for it not to be practical to admit the child to school. Therefore, schools will consider each application on its own merits in terms of the educational welfare of the child.

Listed below is the guidance on admission of overseas pupils:

  • Pupils accompanying their parents
    Children accompanying parents who have the right of abode in or leave to enter the UK will normally be treated as dependents. Upon taking up residence in this country, overseas parents residing in the UK have the same right as anyone else to apply for a place in a maintained school.
  • Lone children without the right of abode
    Lone children of statutory school age without a right of abode in the UK will not be permitted to take up a place at a maintained school. Leave to enter the country for the purposes of receiving an education under the Immigration Rules is only permitted if the child satisfies the requirements specified in paragraph 57 of the Immigration Rules and they can, for example, show that they have been accepted for a course of study at an independent and fee-paying or private institution. 
  • British citizens and others with a right of abode
    There are no restrictions on entry to the UK for children (whether or not they are accompanied by their parents) who hold British Citizen passports (but not British Dependent Territories or British Overseas passports), or children from countries whose passports have been endorsed to show that they have the right of abode in this country, irrespective of their purpose of entry. They are entitled to apply for a place at a maintained school.
  • EEA nationals
    European Community Law allows nationals of the European Economic Area (EEA) comprising of the 25 members of the European Union together with Iceland, Norway and Liechtenstein who come into this country for the purposes of work, or for certain other economic purposes to remain in the UK indefinitely. Therefore, they enjoy the same rights to education as British citizens.
  • Asylum seekers
    Children of asylum seekers and unaccompanied asylum seeker children have the same rights to education as other children, usually at maintained schools. However, if the family resides in an accommodation centre in which education is provided, in most cases the child will be prohibited from attending a maintained school.

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