Schools in New York: British and international

If you want A Levels in Manhattan there's essentially one school to call, but New York's international and public schools give British families plenty of other good options.

The short version

The British International School of New York (BISNY) teaches EYFS, then the IB Primary and Middle Years programmes, then IGCSEs and A Levels. Fees for 2026-27 run from $45,600 to $67,800 a year (about £33,840 to £50,310) [1][2].
The United Nations International School (UNIS) teaches the IB from Pre-K to Grade 12, with 2026-27 tuition from $46,856 to $52,167 (about £34,770 to £38,710) [3][4].
NYC public schools are free for children who live in the city. Kindergarten starts in the calendar year your child turns 5 [5].
US grades run a year "behind" UK years in name: Kindergarten is Year 1, Grade 12 is Year 13.
If your child may head to a UK university, think about qualifications and home-fee status early.

Pound conversions in this guide use the Bank of England spot rate of 5 November 2026 (£1 = USD 1.3476).

US grades vs UK years

The first headache for most British parents is the numbering. The school year runs from early September to late June, and children are grouped by their age on a cut-off date, so a child born in the summer may land in a different year from the one you'd expect back home.

Age (start of year)	UK (England)	US / New York
3–4	Nursery	Pre-K 3s ("3-K")
4–5	Reception	Pre-K
5–6	Year 1	Kindergarten
6–11	Years 2–6	Grades 1–5
11–14	Years 7–9	Grades 6–8 (middle school)
14–16	Years 10–11 (GCSEs)	Grades 9–10
16–18	Years 12–13 (A Levels)	Grades 11–12

This mapping is the one BISNY uses for its own classes [1]. The FCDO points out that all children must go to school or be home-schooled in the US, and that attendance laws vary by state [6].

The British option: BISNY

The British International School of New York is a small independent school at Waterside Plaza on the East River, near 23rd Street in Manhattan, taking children from 3 to 18 [1]. It mixes systems:

Early Years (3–5): the Early Years Foundation Stage, as in England.
Lower School (Years 1–6): the National Curriculum for England alongside the IB Primary Years Programme.
Middle School (Years 7–9): the IB Middle Years Programme.
Upper School (Years 10–13): IGCSEs, then AS and A Levels, with Cambridge International and Pearson Edexcel exam boards.

That makes it the obvious choice if you're likely to move back to the UK, or if your child is part-way through GCSEs or A Levels.

BISNY fees for 2026-27

Stage	Full-year tuition	In pounds (approx.)
Nursery (3s)	$45,600	£33,840
Reception (Pre-K 4s)	$51,000	£37,850
Years 1–9 (Kindergarten to Grade 8)	$66,700	£49,500
Years 10–13 (Grades 9–12)	$67,800	£50,310

Source: BISNY tuition and affordability page, 2026-27 [2]. Lunch is included. On top of that there's a one-off, non-refundable new-student enrolment fee of $2,500 (about £1,855), a $125 application fee and a $225 yearly activity fee, and uniform and clubs are extra [2]. The school offers need-based partial tuition assistance, and mid-year entry can be prorated by agreement [2].

International schools

New York has a long list of private and international schools, and many British families end up at one teaching the IB rather than A Levels. The IB Diploma is well known to UK universities, so it keeps the door home wide open.

UNIS (United Nations International School) was founded in 1947 by UN parents and was one of the founding schools of the IB Diploma. It teaches from Pre-K to Grade 12 on its campus on FDR Drive in Manhattan, with nine modern languages on the timetable [3]. Tuition for 2026-27 is $46,856 (about £34,770) a year in the Junior School, $48,592 to $49,259 (about £36,060 to £36,550) in the Middle School, and $50,911 to $52,167 (about £37,780 to £38,710) in the high school, plus new-student and incidental fees [4].

Beyond these, there are bilingual schools (French, German and others), IB schools across the boroughs and the famous Manhattan independent schools, which teach an American curriculum leading to AP courses and US college entry. Visit, ask how they handle a child arriving mid-year from the UK system, and check exactly which qualifications they offer at 16 and 18.

Getting a place

Private school admissions in New York are competitive and run on an American timetable:

Start a year ahead. Most schools open applications in late summer or autumn for entry the following September.
Expect tours, an application form, school reports, references and, for older children, entrance tests or interviews.
Ask about mid-year places. Expat-heavy schools are used to families arriving on a posting and can sometimes find a seat at short notice.
Ask your employer. Some relocation packages include school fees or a contribution, and it's much easier to negotiate before you sign.

NYC public schools

New York City's public school system is enormous and free. Quality varies a lot by neighbourhood and by school, much as it does with council-run schools back home.

Who can go: children who live in New York City. You enrol by address, not by immigration status.
Kindergarten: your child starts in the calendar year they turn 5 [5]. The city also runs 3-K and Pre-K for younger children, with separate applications.
Arriving mid-year: the city's Family Welcome offices handle enrolment and transfers for new arrivals [7]. Expect to be asked for your child's passport or birth certificate, proof of your New York address, immunisation records and recent school reports.
Middle and high school: many schools have their own admissions methods, including screened schools that look at grades and other criteria. High school admissions in particular are a process in themselves, so read the city's guidance as soon as you know where you'll live.
Specialised and gifted programmes have their own tests and deadlines.

Your address decides your zoned elementary school in most districts, so families often choose where to rent around the school. Our guide to renting in New York covers the neighbourhoods. Many Brits are pleasantly surprised by public schools in parts of Brooklyn, Queens and Manhattan, and some move to the suburbs in New Jersey, Westchester or Long Island for the school districts.

Planning for university: UCAS, the SAT and home fees

If there's any chance your child will go to a UK university, plan early.

Qualifications: UK universities know A Levels and the IB Diploma well. An American high school diploma with AP exams is accepted too, but each university sets its own requirements, so check the course pages.
UCAS from abroad: you apply through UCAS from anywhere in the world; the school's counsellor usually writes the reference.
Home fees: UK universities set fee status. For home fees in England, students usually need to have been ordinarily resident in the UK and Islands for the three years before the course starts. Living abroad because you or a parent were temporarily posted overseas for work can still count, but each case is assessed on its facts. Gather evidence of your ties and the temporary nature of the move now; international fees are several times higher.
US universities: if your child is heading for American colleges instead, the SAT or ACT, the Common App and US financial aid come into play.

Our guide to US universities vs going home: UCAS, the SAT and home fees goes through this step by step.

Children born in New York to British parents may need registering for British citizenship or a British passport; see registering a child born abroad and British citizenship by descent. And if you'd like to hear from parents at a particular school, our community group for Brits in the US is a friendly place to ask.

Schools in New York: British, international and public, and the road back to UK universities