Best schools in New York City
Education in New York
Perhaps the dearth of specifically international schools is to be expected. Language is, after all, not a barrier and the curriculum is broadly similar to that which you will find in Britain. Plenty of international families opt to send their offspring to the city’s many excellent and even famous private schools, while a good number plump for the public (state) sector, which, at elementary level at least, has greatly improved. In this cosmopolitan city, so called local families often have either international backgrounds and/or connections so private schools, while following an American style curriculum, tend to have a more international ‘feel’ in terms of their pupil and parent body.
Many families choose to live in the city, which - together with the city’s rising pre-school population - means that competition for places at top private and public schools is fierce.
The education system in New York starts at kindergarten (from the age of 5), progresses to grade 1 and finishes at grade 12. Elementary school encompasses grades 1-5, middle school covers grades 6-8 (5-8 at UNIS) and high school grades 9-12. A school that takes your child right through would be dubbed K-12.
In the early years, reading, writing and maths tend to move at a noticeably slower pace than in Britain, with concepts such as multiplication and division not entering the classroom before grade 2 (British year 3) and spelling corrections don’t generally start until 1st or 2nd grade. Bear this in mind if your kids are young, your relocation is a short one, and you plan to return to a competitive British school. The academics tend to even out by middle school, and in some New York schools the pressure can become very intense indeed. The majority of teachers are incredibly committed and hard-working.
Choosing a school in New York
International schools
One of the first decisions you will make when relocating to New York is whether to go the usual expat route and send your children to one of the city’s handful of international options. Should you decide to go down the international route, the choice – if not wide – is at least straightforward and comparatively stress-free.
Private schools
Generalising wildly, Manhattan’s private schools can be divided into the uptown schools, many of which are single sex and Anglophone in style (uniforms, school traditions, etc), and the more eclectic downtown schools, where the pottery studio is as important as the library. The largest concentration of private schools, and of the preschools that prep children for them, are located on either side of Central Park. Most of these schools take advantage of the park’s location and you will frequently see groups of students running track or playing basketball.
To secure a slot at a New York private school, you generally have to apply a year in advance. Be prepared for a certain amount of rigmarole. Most schools require a tour, an interview for parents, an assessment or playdate for the child and, from grade 2 up, an intelligence test, administered by the Educational Records Bureau (and often referred to as the ERB) or the newer Secondary School Admission Test (SSAT). Check with each school as to which one they require.
It's wise to apply to a number of schools (some experts suggest as many as eight) to cover your bases. Call the schools up before applying, as many of them have different requirements; some, for example, ask for a letter of recommendation from a friend of the family.
Register online at the schools’ websites in September but be quick as registration often closes in October. Next, schedule school tours and interviews (phone the schools to do this, or check online) and book the appropriate test for your child. The ERB's website has useful examples of tests for all ages. Take time to study them as most New Yorkers prep their children or have them tutored.
It is all rather time-consuming, and no mean feat to arrange from abroad, and some parents choose to pay a private schools consultant to help them navigate the process or manage the entire procedure for them, (we offer this too: The Good Schools Guide Consultancy Service). Another resource, The Parents’ League lets you know of possible openings at the 300 private schools on its membership list—useful if you’re applying from abroad, and if you’ve got kids at tricky ages for entry. Whatever you decide, a visit to New York for the various tests and tours is usually unavoidable, so you should plan accordingly.
School fees are high compared to most cities and countries, due mainly to NYC's high teaching salary costs and higher costs generally in the city. New York is expensive all round. Financial aid is available at most schools, to varying degrees, but you must normally apply at the time of enrolment, often via an independent scheme called TADS.
Public (state) schools
Bear in mind three points when considering New York’s public education for your child. First, while Manhattan has many good elementary public schools, strong middle schools and high schools (with the exception of the specialised high schools) are harder to find. Second, sought-after elementary schools are increasingly oversubscribed so basing yourself near your chosen school is no longer a guarantee of a place. Last but not least, in order to apply at all, you must first be resident in NYC (no minimum time, you just need an address).
New York is divided into educational districts, and then subdivided into neighbourhoods (zones). Most children attend the elementary school they are zoned for. The picture becomes more complex at middle and high school level (many zones do not have a middle school, for example) and a newish lottery process with each final year elementary school pupil allocated a unique number which in turn determines their middle school. It’s a popular city-wide response to a previously merit-based system but not without issues of course. To find out which school you are zoned for, call New York’s central Office of Student Enrolment Planning and Operations or check the map of the Department of Education.
For an in-depth picture of all New York’s public schools, good and the bad, you can’t do better than the excellent InsideSchools.org - a non-profit website, which contains reviews of New York’s public schools, as well as parent comment, regular columns and advice.
Specialised Public Schools
Some elementary and middle schools offer fast-track academic programmes for gifted and talented children, and a few schools are reserved solely for the academically able. A political ‘hot potato’ to say the least, the city’s gifted and talented provision for elementary pupils has recently expanded but with the contentious testing at 4 years old permanently scrapped.
At high school level (grade 9-12) there are nine selective, specialised schools. These schools are generally huge (in the thousands) but it’s still highly competitive to gain a place (roughly one in five succeed, although for Styvesant and Brooklyn Tech the competition for a place increases to four per cent or a one in 25 chance). Although the schools get amazing results, with high college acceptance rates, including Ivy Leagues, they are not for the faint-hearted. Of course, they don’t have the small class sizes and personal touch of private schools, nor the facilities (although both Styvesant and Brooklyn Tech have a pool).
Special education needs in New York
Broadly speaking, international and private schools in New York consider children with SEN on an individual basis. Dwight School, on the UWS, has a well-established Quest Program in place to support learners from grades 1-12 using specialist teachers and there are others but a few of the more prestigious private schools in Manhattan may be a little less welcoming.
In the public system, there is a familiar process of children accessing learning support through their IEP (individualised education program) There is no separate admissions process and the emphasis is on inclusivity. Accessibility issues may determine school choice for children with physical disabilities.
Nurseries, pre-school, Pre-K and kindergarten in New York
Children embark on their formal schooling one year later than in Britain, so kindergarten would be British year 1. There is no exact equivalent to British reception. The closest is Pre-K (formerly known as nursery school), but it is generally less academic—no phonics, for example. Singing songs, play time, nap time and cuddly toys encouraged. Most international schools and some of the private schools do teach phonics earlier than American schools however. There are a vast range of private pre-school settings in the city, many with established links and relationships with particular private schools or that go right through from K-12 so the hustle for places in the city’s more prestigious schools starts early.
Free public education in NYC begins in the calendar year children turn 4. Every 4-year-old is guaranteed a seat either in a neighbourhood public school or a pre-K centre.
