Relocating to Europe or North America? Find the Right Private School for Your Child.
Moving to a new country is one of the biggest decisions a family can make. Finding the right school - quickly, confidently, and in the middle of everything else - is one of the hardest.
Cognita operates private schools across the globe, including the United Kingdom, Spain, Switzerland, and the United States in the European and North American regions. Whether you’re relocating for work, family, or a fresh start, our admissions teams are experienced in supporting international families - including mid-year moves - and will guide you every step of the way.
Our schools are located across major international cities: Barcelona, London, Madrid, New York City, Valencia, and Zurich to name a few.
Expert Support for International School Admissions
Relocations can be sudden. Whether you’ve just received a corporate transfer notice or you’re planning an upcoming move to Europe or the USA, our International Student Recruitment team is here to help your family find the right school.:
- An online consultation with our International Student Recruitment team to identify the Cognita school that best meets your family’s needs
- Multilingual admissions support to help families in their preferred language
- Close engagement with relocation consultants and student placement agents when they are supporting your family through the process
- English as an Additional Language (EAL) assessments for your child where required.
- Remote assessments and an online interview with the headteacher or a senior leader – reducing the need to visit in person before your move.
- A structured buddy system at your child’s new school to help them settle in, make friends, and feel at home from day one.
- Mid-year enrolment accepted at all of our schools – your child doesn’t need to wait for the start of a new academic year
Are you an agent or relocation consultant who is supporting a client family moving to a city in Europe or North America?
We work closely with registered student recruitment agents and corporate relocation consultants. If you are an agent who is supporting a client family move to a city in Europe or North America, you can liaise directly with our International Admissions team on your client’s behalf.
The Cognita International Admissions team provides a central point of contact for you and your client family throughout the admissions process. We can advise on the availability of places in each year group at our schools, help identify the best-fit school to meet the needs of each child, clarify the required admissions documents, advise on entrance assessments, and explain the finances, as well as advise on visa and immigration requirements for students who don’t hold British nationality.
The Cognita International Admissions team maintains a network of agents and relocation consultants around the world, who recruit to our schools. If your agency is interested in representing Cognita and recruiting to our schools, please complete this form. We will seek two references from other reputable international educational institutions before finalising the agreement.
Visas and immigration: what Families Relocating to Europe and the US Need To Know
Relocations can be sudden. Whether you’ve just received a corporate transfer notice or you’re planning an upcoming move to Europe or the USA, our International Student Recruitment team is here to help your family find the right school.
For more information about Visas and immigration, please visit the link below:
London
London is home to some of Cognita’s most established schools, offering a range of curricula - from the English National Curriculum to the International Baccalaureate. Our London schools serve children from the early years through to sixth form and accept international students year-round.
Southbank International School
Southbank International School uses London as a classroom – taking full advantage of the cultural riches of the city. As part of each unit of inquiry, teachers look for opportunities to maximise learning in context, visiting cultural sites, galleries, museums, London parks and wildlife centres.
Alleyn's Regent's Park
Alleyn's Regent's Park is a co-educational preparatory school in North London educating children aged 4 to 13. The school is set in a large, bright and airy, 19th Century former convent on the doorstep of leafy Regent’s Park and London Zoo. As part of the Alleyn’s Schools Group, our approach to education is rooted in 400 years of tradition and entrepreneurial learning.
Brighton College Prep Kensington
Brighton College Prep Kensington is a happy and vibrant school for girls and boys aged 2 to 13 years. An exciting, bright and buzzing family school, we are well known for our welcoming atmosphere, high academic standards and exceptional pastoral care. We want our pupils both to enjoy school and be inspired to achieve their full potential.
Madrid
Our Madrid schools offer a blend of British, Spanish, and International Baccalaureate curricula, making them well-suited to both Spanish families and those relocating from abroad.
Hastings School
Hastings School is an independent British school based in Madrid which offers education to students aged 3-18 years, covering Early Years through to IGCSE and A Levels. The school is based on five campuses: Paseo de la Habana (Early Years), Bendición de Campos and Azulinas (Primary), Lorenzo Solano Tendero (Years 3&4, Secondary and MM8) and Sobradiel (Early Years and Primary).
The English Montessori School (TEMS)
TEMS is an independent British school based in Madrid which offers education to students aged 3-18 years. A British education is offered from the ages of 3-16 (Early Years to Year 11). From 16-18 a full Spanish programme is offered along with a number of AS/A Levels.
Liceo Sorolla International School
Liceo Sorolla International School, founded in 1963 by three families who continue to lead the school today, offers a distinctive and future-focused educational experience. Our model combines active learning methodologies with a robust language programme in English, Spanish and French. We are home to more than 1,300 students aged 2 to 18, representing 25 nationalities.
Barcelona
Valencia
Barcelona
Barcelona is one of Europe’s most international cities, attracting families from across the globe. Set across four campuses, The British School of Barcelona is one of the most important international schools in Spain and offers A Levels, English National Curriculum, IGCSEs, International Baccalaureate and the Spanish Curriculum.
Valencia is a fast-growing destination for international families, offering a high quality of life alongside excellent schools.
The British School of Barcelona
The British School of Barcelona is one of the most important international schools in Spain, having been recognised year after year as one of the 30 best international schools by national newspaper El Mundo in its annual 100 best schools in Spain rankings and as one of the best schools in Spain by Forbes Spain.
Valencia
Valencia is a fast-growing destination for international families, offering a high quality of life alongside excellent schools.
British School of Valencia
The British School of Valencia (BSV) is a British teaching institution located in the centre of the city of Valencia, founded in 1992. From the beginning it has sought to offer a distinct teaching model, basing its educational project on the two key pillars of respect and tolerance, where students continue their personal development during their time at school. In addition, it aims to ensure students’ consolidated learning in a foreign language from a very early age, responding to the growing demands of today’s society.
Switzerland
Switzerland is a top destination for internationally mobile families, particularly those working in finance, diplomacy, and international organisations. Cognita operates three schools in Switzerland - offering A Levels, English National Curriculum, IGCSEs, International Baccalaureate and the Swiss Curriculum across Zurich, Lucerne, and Zug.
International School - Zurich North (ISZN)
Located just minutes from the heart of Zurich, the International School Zurich North (ISZN) has been part of the Wallisellen community since 1999. What began with just 17 students and five teachers has grown into a thriving international school of more than 240 students and nearly 50 dedicated educators and staff. Today, ISZN welcomes families from over 35 nationalities and a faculty representing more than 20 countries, creating a community rich in cultures, perspectives, and shared experiences.
Four Forest Bilingual International School
Four Forest Group consists of two international bilingual campuses in Luzern and Zug as well as LMS, a traditional Swiss school campus in Luzern. Four Forest Bilingual International School campus is a private day school offering a high-quality bilingual education. Based on the curricula of the cantons of Luzern and Zug, teaching is delivered equally in German and English.
Obersee Bilingual School
Obersee Bilingual School (OBS) is an independent German and English school based in Wollerau, situated above the upper left shore of lake Zürich, Switzerland. It caters for students from 3 months to 18 years. From pre-kindergarten to the International Baccalaureate Diploma (IB) or the Swiss Matura students learn and live in an international environment with strong swiss roots.
St. Gilgens
St. Gilgen International School offers a world-class education in a stunning Alpine setting. In the lakeside town of St. Gilgen, tradition, safety, and outdoor adventure meet modern teaching and a vibrant international community – an ideal place for students to thrive.
United States
York Prep in New York City has a long track record of strong academic results and university placement, offering the American curriculum for students aged 11-18. Masters Academy International (MAI), will open in Stow, Massachusetts - near Boston - in September 2026 and will be New England’s first elite sports and academics institution, combining a rigorous American curriculum with world-class athletic programs for both day and boarding pupils.
York Prep School
York Prep, an independent college-preparatory day school, is located in the Upper West Side neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City. The co-educational school educates 350+ students and its proximity to Center Park, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, The American Museum of Natural History, and the New-York Historical Society make it a highly desirable location. Teachers at York Prep routinely call upon centers of culture and learning in New York to augment the classroom experience.
Masters Academy International
Masters Academy International is New England’s first and only academy combining elite sports and top-tier academics to prepare leaders ready for the future – excelling in sport, school, and life. Based in Stow, Massachusetts, we will welcome Middle School, Upper School and Post Graduate Coed day and boarding students.
Testimonials
A global school network
Cognita operates 90 schools across Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and the Americas. When you enrol your child in a Cognita school, you’re joining a worldwide community with shared standards of care, academic excellence, and student support.
If your family relocates again in the future – whether within Europe, North America, or elsewhere in the Cognita network – our teams can help coordinate transitions between Cognita schools wherever possible. That means coordinated admissions support, smooth document transfer, and a familiar framework of values and expectations, wherever in the world you land.
Families currently based at Cognita schools in the Middle East and considering a move to Europe or North America are warmly encouraged to speak with their current school’s admissions teams in the first instance, or to complete the enquiry form on this page.
