The American School in London

An international beginning shapes The American School in London. Stephen Eckard founded the school in 1951, first establishing it in Knightsbridge before the move to One Waverley Place. Its structure follows an American pattern of lower, middle and high school, so the senior years are organised by grades and graduation requirements rather than by the English 11+ and sixth-form sequence.

Grade 9 provides a common foundation in English, social studies and science, while mathematics and world-language placement reflect previous preparation. Later high-school years open into performing and visual arts, technology, journalism and other subject choices. Advanced Placement courses and accredited independent study add routes for students who want university-level challenge within the high-school programme.

Academic work sits alongside clubs, athletics and arts. Those strands are maintained as part of high-school life without reducing the school to a list of activities: the important feature is the combination of a US-style curriculum, specialist interests and opportunities to continue learning beyond the core timetable. The model is international in outlook but grounded in a London campus and a clear progression to graduation.

Admissions are built around grade placement, visits, applications and testing information. Students join at points within the lower, middle or high-school structure rather than through a single English selective entry point, and Advanced Placement belongs to the later academic route. Tuition and admissions arrangements are handled by the school, with the relevant requirements depending on the student’s grade and previous preparation.