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How to buy a car in UK

A car is a necessity to live in the UK. Unless you live in a big city, you have to drive even to buy a bottle of milk.

To buy a car in the UK, first of all, you must have a driving license. Whether it is an international driving license or a full UK driving license, you can buy a car and buy car insurance. However, under the same background, it is definitely cheaper to buy insurance with a Full UK Driving license than with an international driving license. If possible, you should change to a UK Driving license before purchasing a car to reduce your insurance costs.

For how to exchange a non-UK license plate for a British license plate, please click here.

The first step in purchasing a car is to decide to purchase a new car or a used car. If you are buying a new car, you need to go to the brand retail showroom where you’ll be able to choose options and make your order.

If you are buying a used car, there are a number of options:

Approved used car dealer (checked and sold by the brand)

  • Advantages: Check and approved by the brand. Will come with a warranty
  • Disadvantages: More expensive

Used car dealer

  • Advantages: Choice of different brands and models
  • Disadvantages: Requires careful research for reliable dealers

Private car owner

  • Advantages: Deal directly with the car owner, potentially best price
  • Disadvantages: No guarantee. If you are not familiar with the car, it is difficult to know the actual condition of the car

The following is the Approved Used Car web page of their respective brands:

BMW: https://usedcars.bmw.co.uk/
Mercedes-Benz https://www.mercedes-benzretailgroup.co.uk/mercedes-benz-cars/used-cars/
Toyota: https://www.toyota.co.uk/used-cars
Ford: https://www.ford.co.uk/shop/price-and-locate/approved-used/approved-used-cars
Volks Wagen https://www.volkswagen.co.uk/used-cars
KIA: https://www.kia.com/uk/used-cars/about-approved-used-cars/
Mazda: https://www.mazda.co.uk/used-cars/
Nissan: https://usedcars.nissan.co.uk/en/home
Hyundai: http://used.hyundai.co.uk/home
Audi: https://www.audi.co.uk/approved-used-audi.html
Suzuki: https://ucl.suzuki.co.uk/cars/used
Lexus: https://www.lexus.co.uk/pre-owned/
Honda: https://usedcars.honda.co.uk/en/home

Purchase approved used car process:

  • After finding the car you like on an approved car website, you can request more information online, or call directly to make an appointment to see the car.
  • Compare the equipment of the car and see if the price is satisfactory
  • You can request a test drive (please bring your driving license)
  • Before buying the car, make sure to check if any repairs/maintenance will be needed
  • Pay a deposit
  • Arrange a pick-up date
  • Buy car insurance
  • Please check the car carefully on the pick-up day, especially parts that need to be repaired
  • Pay the balance of the car, and pay the Road Tax

Note: Cars in the UK need to be checked for safety every year (unless the car is less than 3 years old). This check is called an MOT and it is valid for 12 months from the date the check is carried out. During the check, if the car fails any safety requirements (e.g. wheels have lost their treads, brakes are worn, etc.) you will fail the test. In order to pass, you will need to pay for any maintenance/repairs to make the vehicle safe and roadworthy again. It is illegal to drive with an expired or failed MOT so make sure it isn’t about to expire on your car or you could be faced with an expensive maintenance/repair bill.

Buying a car from a dealer is similar to the above. Compared with the approved used car, there is usually no repair or maintenance and there will be a warranty period.

Useful information for driving in the UK:

MOT: Cars are routinely inspected every year, starting after 3 years for new cars, after that, an MOT is required every year

Road Tax: A tax paid to the government

vehicle log book (V5C): Vehicle logbook, registered vehicle data, if there are any changes, such as moving, please notify DVLA

DVLA: Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency

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What is a School Catchment Area?

Many people will study which city to settle in before immigrating. In addition to the place of work, one of the factors considered by many families is the school rating and the catchment area of that school.

A Catchment Area in the UK refers to the admission distance of the school. This means that residents in this area can apply to that school. The catchment area of a school is the straight-line distance from the school’s to an applicant’s residence. Because the number of applicants is different every year, the straight-line distance of the school’s admission varies from year to year. A lot of people move near the school to ensure their child can get an offer from their school of choice.

According to the previous two articles on applying for admission and allocation (linked below), you will know that the admission rules of British schools are that the closer to the school you live, the more likely it will be to be accepted and because the population density is relatively low in UK, there are usually not many primary schools near a residential area, so there may not be many primary schools you can choose from. Even if there are many good primary schools or secondary schools in your area, you can only choose the 3-4 schools closest to your home.

How to Apply for State School (Primary School & Secondary School)

How to Apply State School (In-Year Application for Primary School & Secondary School)

If the school is farther away, will you always be rejected?

It depends on how many children enrol in each school. If the school is popular, the council will make offers to children who live closer to the school. If you live far away, it will be harder to get an offer.

Take Wilmington in the city of Kent, as an example. Although there are many primary schools in Wilmington, the schools are scattered.

The picture below shows the Catchment Area of ​​Wilmington Primary School. You must live in a green circle before you can apply to this school. There are only 4 primary schools near this green circle, so if you live to the west of Wilmington Primary School, you can also choose three other primary schools a little bit west (as well as Wilmington Primary School).

If you live in the east of Wilmington Primary School, there are only two primary schools to choose from. Therefore, whether there are many good schools in a county or a city with many good schools, the most important factor is whether they are in your catchment area. As long as the nearest school is good, the number of schools isn’t necessarily important.

How about Secondary school?

The admission distance in secondary schools will be a bit larger but the number of schools will be fewer.

Similarly for Wilmington, when you go from primary school to secondary school, the school you can choose is probably the school in the green circle in the picture. However, four of them are Grammar Schools, one is a sixth form high school, so there are only two state schools that can be selected.

Are Grammar Schools good?

Most Grammar Schools had a higher exams result, but students need to take the 11+ ( 11+ is the exam for year 6 students) at the beginning of Year 6 and have a high enough score to enter Grammar School. The rest of the students are based on the admission standards of the school, which is also based on the straight-line distance from your home to school.

If the children are already Secondary school students when they arrive in the UK, it can be difficult to make an in-year application due to long waiting lists.

Moreover, not every city has a Grammar School. For those cities that don’t have a Grammar School, you will be able to choose from state schools or private schools.

All in all, because state and some grammar schools use distance as a condition for enrolment, applicants can only choose schools near where they live.

The above school admissions straight-line distance method is for children who apply for admission according to the normal procedures. If children need to make in-year applications, the requirement is that the school of choice must have places available, otherwise, there is no way to accommodate additional students even if they live next door.

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How to Rent a house in UK

Once you’ve decided to move to the UK, the first thing you need to look at is which city/town you will want to settle in. After that, you have to consider whether to buy or rent a house.

If you decide to rent a house, you can see which houses are available in your chosen residential area. In the UK, there are two major real estate websites, Rightmove and Zoopla.

Let’s take Rightmove as an example. If you like Kingston Station in London, enter “Kingston Station” in Rightmove, and then select “To rent”

Then, enter advanced information, such as:

How many miles is the distance between the rental listing and Kingston Station
Rental-price range
Number of rooms
Property Type
The date that the property was added to Rightmove


Let’s take a 2-3 bedroom unit as a reference.

Select the number of bedrooms as 2-3, and then click “Find Properties”

This will list the 2-3 bedroom units within 1 Mile near Kingston Station

You can choose from the newest to the oldest, the least expensive to the most expensive, or the most expensive to the least expensive.

If you like anything you see, just click to view detailed information

For example, this two-bedroom flat on Park Road has a monthly rent of £1,350.

On the right, you’ll find the contact information of the real estate company.

Below the picture, there are other photos inside the house. Due to the epidemic, most estate agents also have video tours (also called virtual tours).

Underneath the photos is some other information about the property, such as:

  • When can this unit be rented
  • Will it have any furniture
  • When the property was added to Rightmove
  • Other selling points
  • Other details

In addition to the above information, there is also school information that parents may be interested in.

The “School Checker” will list schools and basic information near the property.

If you are interested in the property, you can contact the estate agent to request a viewing via the contact form.

After sending your personal information, you can wait for the agent to reply, or you can call the agent directly.

When looking at the house, pay attention to the following points:

  • Parking
  • Phone and Internet connections
  • Kitchen equipment
  • Number of bathrooms
  • Storage space
  • Rental fees

As well as the interior of the property, you should check the facilities around the area, particularly:

  • The surrounding environment
  • Convenience stores
  • Schools
  • Parks and other facilities

If you are interested in renting after looking at the property, you should let the estate agent know that you are interested in renting.

The following is the approximate process of renting a house (each property may have a little discrepancy, roughly as follows):

  1. The tenant expresses interest in renting the house, and the estate agent informs the owner
  2. The landlord agrees
  3. You may be asked for a Holding Fee to have the property removed from website listings (only do this if you’re sure you want the property). If the landlord decides not to rent to you, you should receive this fee back but if you decide not to rent the property, the agent or landlord may keep it. The fee should not be any more than 1 week’s worth of rent.
  4. Tenants have to complete a series of Reference Checks, such as proof of work, proof of former landlord, personal identity verification, etc. (If you first arrive in the UK without proof of work, or proof of former landlord, you may be refused rent, or be asked to pay half, to one year of rent up-front. It is advisable to explain to the real estate that it is not possible to provide proof of work before renting the house)
  5. After the above Reference Check is passed, the estate agent will prepare a Tenancy Agreement (make sure you read it carefully)
  6. If everything on the lease is okay, the estate agent will ask for a deposit plus rent
  7. Deposit is usually between 1 to 2 months rent
  8. You shouldn’t be asked to pay any other fees – only the deposit, rent (and potentially a Holding Fee).
  9. The deposit needs to be lodged in a tenancy deposit scheme to safeguard the deposit from the landlord and to ensure that any damage left by the tenant will be paid for
  10. Sign the Tenancy Agreement, get the key and an inventory report
  11. Check for any problems in the new property and compare it with the inventory report. If there are any problems, such as stains on walls, damage to anything, etc. but are not listed in the inventory, inform the agent with photographic proof immediately.

Good luck with finding your new home!

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How to Apply State School (In-Year Application for Primary School & Secondary School)

After your visa is successfully approved, besides settling in the family and buying new home supplies, the next biggest concern is how to apply for school.

If the child is not yet of primary school age, please refer to the previous article [How to apply for a UK primary or secondary school]

If children are over 5 years old when they arrive in the UK, they need to make an in-year application to primary or secondary school (depending on age).

What is the in-year application procedure?

The procedures for transfer to Primary schools and Secondary schools are roughly the same. You will need to Provide:
1) Proof of address
2) Child’s passport
3) Admission application form

The admission application form can be downloaded from the Council webpage of each district. If you don’t know which council you belong to, you can follow the government webpage and enter the address Post Code.
https://www.gov.uk/apply-for-primary-school-place
https://www.gov.uk/apply-for-secondary-school-place

What do I need in order to fill in the application form?

Let’s take the Westminster Council’s In-Year Admission application form as an example (this is just an example so please download the application form of the council you belong to)
https://www.westminster.gov.uk/sites/default/files/biborough_primary_in-year_form_interactive.pdf

The first part:
Child profile
Note that the application form needs your Council Tax Number as proof of address. This will be found on your council tax letters.

The second part:
Parent Information

 

Parts 3, 4, 5:

Children’s background. Since the children are immigrating to the UK, the education background in Part 5 can be filled in from the original school.

Part 6

Please select a school, fill in the Local Authority, whether there are any siblings studying, and fill in the reason for choosing this school.

Usually, you can choose 4-6 schools, depending on different Councils, and the Council will start from your first choice to see if the school is available according to the school chosen by the parents.

What if there are no vacancies in the 4 selected schools?

Then the Council can arrange the place from a school which has a place for the child.

Part 7:
If the child is immigrating to the UK or returning to the UK,  you should fill in the arrival date.

Parts 8, 9

Additional information section

Part 10 Signature, date, and confirmation of application

There may be slight differences in each council’s application form, please make sure you refer to your own council requirements.

After you email the application form to the Council, you will receive an offer form the council in about 2 weeks. You will then follow the instruction from the council, and contact the school for admission.

After finishing all the processes above,  your child will be able to participate in their new school!

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How to Apply for State School (Primary School & Secondary School)

Families who have immigrated to the UK will want to help their children to find a school as the first priority. To help a child enroll in school, we must know if the child can apply for admission together with other local children, or whether to make an in-year application.

 

First of all, let us talk about the age of entry to British schools.

Elementary schools in the UK start school in early September after the age of 4. This grade is called Reception Class (or Primary 1 in Scotland). Children start in Reception Class, and will be promoted to Year 1 (Primary 2 in Scotland) after one year, and continue to Year 6 (Primary 7 in Scotland).

After Year 6, it will be the first year of Secondary school, Year 7.
(Some primary schools in the UK are divided into Infant (reception Class – Year 2) & Junior (Year 3 – Year 6), mainly because some areas are scattered, so some small Infant schools have been opened for younger students to go to school, and then to Year Upgrade to Junior School at 3 o’clock)

If your child will be 4 years old before September next year (before August 31), then you should apply for school by mid-January next year. For the exact registration date, please refer to the Council of each district. If you don’t know which Council you belong to, you can refer to the following government web page, and you can find out which Council you belong to by using the postal code of your address. On the  Council website, look for the “Apply for School” section.

https://www.gov.uk/apply-for-primary-school-place

https://www.gov.uk/apply-for-secondary-school-place

Each Council’s admission application form will have some differences but the registration and allocation time are roughly the same.

Process of Applying for Reception Class

If your child should start school in the 2021-2022 Reception Class, (which means your child will be 4 from 1st Sept 2020 to 31st Aug 2021) the admission timeline will be as below (please refer to the date announced by your own council)

  • January 15, 2021, Submit application form (each child can choose 4 schools)
  • Mid-April 2021 Receive an offer from Council
  • September 2021 Child to start their school life in Primary School

If the child should be enrolled in the Reception Class in September 2021 but did not submit the form before January 15, the Council will allocate the place according to the date of submission of the form, please check the Late Apply on the Council website Assignment date. Therefore, please arrange to apply for elementary school as soon as possible.

When children reach Year 6, they need to apply for secondary school. The process is similar but the timeline will be earlier:

If your child will enter year 7 in 2021-2022, the application timeline is as below (please refer to the date of your council)

  • October 31, 2020, Submit application form (each child can choose 4 schools)
  • mid-March 2021, Receive notification of allocation results from Council
  • Early July 2021, the transition day in New School (Introduction for New Student)
  • September 2021, Child starts Secondary School

 

Remark:

  • In Scotland, there are 6 years of Secondary school with 4 years University

In the next article, we’ll show you how to apply for transfers for children, so stay tuned!

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