Yes. If you are moving back to Latvia and your child has been taught in English, they can stay on the British curriculum (Key Stage 3, then International GCSEs and A-Levels) with a UK online school that is DfE-accredited under OEAS. Lessons are live and online; final exams are sat in person at an approved centre, usually in Riga. Because your child will live in Latvia, Latvian compulsory-education rules apply as well, and they changed in 2026, so plan the two side by side. Matching is free for parents. If you would rather read this in Latvian, lasiet latviski.
- Curriculum: the British route can carry on from Latvia without a break.
- Exams: from Latvia, plan for International GCSEs (IGCSEs) at an approved centre, not UK GCSEs.
- Local rules: nine years of basic education are compulsory in Latvia. Ask your municipality how a UK online school sits alongside that.
- Cost: full-time accredited online schooling is usually £4,500–£9,000 a year, plus exam fees. Matching is free.
Keep British GCSEs after leaving the UK
Many families who ask us about Latvia have children raised in the UK. English is their school language; their Latvian may be fine at home but thin in a classroom. An accredited UK online school lets them keep the syllabus and exam route they already know.
GCSEs and A-Levels are qualifications, not a postcode. The certificate does not record whether the teaching happened in a Peterborough classroom or on a laptop in Riga. What changes when you move is the legal wrapper, not the syllabus.
While you are still in England, a full-time online school counts as elective home education. GOV.UK is clear that you must make sure your child gets a full-time education from the age of 5, but you do not have to follow the national curriculum. If your child is still on a UK school roll, deregister them in writing before you go. Our guide to whether online schooling is legal in the UK walks through that step.
What Latvian rules expect once you live there
Once you live in Latvia, UK home-education rules stop applying and Latvian law takes over. Pre-school education is compulsory for five- and six-year-olds, and basic education (pamatizglītība) is compulsory for nine years, starting at age 7 and usually ending after grade 9. Policy is set by the Ministry of Education and Science (Izglītības un zinātnes ministrija, IZM); schooling is organised through municipalities and schools.
Routes outside a classroom depend on the child’s grade, and the law changed in 2026:
- Grades 1 to 6. Amendments to the Education Law, in force since 19 March 2026, say these grades are taught in person. Family learning (izglītība ģimenē) or distance learning (tālmācība) is allowed only for one school year at a time, where the municipality finds special circumstances that make it in the child’s best interests. The new rules apply to family learning from 1 September 2027, and to distance learning in stages from 2027 to 2029. Until then, it is arranged through a Latvian school, which advises the family and assesses progress.
- Grades 7 to 9 and upper secondary. The amended law lists in-person, part-time in-person and distance learning through a Latvian school. Family learning is not listed for these grades.
All of these are Latvian routes, run with a Latvian school and curriculum. We have not found an official statement that a UK online school on its own satisfies Latvian compulsory education, so please do not assume it does. Detailed regulations were still being finalised in 2026, so ask your municipality’s education department what applies to your child. Latvian schools can also give returning children extra Latvian-language support for one to two school years. This is general information, not legal advice. Online Schools is a matching service, not a law firm and not a school.
Exams and centres: International GCSEs from Riga
Teaching can be online. The final papers are not.
The Joint Council for Qualifications draws a firm line here. JCQ says that if you are studying independently for GCSEs or A-Levels, you can only sit them as a private candidate inside the UK, unless you are enrolled at an approved international school or college. The same page notes that International GCSEs can usually be sat as a private candidate at an approved centre abroad.
That is why a good UK online school for a family in Latvia will plan around Cambridge International or Pearson Edexcel International GCSEs, and later international A-Levels, rather than promising UK GCSE papers. The British Council has an office in Riga; ask it whether it is taking private-candidate entries for the session and subjects you need. Its private candidate registration is online, a parent registers anyone under 18, and not every subject is offered. At least one Pearson Edexcel centre in Riga also accepts external candidates, currently listing early entry at around €200 per exam.
International GCSEs usually have May/June and October/November sessions. Confirm the board, subjects and centre with the online school before you pay a deposit, ask specifically about science practicals, and raise extra time or other access arrangements when you enter, not in May. Our guide to how online school students sit GCSEs and A-Levels explains the process in more detail.
Time zone and the school day
Latvia is two hours ahead of the UK all year round, so a 9am UK lesson starts at 11am in Riga. Most families find that workable, but ask for the timetable in Latvian time before you commit.
Cost compared with an international school
Some families also look at a British-style international school in Riga. Places can be limited, especially mid-year. We will not quote a Riga fee here; ask for a written quote, including extras.
Accredited UK online schools usually charge £4,500–£9,000 a year for a full-time place, depending on year group and support. Exam-centre fees come on top in the exam year, so budget per subject. You will also need a quiet desk, a reliable laptop and a connection that can hold a live lesson. Our guide to online school fees and costs breaks this down.
SEN, extra time and pastoral care
A move does not tidy away autism, ADHD, dyslexia or anxiety. An education, health and care plan (EHCP) is an English document and does not travel by itself, so keep copies and tell any online school what already works.
Many UK online schools run small live classes, record lessons and have a SENDCo who can plan adjustments. Exam access arrangements, such as extra time or rest breaks, are organised through the exam centre and need evidence, so start early.
How matching works
We are not a school. We match families with UK online schools that are DfE-accredited under OEAS, teach a British curriculum with live lessons, and offer a path to IGCSEs and A-Levels. You tell us the year group, why you are looking (relocating is one of the options), when you need to start, your budget and any SEN. We talk through the fit, then introduce you to the school or schools that suit. Parents do not pay us, and there is no obligation to enrol. For the wider picture, read our guide for British families abroad.
Frequently asked questions
Can my child keep the British curriculum if we move back to Latvia?
Yes. They can stay on Key Stage 3, International GCSEs and A-Levels with a UK online school that is DfE-accredited under OEAS. Lessons are live online; exams are sat at an approved centre.
Does a UK online school replace a Latvian school place?
Not automatically. Nine years of basic education are compulsory in Latvia. Ask your municipality or local school how a UK online school fits alongside that before you rely on it alone.
Is family learning (izglītība ģimenē) still allowed in Latvia?
Only for grades 1 to 6, through a Latvian school. From 1 September 2027 it needs a municipal assessment of special circumstances, one school year at a time. It follows the Latvian curriculum, not the British one.
Where will my child sit exams in Latvia?
At an approved exam centre, usually in Riga, normally as International GCSEs. Confirm the board, subjects and centre before you enrol.
What time are the lessons in Latvia?
Latvia is two hours ahead of the UK, so a 9am UK lesson starts at 11am local time.
Is matching free, and do we have to enrol?
Yes, matching is free for parents, and there is no obligation to enrol.
Keep the British pathway going while you settle
You can move home and keep the English curriculum. Tell us the year group and when you are moving, and add anything useful in the optional notes. We will only suggest schools that can genuinely take your child. If Latvian is easier, start on our Latvian page; it reaches the same team.
Sources
- GOV.UK, Educating your child at home. Full-time education from age 5; you do not have to follow the national curriculum.
- European Commission, Eurydice, Latvia: overview. Pre-school compulsory for ages 5 and 6; nine years of compulsory basic education from age 7.
- Likumi.lv, Grozījumi Izglītības likumā (adopted 19 February 2026, in force 19 March 2026). Grades 1 to 6 in person, with family or distance learning by municipal assessment; family-learning rules apply from 1 September 2027.
- Ministry of Education and Science (IZM), draft regulations on family and distance learning (2026).
- Joint Council for Qualifications, Private candidates. GCSEs and A-Levels as an independent private candidate only in the UK; International GCSEs usually available to private candidates at approved centres abroad.
- British Council, Private candidate registration for International GCSEs, O Levels, AS and A Levels.
When you are ready, a short form below is all it takes. It is free, and there is no pressure to enrol.