Yes. If you are moving back to Lithuania 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 Vilnius. Because your child will live in Lithuania, Lithuanian compulsory-education rules apply as well, so plan the two side by side. Matching is free for parents. If you would rather read this in Lithuanian, skaitykite lietuviškai.
- Curriculum: the British route can carry on from Lithuania without a break.
- Exams: from Lithuania, plan for International GCSEs (IGCSEs) at an approved centre, not UK GCSEs.
- Local rules: education in Lithuania is compulsory until 16. 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 Lithuania have children raised in the UK. English is their school language; their Lithuanian 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 Leeds classroom or on a laptop in Kaunas. 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 Lithuanian rules expect once you live there
Once you live in Lithuania, UK home-education rules stop applying and Lithuanian law takes over. Education is compulsory until the age of 16, which in practice means primary and lower secondary education, usually to the end of grade 10. A year of pre-primary education is also compulsory, starting in the calendar year a child turns 6. Policy is set by the Ministry of Education, Science and Sport (Švietimo, mokslo ir sporto ministerija, ŠMSM); schooling is organised through municipalities and schools.
There are two terms worth knowing, because they are often confused:
- Ugdymasis šeimoje (family learning). Since 2020, parents can educate a child at home following the Lithuanian general curricula. It is not a free-standing choice: the family signs a learning contract with a Lithuanian school, which first checks the learning conditions (including a home visit), and then advises, supplies materials and periodically assesses progress. Applications are usually made in the spring for the next school year, so check deadlines with the school early.
- Mokymas namie (home teaching). This is for pupils who cannot attend school because of illness or a medical condition, on the recommendation of a doctors’ commission. It is not a general home-education route.
Neither route is the same as a British online school. Family learning follows Lithuanian curricula and assessments, so a UK timetable would sit alongside it, not replace it. We have not found an official statement that a UK online school on its own satisfies Lithuanian compulsory education, so please do not assume it does. Ask your municipality’s education department, or the school you would register with, what they expect for a child of your child’s age. 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 Vilnius
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 Lithuania will plan around Cambridge International or Pearson Edexcel International GCSEs, and later international A-Levels, rather than promising UK GCSE papers. In Lithuania, the British Council, based in Vilnius, runs UK international school exams and supports private candidates; registration for British Council private candidates is online, a parent registers anyone under 18, and not every subject is offered. Some international schools and Pearson centres in Vilnius are also approved centres, though not all accept external candidates.
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
Lithuania is two hours ahead of the UK all year round, so a 9am UK lesson starts at 11am in Vilnius. Most families find that workable, but ask for the timetable in Lithuanian time before you commit.
Cost compared with an international school
Some families also look at a British-style international school in Vilnius. Places can be limited, especially mid-year. We will not quote a Vilnius 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 Lithuania?
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 Lithuanian school place?
Not automatically. Education in Lithuania is compulsory until 16. Ask your municipality or local school how a UK online school fits alongside that before you rely on it alone.
Is family learning (ugdymasis šeimoje) the same as a British online school?
No. Family learning follows Lithuanian curricula under a contract with a Lithuanian school, which assesses progress. A British online school follows the British curriculum.
Where will my child sit exams in Lithuania?
At an approved exam centre, usually in Vilnius, normally as International GCSEs. The British Council in Lithuania supports private candidates. Confirm the board, subjects and centre before you enrol.
What time are the lessons in Lithuania?
Lithuania 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 Lithuanian is easier, start on our Lithuanian 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, Lithuania: organisation of the education system. Education compulsory until 16; pre-primary education compulsory.
- Ministry of Education, Science and Sport (ŠMSM), Ugdymasis šeimoje. Family learning available since 2020, in consultation with an assigned school.
- 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.