This is one of the questions I hear most often when advising international families who want to send their children to British schools.
The short answer is no: it is possible for your child to move to the UK and begin their education with little or no English.
The full answer is that your child's level of English will determine the route they take once they come to the UK. It may be advisable for your child to begin their language study while still in your home country.
Targeting Top Schools
The majority of my clients aim to send their children to the very top British schools. These schools all have competitive entry and are heavily oversubscribed. First-class linguistic competence is essential since children will be competing with native speakers. Those who have most success have received English-language education from the word go. They send their children to international nurseries in their home countries to start preparation as early as possible. Many families have success with this route.
Another Route
Some families prefer their children's primary education to be in their native language. This can be a wise decision and it is still possible to transfer into the English system. For these families the overall strategy I recommend is 'pre-boarding'.
Pre-boarding means attending a special international school in the UK to prepare for entry to your target school. Pre-boarding schools are essentially residential language schools which carefully prepare children to enter mainstream British schools. Some children arrive with no English at all. The children don't just learn language but they begin learning academic subjects in English. This helps them get up to speed with the British curriculum and British teaching styles. They also learn about boarding life. Children who pre-board acquire native-level fluency very quickly, especially if they start young. Many families feel this approach suits them best.
We work with families who have found success with both of the routes outlined above. We are always happy to discuss the options in more detail. Please feel free to make contact if you would like more advice.