Third culture kids: settling in and wellbeing

This guide is for families who move between countries for work and send their children to international schools. It looks at settling into a new school and caring for a child's wellbeing together. Research findings are background, not answers that apply directly to your child. Schools also differ, so please use the questions at the end.

What is a third culture kid (TCK)?

A third culture kid grows up in a culture other than their parents' or passport country and engages deeply with several cultures. Korean families whose children attend international schools abroad may fit this description. The term is not meant to put a label on your child. Treat it as a starting point for understanding the environment your child grows up in.

What the research suggests

A 2023 study surveyed 399 students at an international university in the UAE. Students who felt their cultural identities formed one coherent whole reported higher wellbeing. Students who kept their identities separate reported lower wellbeing. The authors argue that how identities are organised matters more than how much cultural exposure a person has had. The study was cross-sectional, so it cannot show cause and effect.

Another 2023 study compared 489 adults. Adults raised as TCKs reported more resilience than non-TCKs. They also reported weaker ethnic identity and less comfort with close relationships. Among TCKs, having siblings was linked to lower attachment anxiety and higher resilience. It relies on self-reports.

Neither study predicts a particular child's future. Read them as a hint to talk with your child often about culture and belonging.

When grades don't line up

Grade placement is often the first hurdle at a new school, and countries draw the lines differently.

• England: children born between 1 September and 31 August form one year group. Reception is followed by Year 1.
• United States: kindergarten is followed by Grade 1. Grade bands and the age cut-off depend on state and district.
• Korea: children born January-December share a grade, and the year starts in March.
• Japan: the year starts in April, and children born between 2 April and the following 1 April share a grade.

The UK Year number is one higher than the US Grade number. For example, UK Year 7 equals US Grade 6. Korea often sits one grade apart for children born September-December. A child born January-August 2019 is in UK Year 2 from September 2025, and in Grade 1 in a US district with a 1 September cut-off. In Korea the same child starts primary year 1 in March 2026. A child born October 2019 is in UK Year 1 and in kindergarten in that US district. In Korea this child also starts primary year 1 in March 2026.

Japanese public schools place children by age. This may differ from the grade completed at home, and a child with limited Japanese may be placed temporarily in a lower grade. Schools decide the actual placement from birth date and prior schooling, so always confirm with the school.

Returning to Korea

Coming home is also a big transition. Documents from overseas schools normally need an apostille or consular confirmation. Schools on the Ministry of Education's list of schools with simplified document procedures (as of 14 November 2025) are exempt. The list does not vouch for school quality and does not apply to university admissions.

According to the Ministry of Education's school-records help centre (September 2024), transfer entry requires completion of the previous grade or equivalent attainment. Details for returning students follow regional education office guidelines. Ask your local education office and the school first. Rules can change, so check the latest guidance from the official body.

Checklist

• Ask your child regularly what feels strange in the new place and what feels good.
• Give your child chances to connect experiences from different countries into one personal story.
• If there are siblings, protect time for them to lean on each other.
• Before moving, compare your child's birthday with the new country's grade cut-off.
• Keep previous report cards and academic records.
• If you may return to Korea, contact your local education office early.
• Use research as background only, and put your own child first.

Ask the school

• How will you place my child, given birth date and prior schooling, and what is the basis?
• Is there a support or counselling system for newly arrived students?
• If language is limited, is a temporary lower-grade placement possible, and when is it reviewed?
• If we may return to Korea, is the school on the simplified-document list, and how do you issue transcripts?
• How are school days and grade completion handled if we transfer mid-year?