My husband was recently offered a position at Swansea University, and our little family will be moving from the U.S. to Swansea in stages. The first item on my list is to narrow down school options for Macy, who is fourteen years old and currently attends a small Montessori-style middle school in Florida. Her entire grade has nineteen kids in it. Macy and I will finish the school year here and move in late May or early June. (I’ll probably use incorrect terminology as I write about the Welsh educational system; please correct me so I can move forward and not appear to be as ignorant as I am.)
We’re prepared to pay for an independent school, but we'd certainly welcome the financial break if we could place Macy into a state school that’s a good fit. I'm starting from scratch -- less than scratch really, because it's not merely that we don't know the Swansea schools; we also don't know the realities of senior school and college in the U.K. (It's all just high school here, and the word "college" means the same as "university." Ack!) Macy will be fifteen in July, but it already seems to make sense to put her into Grade 10 in the fall.
Anyway, I wonder which schools you do and don't recommend. Macy does well in school, but she works hard for her marks. She's not much liking science and math the past couple of years because of lousy teaching, (lack of) structure in her classroom, and the trend toward digital textbooks, but she's been interested in paleontology ever since she was wee. She loves English, Spanish, and history (though of course she's not up on British history). She is artistic, and she’s always reading several books simultaneously. I could see her with a university degree in literature or geology/paleontology or art and with a career either as a paleo-artist or as a museum curator. (My crystal ball broke several years ago, mind you.)
I'll be grateful for whatever effort you're able to put into your recommendations -- with special interest in must-consider schools and don't-even-think-about-it schools. (My husband will be working at the Bay Campus, and we were wondering whether we ought to be considering Bridgend as well as Swansea.) I'll start contacting the must-consider schools this week so we can initiate applications, though I’m sure we're well past official deadlines and will need special consideration. I figure each independent school will have its own application process, but I could use detailed advice on applying (with the Local Authority?) for state schools. I also don’t understand the role of the Welsh Baccalaureate and could use guidance as to whether we need to pay attention when a school doesn’t offer/include it.
Again, I thank you for whatever help you're able to give.
Please or to access all these features
Please
or
to access all these features
Connect with other parents whose children are starting secondary school on this forum.
Secondary education
Secondary schools in Swansea
10 replies
ThanksForYourHelp · 08/01/2019 15:44
OP posts:
Please create an account
To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account.