Tips for moving children overseas in year 10

How long ago was this? How many different exam boards, specification options and options within specifications did your school have to choose from?

The chances of finding a school that matches up with the OP's child's current school, has options blocks that allow the same choice of subjects, has space in the classes for the relevant subjects and (even if they do) teaches in the same order is very low. This is why the vast majority of international schools operating the English curriculum do not take children into year 11 (or 13). I'm glad it worked out for you but it's not as simple as hard work if there isn't a school place.

I forgot to say that using one of the online schools is also an option.

Not if the schools use different exam boards, chose different texts and / or teach the syllabus in a different order so that the student misses large parts if it.

i’m glad it worked out for you but it’s a really difficult time to move schools, not just for the exam reasons

What rubbish! I moved schools at the beginning of year 11 (army brat my parents had no choice) and I upped my predicted grades by 2 was predicted C's and I came away with A's.
No repeating just hard work!
And it would be even easier to do that now with no coursework marks so it's all down to hard work and revision.

Depends a lot on the country and curriculum. You'd be best speaking to the school that you intend them to go to in the new country.
I moved to the UK when I was 15 and had to go back a year so that I could start GCSEs at year 10 (even though come of the previous curriculum was equivalent of a-levels). Glad I did though, because I had a friend who came through at a similar age, but skipped ahead to year 12, and she really really struggled.

Could you postpone/you stay behind for another year (in reality only til mid-June next year)?

We had some close friends who moved at this point, having been a good steady student. She is now late twenties, she couldn’t settle at school, did terribly in exams, couldn’t get her head into any of the (now more limited) opportunities for further education and early work, and is sadly really not thriving with work or life.
They moved for work opportunities for themselves and now wish they’d left postponed their own agenda, or left daughter behind with granny.

We did this at the beginning of year 10 and DS is thriving. Helped there was a residential a few weeks in which everyone in the year went on.
They have many more opportunities at an international school than had in UK. The friends here are much more open minded.
Definitly join expat facebook groups, a great one is TwoFatExpats.
We told ours they were going and have always been positive about the move or framed parts as an adventure, never a worry. We involved them but not as in they get to chose whether or not we go but where on holiday for first time etc

Get the new school to buddy your child up in advance - there are questions they can only ask another 15 year old!

If it’s end of year 10 surely you do all you can not to move or the child lives with friends / family for year 11?

If you need to move at the end of year 10, your best bet for lack of impact academically on the child is for them to repeat year 10. Alternatives are to accept that their grades will take a hit and it will be a hard transition (if you can find a school that will take them), or to change to another curriculum.

Moving for the start of Y10 - the school will be well used to this, and it will be fine. Potentially tricky, as you will move to iGCSE, in a new environment with minimal support initially, but ok to do.

Moving at the end of y10, please split the family for the last year of GCSE's. It is a crazy time to relocate, the syllabus' will be different, as it's iGCSE, and you are setting your child up to achieve below their ability. Sorry if that's not what you want to hear.

Might have different exam boards and syllabuses!!

Join an expats fb group where you want to go. That will be full of people who have actually done it.

Are they currently year 10 and you’re planning to move this summer so half way through the 2year course? Or are they currently y9 and the move will happen shortly after the start of y10? Do you know the set texts and exam boards at your school for each subject? The international school may do iGCSE meaning there could be course work elements and the topic choices are significantly wider.

I think you'd be best off talking to the school, as they probably have the most experience with this sort of situation. I live in a place that has a lot of British expats and mostly it's only the kids who moved later on in their schooling who go to the international schools - younger kids tend to go to the local school.
What are they planning to do about education or work after school? Back to UK, or do you expect them to settle in the new country? If they're planning to go back to UK for uni I would check the rules on university fees for non UK residents.

End of year 10 or beginning of year 10? I would strongly advise against moving at the end of year 10, and even the beginning of year 10 is not great. Make sure they know they have to hit the ground running and don't have time to "find their feet". Also depending on the mindset of the school, they may have to ignore what other students are up to, especially if the school is not particularly academic. Some extra tutors may help as well.

It’s mid gcse course and some schools do different exam boards so it’s really sub optimal to move then.

The only one I know that moved in year 10 it was because of an issue at school and her mum (who was from overseas and quite eccentric) moved her to a local private school. She’s very bright and is doing well but has the same social group as had friends in the new school already. Everyone thought the mum was being about mad to move her at that stage. Don’t know anyone else that’s done that.