Help! Moving from California with a DS entering Year 11.

Sorry for allllllllll the typos

Could your DS stay in the US? If. You end up only coming for 2 years you are goings mak it very difficult for him. We came from overseas when DD1 was 16, she started doing the International Baccaulareate and applied for Uni with NO GCSEs or equivalent qualifications as the country we had previously been living in only examined children at 18. Some Uni's wouldn't make an exception of her lack of post 16 qualifications
My DS arrived in time to start GCSE's but still experienced some problems as many school start some GCSE's in year 9 (or mid year)

I would have thought that the IB would be the only possible option as the credits are transferable and it is internationally recognised. (Obviously )

Schools offering the IB are listed here. I searched for state schools offering the middle year IB program and only came up with these two

If you are not able to leave your DS at home I wouldn't imagine that putting him in the year below would work out very well. He is already very 'old' for his correct year. He would potentially. Be almost two years older than his classmates if you were to put him down a year. That is a HUGE amount at his age.

He could potentially take a reduced number of full GCSEs in one year. I think the non modular style International GCSEs may work better for this. He could largely self teach as they are not that onerous for a bright child. Fewer high grades are preferable to numerous 'average' grades. It would help if he already knows the type of subjects he may be interested in studying at Uni. Something like maths, English literature, English language, physics, chemistry, biology, a modern language and either history or geography would be an ok range for a 'science'y ' student.

I would drop the requirement of a non uniform wearing school. It's a very difficult situation as it is and you would be making it unnecessarily difficult. (Not that I am a fan of uniforms )

Our family have moved internationally several times and, sometimes, it is just not possible to bend the rules however silly it may seem. I ended up speaking to the actual Minister of Education in one country. [Shock] He was very helpful and allowed my son to be excempt from learning a random African language and to continue with his French

Icantotallydance certainly at none of the schools I've worked at would they allow a year 11 on a year 10 timetable- what happens the next year? I tried this with DFD a couple of months ago and failed, they're now making her rush through year 11 controlled assessments and module work to be ready for exams the week after next. She's working amazingly hard and I'm so proud of her, but it's a nightmarish situation and I wouldn't miss it on anyone. Plus DFD has the advantage over the OP's DS in that she is used to the UK school system, to the school, and already completed half of the GCSE course in year 10 so she is coming into this mad race to the finish knowing what is expected of her IYSWIM.

SaturdaySunday saw your thread in primary first and posted there, but I think a lot of that post also applies to this thread.

What are you thinking at the moment in terms of a stategy for DS? As a secondary school teacher and guardian to a child who has just rushed through year 11 work and modules in the space of a few months for the sake of passing her GCSEs (what your DS would have to do except with Year 10 work) I'm probably in quite a good position to tell you about the reality of missing half of the GCSE syllabus and how doable it would be for DS. If you have any questions please feel free to ask.

From my experience you should have little problem getting him to start at yr 10. This would be much easier for him academically and socially. GCSE is a 2 yr course after all.

It seems to me that the best options would be a) an American school b) getting a school to take him into year 10 (not as impossible as people would have you think, especially since academisation) which would make your natural return to the US with a full complement of Gcse qualifications more sensible or c) either he stays behind in states with family or friends for a year or you and all the children do, with only dh coming for the first year.

I can't imagine that ds would manage to pass hardly any GCSEs with what would amount to two terms of teaching. Sorry if that sounds defeatist, but I think it the reality.

If my options a and c are not possible or do not appeal, I reckon you would be best to contact all the local authorities in commuting distance of dh's work and ask for any chance of placement into year 10, even if you have to ask individual schools separately too. If you get a positive response, focus on that area for housing.

Yikes! He will go back to America for his final year of school? That will be very difficult. Year 11 is v. important in the UK. Can you try being admitted to Year 11 but put on the Year 10 timetable? Alternatively, can he stay in the US for one year? Yr 12 would be a more natural entry point into the UK education (though, if he's going back for Yr 13, this could be tricky too).

That being said, if he's had problems (socially?) with his freshman year, moving to the uk might be a nice change.

Will an academy be more accommodating? Try taking the issue up with the LA.

It's a shame the job doesn't cover independent schooling. Is there a cheap/free American school he can attend?

I wouldn't move at this time, especially for such a short time.

He will not be able to pass most of his GCSE's as they are 2 year courses. He will end up with few or no qualifications.

One of the problems is that the US system as I understand it is heavily based on continual assessment and annual courses and credits whereas the UK system is based on snapshots at certain fixed points so the nearer you are to a fixed point the harder it is to move .Yr11 is in the UK system just about as bad as it can be in terms of flexibility, whereas in the US it's just another school year

if they are academics, all the more reason to appreciate what an important time in their dcs life it is. He will really struggle to get any GCSEs as more than ha;f the course will have been covered, he will struggle socially, and he will then have problems being admitted to A level courses of study.
When the OP mentions having a 2 year old and them being around I wonder if one parent is a SAHP, in which case if the move is essential for the earning partner then honestly i would recommend that the earning partner commutes termly between the US and London.
Students struggle with this sort of move even at the start of Y10.

At DS school there are technically 2.5 terms of attendance for yr11s, from start September to end May. It must vary by school.

I have a strong suspicion OP and/or her partner are academics, so they'll get funded for a basic move but not for all other expensive options being suggested.

I read your thread in primary. I have friends who have a similar predicament, but in reverse a two year secondment to DC returning when their eldest would be in year 11. After much thought the kids are staying here in the UK for school and going to the US in the holidays. Is this something you would consider for your eldest?
The company are very supportive and are paying three return flights a year for the kids between here and DC.

By American standards, most UK schools already are small, tiny even!

My universities had 25,000 undergraduates. Most our local high schools were 3000 plus. I think that's typical in London (?), but huge for most the rest of England.

Ask if he can be admitted to year 11 but timetabled with Year 10's or on one year GCSE courses. The main issue is that many GCSE courses focus on coursework and controlled assessments over 2 years but that is changing and especially iGCSE's are already more exam based. Alternatively you could look at US curriculum schools (not cheap) or IB schools although few in UK cover Middle Years. Avoid the FE colleges for now as those 14-16 year olds currently taught there tend to be on attachment from state schools which do not cater for their needs (social, vocational, academic) but again the govt is changing funding from next year to accommodate this age group more specifically.

Could you really not afford a couple of years at one of the American Schools ,would your dh's employers pay .Socially year 11 is difficult too ,many only have a few weeks of school left now because of study leave and so there is only really 2 terms to meet people ,at the end of year 11some will stay in the same school for year 12 but many will move elsewhere so it's all quite transient.

The other thing you mention is a small school ,this is very difficult in the state sector in the UK as most secondary schools are large ,to get small you would almost certainly have to go private .

Could your dh come for his job and the rest of you follow in a years time,to be honest it is too late to choose a primary for this Sept certainly the type you will be looking for ,they are very highly sought and you only have to see the agonies people are going through on these boards to see how difficult places are to get.

Talk-UK Yankee is your friend.

Hi again (I replied on the other thread).

I have found a link for you which describes some of the other options that might be available:

www.gsgi.co.uk/countries/uk/london/london-educational-overview

I am 22-year transplant from So-Cal to England

I just answered a huge amount on your other thread. I don't think it's impossible at all to bring him over here just for yr11-12, and have him in state schools and still go back to US for Uni, but it will take careful planning.

Going into year 11 is a nightmare because all on trolled assessments will have been done in y10. This is almost 1/2 the course. You might find that if you push the school (or LA, thoigh im not sure if they have jurisdiction with academies) will let him go in in year 10 if you are a bit pushy about it - explain moving in from a different system etc. Mos teachers would support it as it makes their lives easier. If not, talk to the school. Have a plan for catching up on missed coursework, see if he can be taken out of core PE, PHSE etc and use this time for coursework catch up. It is all possible but will require a decent level of commitment from you and ds. Maybe a tutor to help him put together any coursework he is struggling with?

For 2 years
Forget it op. Unless your coming over to do something lifechangingly amazing, you're going to really f up your ds' education and social life.
The only way to do this responsibly is to put him into the American system in London. Sorry to be harsh, my pov is as the mother of 3 teenagers in London, ex expat and experience of life and schooling all over the world.

I admit I have been thinking about your predicament a lot. I was moved to the US as a teenager and ended up living in the Bay area for about 20 years, on and off. It was a tremendously difficult time to move.

Teenage life in London is incredibly different from what it would be in Marin county or the East Bay. If your son is used to a living a nice sheltered middle class life style, I think all of you might be in for a nasty shock. However, if you are comfortable with him hanging out in different areas of SF by himself (Tenderloin, SOMA and the Misson) he might be better able to adjust.

Personally, I would never move a relatively happy teenager at that stage in their life.