Moving to Surrey - questions on schools and sports

Zombie thread and as the OPS kids were 11 and 13 then snd on swimming teams I think they know how to swim as they are not little ones!!!

ZOMBIE ALERT

Maybe , but most will do a mixture of iGCSE and GCSE and the syllabus can still vary from one board to another. The school websites may indicate which they offer and through which board, not always the same one for all subjects. Often teaching of RS, Geography and History will differ in international schools and it is normal to be expected to take at least one of these.

There not a lot of point in choosing GCSE subjects in a different school. It had to be in the school that they will do the subjects in. It's to do with time tabling and options.

It's useful to go through the thought process though, and get the career advice.

For GCSE, they typically study 10 subjects, of which 6 or 7 are compulsory for the particular school, leaving 3 or 4 options (electives).

One of the Guildford girls schools might be ideal for your daughter, and I am sure even if she was put in year 8 at GHS she would not feel "held back" and I know they have accelerated girls on occasion.
For your son there are more issues. RGS is highly selective and lots of very bright boys don't get in, but it might be worth contacting them. Boys from this area do go to Reeds and Salesian in Farnborough (not to be confused with the one near Byfleet).
Most other private schools which take boys are mixed or start at 13.
All apart from RGS involve commuting from Guildford, but lots of young people do that every day.

For State schools there is a complication this year as some schools are choosing "options" in year 8 due to the demands of the new syllabuses for GCSE.

I do think in general you may find the UK education system more rigorous than a lot of international schools, I know a lot of parents complain about IB especially for middle years. Surrey and especially Guildford can be quite pressurised environments.

How fixed are you on Guildford, OP? Is it because it has a train to Waterloo or for another reason?

How do you feel about separate schools for your DCs versus a co-ed?

If you could narrow down some options at this stage, even if only for a academic exercise, there are a few of us bursting to help you. The worst thing is giving you too many options as it all becomes very complicated.

Also, do you need help with housing?

If he was 11 in July 2015 then he would be in current Y7 yes you are absolutely right LIZS sorry OP for adding confusion to the situation- ignore my prep school comments

Homebythesea, op's son is already 11, so looking at y8 entry in September 2016. I wouldn't consider a prep school at that stage, y8 there is all about achieving Common Entrance/13 + exams to next school. RGS will have already offered places for their 13+ entry for that peer group, and have a waiting list from their 11+ , so not sure how open they are towards new, possibly not so academic, candidates at that stage.

Reeds might be a good option son.

Your son would be going into Y 7 in September if he has a July birthday, and would be one of the youngest in his year. It might be worth looking at prep schools for him with a view to going to senior schools at 13. Look at Feltonfleet, Parkside, Danes Hill, Downsend all v near Cobham area. Others will no doubt advise suitable Guildford area prep schools!

The daughters age corresponds to year 8.

Your daughter having just turned 13 would be in current Y8 so starting Y9 in September. She would be one of the older pupils in her year. This is a good starting point because no-one will have chosen their GCSE subjects yet so she effectively has a year to bed down , get used to the new system and then make her choices. If she goes to a private school there is also the chance that she will not be one of the only new pupils as this can be an entry point from prep schools. However, because of that there may be no spaces available! theres no real substitute for getting on the phone and seeing how the land lies. As your daughter is academic Guildford High School might be one to look at.

You have to ask the school if they have any vacancies. If they do, they will been keen to fill it. If they don't they can put you on a waiting list.

Even in an independent school it would not be common to admit her into y10 next September, not least because she would need to have committed to her GCSE options before then, and in some cases the workload starts in y9. I suspect you may find that being ahead in IS does not necessarily correlate to same in many selective independents. The assessment process may resolve this. It is good she is self motivated but the ethos will take some adjustment. If her French is good enough she may have the option to take it earlier than y11. You are correct in assuming the state system would not allow her to be advanced.

Rugs is an academic school. They have a high entry criteria and are massively over subscribed. Even very bright boys struggle to get in.
It's wise to have a back up.

Have you seen the independent schools chat section of a (not for profit) website called the 11+ forum? If not you might find it useful for info on specific schools' entry requirements.

RGS is very popular but hard to get into, more so because you have missed the main entrance. Worth investigating. Boys living in guildford do go to lots of other schools by school bus or (public transport) train.

So in a UK state school your daughter would be in year 9 (and one of the eldest). It'd be sensible for her to be in that year group when you move this academic year to give her settling in time, especially if you choose a school where she'll be doing GCSEs.

If I was using an educational consultant I would use the Gabbitas trust or the Good Schools guide.

How old are your children, and when are their birthdays? If your DD was 11 before 1st September this year she would be in year 7. If she turned 11 after that she would be in year 6.
This is only crucial for state schools, private (independent) schools will sometimes take out of year. But this is something to negotiate on.

Are your school fees going to be paid? Otherwise they tend to be about £18000, and a bit more at ACS. Fees can be assumed to rise 5% per year, in addition to any increases due to progressing through stages (eg. Junior to Senior).

How long are you planning to be in the UK? If long term, is there any specific reasons you would want them to go to a US rather than UK or European University?

ACS is a great school, especially if you are not going to be here long term, and are likely to live more in an expat "bubble". They also offer a excellent school bus service from places like Guildford and Woking (including a door to door service).
ISL is much newer.

Lots of overseas pupils do manage to get into the "usual" private schools, including the highly selective ones. I have known a US family who were here for a few years and all their children went to RGS and GHS in Guildford, which are top selective day schools.

On the other hand lots of expats put their children through the excellent State schools. You can always "appeal" to get a place at your preferred school, although places do occur even at the most popular schools.

I disagree ginandjag, if the DS has missed the main intake for year 7 (exam taken in year 6) entrance for more popular independents is likely to be pretty competitive as few places are available.

The UK year group is very important to figure out.

If he turned 11 before the first of September, he'll be in Year 7 now. An independent school will still have him sit the entrance exam (at any time) and will offer a place if they have a space. He would have to really bomb it for them to turn you r$$$$ away.

A state school is tricky because you need to have an address before they will consider you, and good schools aren't likely to have spaces. There are enough dire schools in Surrey that the good ones always have waiting lists for Year 7.

The first thing to do is establish which year group the dc are. If your younger dc is already y7 equivalent then exams can be taken at any time and they can start mid year, if school is happy. Has your dd just turned 13 (y8) or is about to turn 14 (y9)? What is your timeframe, when do you expect to move?

If it is a company transfer a relocation consultant is usual, to help coordinate school and accommodation. But you may find it easier to make contact with schools yourselves to discuss the situation. Consultants tend to be biased towards certain schools with whom they have dealt before and are less likely to investigate state options as there is assumption you can and will pay.

Applying to multiple schools means multiple exams. The exception is if the school uses the 11+ Common Entrance which is set by ISEB and administered in the primary school. It is marked by the senior school, however, so different schools might have different pass marks.

When I worked in a prep school, I think we only had two senior schools that used the 11+ CE. Most schools set their own exams. 13+CE is pretty standard for Y9 entry to traditional public schools, and this is taken in June of Y8. It follows from pre-selection in Y6 or 7, however, and it is rare to fail.

If your DD is 13 now, she would be one of the eldest students in Year 8, so you'd be applying for Y9 entry. It wouldn't be benefial to push for her to be a year ahead as she could miss out on GCSE Science which typical starts in Y9 in independent schools, and also the decision making for the future which takes place in the spring of Y9.

You don't need a consultant to apply for you.

Applying for an independent school means filling out a form with biographical information (which only you know) and sending a deposit.

You don't have to share you philosophy of education and list your values or anything like that. You don't have to beg to be admitted.

Selection is based on performance in the entrance exam and possibly an interview.

Entrance exams for Y7 take place in January of Y6. There is a bit of an informal pecking order where the most selective schools go first, perhaps the first Saturday in January. Schools will generally allow you to take the exam in your own school if you live overseas. If there is more than one exam on the day, there will be a make-up day.

It's important to know the nature of the exam, so ask the registrar. If it's based on the English National Curriculum, then they should have an alternative for overseas students. It's most likely to be a maths paper, an English comprehension and a short piece of creative writing, or papers in verbal and non-verbal reasoning. It's important to be familiar with the style of VR/NVR but you can't revise as such, therefore buying one set of Bond Assessment papers is sufficient. You can also get Key Stage 2 revision guides for Maths and English.

Non-selective schools may still have a January assessment day, but this is to get to know your child. These schools are not usually over-subscribed.