Applying for secondary school places from abroad

I'm confused. If you are moving in the summer she's in year 11 surely you would arrive mid way through gcse exams or when year 11 have already finished.

A lot of schools start GCSE in Year 9

'She would love to stay the extra year, the rest of us want to be able to see family and friends again. We’re unable to visit the UK or them come over obviously due to Covid. It’s been almost 2 years since we saw them in person.'

which seems to me to be saying that her wanting to stay to finish the exams she's been working towards for the last few years is an annoying inconvenience to the rest of the family.

Apologies if that isn't how you meant it.

If you speak to any expat advisory service, they don't recommend moving teenagers at all and certainly not during their exams. A move needs to be timed to cause least damage to the whole family, not just some of them.

Assuming you don't all work in the US, could some of you move back this summer so she can start year 10? It will give her a much better chance.

I disagree.

Universities do look at GCSE grades and even dropping 2 subjects takes you down to a max of 7 GCSE. And why someone be forced to drop 2 subjects anyway because of a parental decision?

Have you considered enrolling her in Interhigh? She'd have to sit the exams as an independent candidate, but they support that. Then she could do year 10 where you are and year 11 here in the UK, but her schooling wouldn't be interrupted.

There seems to be a feeling in some quarters that every last GCSE grade is the be all and end all, but frankly, once they're onto a suitable sixth form course, they matter very little. Some universities do look at the GCSE grades, but they would also read the personal statement. The thing to do would be to talk up the things she's gained from having lived in two countries, and the extra independent study skills she may have developed because of needing to catch up any missed topics. The universities then know that the GCSE grades might not be as stellar as they might have been, or why there are only seven subjects.

I don't think many parents who take enough interest in their children's education to be posting here would make any decision to move at this point lightly. Sure, warn them that it will not be easy, but try not to tell people that they are wrecking their kids' lives.

And yes the LEA are obliged to offer you a school when you return. But don’t hold your breath for an Ofsted outstanding or good one. These are usually massively oversubscribed. She could easily end up in a ‘requires improvement’ one.

I’ve been teaching 25 years. Pupils are hardly ever moved in Year 11. I can think of 3 in 25 years. Those that do invariably fail no matter how clever they are. And these moves are always frowned on educationally.

Lots of different exam boards teaching lots of different stuff even for the same subject.

I can honestly tell you that she will be unlikely to succeed in her GCSE regardless of her ability. I cannot stress this enough.

Whatever is driving you back to the U.K. is not as important as your daughter’s education. She will not succeed in any format if you change her schooling now.

Sorry to be truthful but it’s a fact. Educationally she will be completely and utterly screwed.

Some private schools offer a one year GCSE course for those coming from other countries, which might be appropriate, if you can afford it. It's probably mainly the schools that have boarders and are catering to an international market. She'd probably be ahead of the game in that she's already started the courses, but it might work.

I'd keep plugging at things with the LEA, though. They will be obliged to offer a place somewhere once you move. They may be able to identify schools which currently have spaces (and there's relatively unlikely to be changes in year 10/11), so that you can then explore which of those schools would have the best curriculum fit and then work on a reasonable assumption that she will get a place there.

Sorry @prh47bridge, my assumption was that the schools being applied for were already full, or that the applicant was ready to move imminently. If they were looking for a place some time in the future, are you saying that a school with a place available has to then ringfence that place for someone not yet in a position to take it up over someone else who’s ready to do so immediately?

It's a dreadful time to move her. Really unfair to mess up her education like this.

Hi OP
I applied in-year by the deadline given but was then told the education authority would not begin to process it until we were actually back in the country on the tarmac - it then took a few weeks to process so my kids started the school year two weeks after everyone else - not ideal but okay (we came back in the Summer holidays).
It will only work for you if your chosen school, like mine, is not over-subscribed. If it is, you'll be allocated 2nd, 3rd etc on your list, offered a place anywhere else if 1, 2, 3 are full and have to go on the waiting lists for your preferred school hoping for an in-year move if another pupil/pupil(s) leaves and you are high up enough still for that place.
Best of luck x

A child can get a place at a school if they live in a different part of the UK simply by applying. If the school has a place available, it must be offered. If a parent living in Penzance applies for a place at a school in Carlisle, if the school has a place available it must be offered.

Things can be a bit harder when applying from abroad. However, for an in-year application, if the LA co-ordinates in-year applications they are supposed to accept applications from abroad. If the LA doesn't co-ordinate in-year applications, parents should apply directly to the school. Again, if the school has a place available it must be offered. The main problem parents face when applying from abroad is meeting the LA's/admission authority's requirement for evidence to show they intend moving to the area.

However, this doesn't help the OP. When a place is offered, most admission authorities expect the pupil to arrive within a few weeks. If that doesn't happen, the place will be lost. I understand the OP's desire to plan ahead but this is one area where I'm afraid that is not possible.

Independent schools, of course, operate to different rules.

I've just read your OP properly - do you mean she is now in year 9 and you are planning to come back summer 2022?

Can you not move her here to stay with relatives this summer, that would be much better, school-wise.

They won't offer her a place 16m in advance at a state school. It wouldn't be fair to someone who moved into the area in the next few months and wanted the space.

I understand your concern but you may need to think outside the box for the year. Home ed, online school, living with relatives to do year 10 and 11 in the same place, coming back this summer instead. Good luck figuring it out.

Even transferring to another school offering igcse, overwhelmingly in the fee paying sector, does not guarantee the same syllabus will be studied or topics in same order as she already has. There are a few schools/colleges offering an intensive one year gcse programme but these are at a higher cost with fewer subjects taken. As a minimum she needs maths, English and science to progress to y12/level 3.