Year 11 Child moved from Scotland to England and content to learn overwhelming - son doesn't want to even try

Couldn't you have waited until he at least got through year 11? Does he have an EHCP?

I'm shocked any parent of a dyslexic DC would have done any of this ie moving at a key point; not checking the curriculum and choosing a school accordingly; then pressuring the DC to try to overcome an unsurmountable problem that the parents created.
Also surprised at the 'leap' from Nat5s to GCSEs. Independent research states Nat 5s are more academically advanced than GCSEs.

Seriously? 1. Scotland’s education system was created long before the act of union 2. Scotland also has a different legal system & different laws 3. Northern Ireland & Wales also have different education systems.

I agree with the triple science option to enable him to focus on physics. Also, focus on English and maths. Ask for some extra sessions where needed. In a good school, teachers will be willing to help. I hope he settles and starts to build some confidence.

I think ideally stay in Scotland to finish exams, next best move down a year or focus on solely maths and English. I think it's unrealistic to even attempt to just 'catch up' and I'd agree probably detrimental to him and you unless he is extremely bright and motivated. I'm a secondary teacher and even I recognise that school isn't the be all and end all, his life won't be ruined because of not getting GCSEs. Some pupils are much more suited to apprenticeships, college or returning to education later on anyway - or just getting a job! He has lots of options although it might not feel like that just now. I'd sit down with him and come up with a realistic plan, the weight off his shoulders of trying to do the impossible will likely change his whole outlook.

Completely second all of this.

Get him to focus on Maths, English and science or IT. He will still be able to take courses next year in college and resit maths and English next year if needs be.
I can't imagine how tough it must be for him, for shutting down won't do him any good. Focus on these things, tell him he can still do and be whatever he wants but not if he doesn't atleast try.
Hope it all works out well

Why on earth would you do that to your poor son? One of you needs to immediately move back to Scotland with him and rent somewhere. There’s no way he can catch up on a year of GCSE work in such a small amount of time. That’s so unfair on him. And that’s before dyslexia is thrown into the mix too. Poor lad.

Is it possible for your son to sit the exams that will be set in Scotland? My daughter did that when she moved countries in the Middle East. Admittedly, she had to study the rest of the syllabi herself from the country she was leaving but it might be possible for you to pay for extra tuition?

Bless him. All you can do is support him if and when he fails. Accept that the onus is totally on you for moving him and support him in a future college placement that may be more supportive and fun. Kudos to him for being able to transfer his social life so adeptly. I'd concentrate on supporting that for now.

First switch him into triple sciences. That way he will still get a pass in physics and fail biology and chemistry. If can also spend the time in biology and chemistry class working on more subjects. As long as he isnt disrupting, it should be fine. Double sciences really hurt kids who are better in one subject than the other two because it averages the mark across all three sciences. You will likely need to be bitch to make it happen, but that is what mums do.

Next, focus on getting passes in maths and english. At the end of the day, those are the only two that matter. 2 GCSE's is perfectly respectable. With maths and english, it means that he can apply for apprentiships and if he wants to go to uni later he can take a year and do the access to higher education courses that only take a year. His entire future will be made so much easier if he has GCSE's in maths and english. The nagging hill to die on is the Maths and English. Everything else is gravy.

What does he like doing OP? What is he good at?
I would look at what is available post 16 at local colleges that he may be interested in for next year, and see what the entry requirements are.
As far as this year goes, it’s best if he can get his Maths and English passed, but not the end of the world if he doesn’t.

I'm not sure the OP will come back given the unnecessarily harsh comments that have been made. People are forced to move for all kinds of reasons and I'm sure they are already feeling guilty about the situation, without people accusing her of being a terrible parent.

My mum was forced to move us 100 miles away in the summer before I started year 11. The school basically pleaded with her for me to stay at the school, given the disruption it would have caused - and I didn't have dyslexia to contend with as well.
I travelled the 100 mile each way journey for a few weeks but it just wasn't doable. So I moved to my friend's house and lived there Monday- Friday. It was hard for all of us and I missed my family a lot but ultimately, for that year it was the best thing to do. I don't feel any anger or resentment for what I had to do. She had no choice and did everything she could to help me. I then moved to a 6th form in the new town once I'd done my gcses. It was one year of my life (and actually, only 9 months with holidays in between) and just helped me get to the next stage of my education.

Odd timing to have moved. If it’s for your husband’s job or your own, could one parent stay back in Scotland till your son completes his exams?

Despite not knowing the reasoning behind the move I think this would be the worse year to have done so.

If there is any possible way he can finish his Scottish education then that needs to happen. At this stage this overwhelm and being set up to fail could have quite a devastating impact on his future psychologically.

Please somehow get him back into the Scottish schooling system - be that distance learning (unsure if that is even an option) or lodging back up where you have moved from for less than 10 months

Have you never forgiven your parents? I was in exactly the same boat, my father was military, do you think they would have said 'oh yes of course we'll postpone your posting for year' - hardly!

I survived, my life didn't end, there are ways around anything if you want to look.

Poor boy! I had a similar experience, though not as bad as moving to a different country.

My father's job relocated to another county and we moved house in the August before I started what is now called Year 11. The new school used a different exam board to the previous one, so the syllabuses were all different. There were no places available on the needlework course, so I had to drop that subject, and the new school didn't offer craft (what would now probably be called Design & Technology) so I had to drop that as well.

It was a bit of a disaster for me, really. I don't think my education ever recovered. I got 6 O-levels, somehow, but it was a struggle.

I would recommend that the young lad either stays in Scotland for his exam year, or drops down to Year 10, so he can start the syllabus with enough time to finish it properly. It's what I should have done.

Why do England and Scotland even have different education systems?

As far as I'm aware in 1707 they were both united into one country.

No wonder OP hasn't come back to the thread. That poor boy is living in an utter nightmare. I can't imagine how horrifically stressful it is for him.

Even the brightest student would seriously struggle with this. It's not a case of getting him to study more - he won't even know the course content to study.

There are several possible options here: moving him back to scotland to finish S4; homeschooling in England but following the Scottish Curriculum and sitting Nat 5's online; dropping back to Year 10 to give him a year to catch up. Failing that, I'd be getting him private tutors for every subject, and for subjects where he is hugely behind like combined science I'd be looking at a minimum of 2 sessions per week.

No matter how hard tries on his own, he will be very unlikely to overcome the gulf between his current knowledge and the GCSE content. Please don't get frustrated with his lack of effort as you describe it, he won't know where to start and I almost agree with him - why bother because it's an almost insurmountable task. I'm not surprised he's giving up, you'll need to throw everything you can at the situation to help improve things for him.

I wondered that too. Terrible thing do especially as the Scotland and England have different education systems.

Move back or he drops a year. It’s not fair to pressurise him into an impossible task, not surprised he’s given up.

I think this might be your best option.
Maybe go for 'homeschooling' withdraw him, reregister him in Scotland.
look at online teachers/zoom lessons and sit the Scottish exams?

He's expected to sit exams after only a couple of months of the subject? Wow. That school is being horrible, and unreasonable. For that alone, I'd be taking him out of there, he's getting no support.
I assume you didn't move just because you fancied it, but because it was necessary, but goodness me, has this wreaked havoc for your poor child.
He needs to return to the Scottish system ASAP to stand a fighting chance.

The fact you're not understanding how demoralised the move you imposed on him has made him is, well, a bit concerning. He's screwed under current circumstances. You created this problem - what are you going to do to fix it?

can he not drop down a year?