Higher Education and returning to the UK

[Rainyday28]

Hi, this is my first time posting. I’m in need of some help.

I have 3 children. Age 16, 13 and 9. We are UK citizens who are currently living in Ontario Canada for work. My partners contract is coming to an end and we are struggling with education choices for when we return.

It is mainly in reference to my oldest. She was in school in the UK until the end of year 9 and when we came to Canada she started in grade 9. She is currently in grade 11, but we are returning to the UK. She will now not get her high school diploma because she won’t have enough credits from Canada and she has missed her GCSE’s.

Has anyone come across these issues. Can anyone please help. What can we do?

She could probably enter an IB program (some state schools offer it, as well as independents) or take btec/nvq at a Sixth form or Further Education college, probably with gcse or level 2 equivalent Maths and English alongside.

Thank you. Do you know if her 2 years of Canadian High School credits would count towards entry for the IB because the UK websites are saying 5 GCSE’s to be able to take that course.

I think you would need to check with whichever school/college you apply to. It may be sufficient, international students transfer into .u.k school systems regularly in the private sector.

It depend what she wants to do after school/college but she might also consider an Access course in parallel with GCSE Maths and English.
As Liz says, I'd contact local schools and colleges to explore her options.

No, an Access course wouldn't be suitable. Is she currently first year sixth form age? Presumably would take high school diploma next summer? Can you stay till then? If not could you consider her doing a year in an international school here (private and probably £££)? Just so she has some sort of high school qualifications. That should be enough for sixth form quals, although you'd want a college or school used to international students - London ones would probably have come across someone in her position.

Regardless you'll have to accept that she starts sixth form, year 12, here next year, not this year.

You may also need to check her eligibilty for post level 3 /aged 19 funding ie. For UK degree or Access course , having lived outside the EEA within prior 3 years.

I’m in contact with some of the colleges local to where we will be returning to but they want her to do her GCSE’s and start on Monday. She was due to start college in UK in September this year but she wouldn’t be finished in Canadian high school until September 2020.
We have been away from the UK since July 2016, will this cause problems with EEA school funding?

Not school funding but if she wants to attend uni or A level equivalent post 19. Are you sure they didn't mean gcses alongside another course? JCQ website may have information on equivalent qualifications.

@titchy Why wouldn't an Access course be suitable? Nowadays lots of Year 12/13 do an Access course instead of A levels/BTEC/IB. Many universities happily accept them from 18 years olds these days.

I thought Access courses were for post 18 students and returners to education,

@LIZS Not nowadays. Lots of college aged kids do them. Although, yes, back in the day they were designed specifically for mature students.

Yes we'll happily take them! But as Liz said they're for adult returners. They're the equivalent of a 2 year Level 3 course compressed into one year. A post GCSE or equivalent student would be better prepared with a 2 year Level 3, whether it's BTEC, A levels, IB. Access would be an option if the two year course, whatever it was, didn't yield the desired results.

@titchy I'm not disagreeing that the traditional qualifications may better prepare an 18 year old for uni, I'm just saying that an increasing number of 18 year olds are applying for uni with an Access course. Back in the day that never happened, only mature students did Access courses.

If she wasn't in the UK at the time she would normally have taken her GCSEs, she won't be expected to have them by universities (with a possible handful of exceptions for specific courses; I'd check if she wants to do something like nursing or primary teaching), though the reason for the lack of GCSEs should be noted in the reference.

Do be aware, however, of the implications for student finance. UK fee status (i.e. paying £9250pa not uncapped international fees, and having access to tuition fee and maintenance loans) is governed not by citizenship but by residence. UKCISA has some good information on their website
www.ukcisa.org.uk/Information--Advice/Fees-and-Money/Home-or-Overseas-fees-the-basics
www.ukcisa.org.uk/Information--Advice/Fees-and-Money/England-fee-status#layer-6082

Yes but they wouldn't be suitable for OP's dd That's all.

Why not suitable?

Because she doesn't have any level 3 qualifications. Why would she do a 2 year Level 3 equivalent compressed into one year as her first L3 qualification after GCSE equivalent?

GCSE, one or two years of A Level / BTEC with poor performance, then Access for a year - fine. Kid has already done some L3 and is simply doing a bit more.

GCSE, one year Access course then uni is a poor choice. No time to assimilate the higher skills for post school qual. There's a reason BTEC and A levels are two year programmes. To suggest a 16 yo with no prior L3 experience could succeed doing a two year L3 in one year is ridiculous.

@titchy It may well be ridiculous but all I'm saying is that lots of kids are doing this now. As I said earlier, I totally agree with every point you make, all I'm doing is saying that Access courses are becoming increasingly popular for 16 year olds instead of BTECs/A levels/IB etc. I really don't understand why, for all the reasons you cite!