Has anyone returned to the UK from US ,or anywhere else they start school later ?

[doley]

We are returning to the UK in 2011 ,having been in the US for what will have been 6 years !

My boys will be 13 & 8 -I am mainly concerned about my 8 year old as he will have to skip 2 year groups as he has an August birthday :(

Right now he reads at an 11 year old level ,but I imagine everything else he will struggle with ,he just started Kindergarten last year !

I hear it is virtually impossible to hold a child back in the UK :(

What help can he get in a UK classroom ,I don't want him branded slow KWIM ?
At the moment he is an A student in all subjects ,I know however the curriculum is very different ...?

Anyone ...?
Thank you

If he will be 8 on 1st Sep he will be going into Year 3.

Most Y3s will be able to read fluently and write with full stops and capital letters.

They will know their 2,5 and 10 times tables.

If he can do all that great. If he can't, Y3 is a good year to start because it's the start of KS2 - and possibly the start of a new school if he goes to a junior school.

My DD just started in Y3 not able to do the above and she is getting lots of extra support to help her catch up. But she in no way thinks she is dumb. Her confidence is sky high.

She goes to 'maths club', 'spelling club' and does extra phonics daily.

IME British schools do a very good job of building children's confidence and not comparing them and not letting them think they are dumb.

They also do a very good job of 'differentiating', i.e. teaching each child at the place they are at. Because they are not allowed to keep children back, they are much better at this then in other countries.

We moved back to the UK from the US when my daughter was nearly 5 and she started in reception so quite a bit younger than yours (she's a November baby so was one of the older children).

It was quite a culture shock for her because the US pre-school she went to was SO laid-back and informal, as well as 3 teachers to 20 children. Suddenly she found herself in uniform and expected to learn to read and write. At that age, it was more getting used to the formality of the classroom than anything else (as well as the fact that she was into hugging which her classmates weren't ! )

Good luck with the move - I hope it all goes well.

We moved back when DS was 8, midway through yr4 - he is an August baby and had started school at age 5 (international school running US-style curriculum) rather than age 4 as in the UK. He went straight into a year 4 class where he was just about the youngest, and had had a year less school than everyone, but it went fine. The only issue was that they had already done joined-up handwriting and he hadn't, but maths, English etc wasn't a problem. I think the variations at that stage are so wide in a normal classroom that unless he is behind in the US system, it should be fine.

I would be more concerned about the 13-year-old, depending on the school, because the curriculum for specialised subjects like science, history and languages are likely to be very different - if French is compulsory, for example, and he has been doing Spanish, he will probably need some help to catch up. But arriving at 13 (yr 8 or yr9?) is much better than a year later when they will already have started the run-up to GCSEs.

Be afraid be very afraid. We moved our eldest after finishing Year 3 in the British system to Australia and now have to get him back into a UK school for 2011 UK Year 9. It has been a nightmare. Science is NOT done at all in Primary school in Australia. The maths is at a different level to the UK and the delivery of English is dismal. We've had to tutor him 3 times a week in subject areas not taught. UK students get taught in order to be able to sit entrance exams. So we're cramming and it doesn't look good at all.

Wow ,Thank you ALL so much (so far lol) for your detailed responses -it really does help !

It will be a swap from grade 2 to yr 4 cos of the August birthday though :(
I have heard on the grape-vine that perhaps they will hold him back ?

What is encouraging is that some of the things Indigobell has mentioned he is, or will have covered by the time we get there :)

exexpat ,you are right,we have just a small window to move DS13 otherwise it could be more tricky ..
Next year he will do a small amount of Spanish at junior high,just before we return actually -at least that will give him some idea of a new language :)

Petelly .totally get what you mean about the hugging ,DS7 is very American ...he might do that too lol !

I think if it is a state school, they are very unlikely to hold the 8-yr-old back, specially if he is already a strong reader (probably the most important thing at that age). No-one even suggested it for my DS in a similar position. It sounds like your boy is bright, so any maths he's missed he will probably catch up on very fast, and it's easy to find workbooks to go through at home if you want to make sure.

If it's a more selective/academically pressurised private school, they would probably test him on entry and then decide, but again they would probably first give him the chance to go in with his own age-group and catch up.

The 13-year-old is much more likely to have to do lots of extra work to catch up on or adjust to the different curriculum - will you have a choice of schools, so you can see which one seems most sympathetic and can offer some support?

exexpat ,Thanks again so much for your help !

Unfortunately we won't have a choice with the schools :(

What upsets me most, is that as a 2nd grader here it is still very much the Primary wing KWIM ?
Lots of cute things in the classroom ,treated as younger ones ...

How is year 4 in the UK for the children ?
I am thinking emotionally really ?

Yes,he really is advanced here with reading etc...so that should help :)

My 13 (to be ) actually started his school life in the UK ,he had to do the reverse lol !
I have already prepared myself for a different kind of struggle with DS13 ,he is a totally out of the box type kid anyway .
At 10 he was replacing hard disks in computers ,fixing X-boxes the list goes on ...
I think most school systems will prove a challenge for him...he HATES school :(
Actually, I am secretly hoping he could take an early GCSE/A level in computer studies to boost his confidence ,as he already fixes computers for the neighbours round here lol !

The one good thing is that the secondary he will be attending rated' outstanding ' with Ofsted .
I have no idea if that really holds any weight these days
though ?

Buttercup,I am sorry you are presently having such a hard time ,I hope things become easier for you very soon .
It is a hard thing... ,this swapping countries /systems isn't it ? :)

You don't say where you are moving to. But most of England nowadays is used to having kids arriving age 8 from Europe (especially Poland) with no English and only one year of school.

And of course I got it wrong. He will be going into year 4 not year 3. They won't be babied. But by 8 he should cope fine. Expectations aren't unrealestic.

Thanks IndigoBell ,

You are right ,I am sure they will have had experience with other children from different countries :)

You know how our Mum minds wander though lol !

We have just moved back from 2 years in the states. We have 4 children 10,8,6,3. They have all adjusted well and in some areas were ahead, the 6 year old had a few issues, however after moving schools he is now settled and doing well. Be careful to pick your school well and visit with children in, that was our mistake with our 6 year old. Make sure they have an idea of the work they have done and include any IOWA tests or similar with a explanation so they understand what it means. Kids are resilient and will adapt pretty quick. Wouldn't worry about the education more the complete culture shock!!

Thanks mumof2girls2boys :)-Thanks for sharing ...

I think I most worry about my son who will have to skip the 2 years , the work is one thing- I just don't want him to have to be done with the Primary years so quickly KWIM ?
I know there is a point in the UK/US systems that puts them at an even keel around 4/5th grade though .

I'm basing that on the fact that I have noticed that although the US system starts later ,it is good at grounding them with repeating things over and over .

In our case he will go from a class of 18 to closer to 30
Oh ,well at least he has an older brother ,hopefully that should take care of any shocks he might encounter in the playground lol !

So glad DD is just 2 AND a December Birthday :)

An interesting thread - my brother lives in Tokyo, and his boys won't start school until they are six and a half. Add in the language element ( bilingual English/ Japanese ) and they are so stressed about coming back.

Ratherbe ,I understand :)

I am going to sound so repetitive here lol

I just don't want DS7 to effectively miss 2 years of primary education for the sake of a late August birthday :(

Good luck to your brother ,I have spent a lot of time there too !

Tokyo I mean :)

Thank you ! My bro's wife is Japanese and they thought they would give it a go living in Tokyo, having lived in the UK until DTs were 2 years old.. My bro can work anywhere, so that was fine. But they really aren't sure now about bringing up their twins in Tokyo, nor putting them through the Jap school system. Every time they think they will come back, they get really cold feet. They are also worried about the difficulties of getting twins into a primary school year group.Sigh

However, I do think the UK state system on the whole is very good at supporting children with different abilities and at different stages, also for those with EAL. Children who joined my DC's primary made enormous progress, catching up with their peers.

We went to Tokyo for their wedding 10+ years ago, then back last year to see them at home and we couldn't believe how much Tokyo had changed!

You say you are coming back, so do try to think positively, his new mates will adore him with his American accent, he will be new and exciting to them! Reading really is the key at Primary, and they will support him as he catches up curriculum wise. The Primary curriculum is essentially literacy, maths and some very basic dull science. He will be FINE!!!!

He will be one of the youngest, but that doesn't mean he will struggle the most. He will get help where he needs it! In a way, it will be easier for him than your 13 year old who will be on the verge of choosing GCSE options. Good luck with the move.

hi doley, not much to add on a practical note, but i came back to the UK from Germany and went into year 5 (from german year 3). despite the later starting age in germany, the work seemed to be generally on the same level.

just wanted to add that as a 'don't panic' story

Doley, the class size thing got us too. The older 2 went to prep school so stayed in small classes the 6 year old went to the local state school with 30 in his class, then when moved into a village CofE school with only 18 he settled well, sometimes the drive to school is worth it if the school is small and friendly. He only had 12 in his year group in the states, we were very lucky that DH job paid for him to go private. Overall don't worry and maybe join beavers/cubs so he gets some outside activity to

A friend just returned to the UK from Australia with her two children aged 6 and 12. They went "up a year" because of the move but it has been absolutely fine - they are pretty bright kids though, it might not have been so easy if they were struggling.

I don't know where Buttercup's kids went to school but the primary dept of our Australian school certainly teaches science, and the standard of teaching in both English and maths is excellent. You get bad schools everywhere!

We will be returning to the UK from Norway in 2011. Our oldest son is 8. (April birthday). We left uk at the end of Year 1 in a uk school. He had to start all over again here in Norway because they dont start school here until they are 6. He has of course followed a Norwegian curriculum, and he is far ahead in all subjects. But of course, his English spelling is not top.

Our youngest son is 5, due to start school here this automn, so he will effectively have missed both reception and year 1 in the UK .... I am worried about this. We are currently working with him with letters and numbers and trying to teach spelling at home, and reading.

He has been in a very laid back preschool, where the emphasis is on independence and active lifestyle. As a result, he has fantastic stamina climbing mountains, cross country skiing and downhill skiing, oh and snowboarding. He runs fast, and climbs like a monkey. I cannot quite see him in a school uniform, sitting still during assembly....
His English is obviously not as good as somebody who has lived in England all their lives.

Interesting thread.

Thank you all so much for adding your thoughts /help and experiences :)

Ratherbe , yes,I hope your family are able to settle in the UK system :)
What an advantage for the children to be able to speak Japanese also ,I would imagine that would be a massive boost career wise (some day lol )

Whiteflame,Thank you for your 'no panic' story :)

Mumof2girls2boys : I am hoping that my 8 year old will attend the local village CofE too ,apparently they do have a place for that year :-)
Great idea about joining the beavers /cubs ,I am sure they will have something local ...
As a londoner I will have to get used to village life too lol !

sunnydelight ,Thanks for your perspective ,it is wonderful to hear how others have coped and thrived :)

Quintessential : your situation is a little similar to my original situation ,my eldset went 'backwards 'when we came to the states .
Having completed R through some of year 2 ,he found himself in a class of 1st graders ,undoing his cursive and re- learning his colours ;-) lol

My sister lives in Norway (Oslo) she has been there 15 years ,they have 2 girls 12&6 .
I have heard great things about the schools in Norway .delaying formal education does not seem to have had an adverse effect on the country does it ?
They apparently have a zero illiteracy rate ....?
Will your youngest be 6 when you get back ?
Will he be heading for year 2 ?
From what I remember( from my eldests Primary) they do seem to have a lot of time still devoted to the basics as a lot of schools have a combined Y 1/2 .
Many of the children still had very basic reading books at that stage ,I am sure he will be fine as it will still be KS1 :)

It is great that he is a really active child ,he will have picked up so much from the Norwegian culture I imagine ...
I am so impressed with the Norwegian's and their ability to just get outside ,in weather we would curl up by the fire in .

I hope your 8yr old is able to slot right back in again too :)
You are right ,it is an interesting thread -it effects many, so it seems ...

Oh dear, that going backwards thing scares me, Doley. There's a tiny chance we could move to CA next year and I fear my then 7yo DS would be lumbered in with 2nd graders when he might be more ready for the work expected of American 3rd graders. But emotionally he's quite immature, so I wouldn't want him to be out of peer group otherwise!

Oh well, probably all not gonna happen, anyway.

Doley- Could home schooling (home education)be an option for you?

You could HomeEd for a year to allow your younger son to catch up emotionally and academically and to settle in the U.K.

May be your older son could even try taking 'the' early GCSE as a private candidate.

I've brought back children who would have been behind. My advice is to buy a set of Bond exercise books ad catch him up yourself in the holidays. If you focus on maths and English it won't take long. Make sure his times tables and spelling are up to scratch, and that he understands and can manage early decimals and fractions. And practice word problems, they're obsessed with them.

Forget everything else. If a child is competent or even skilled in maths, and up to date, and if his reading is fine, he won't be labelled slow.

In fact focus on maths and handwriting. That goes a long way.

Seriously,don't take him out for a year, there's no need. You can achieve in an hour at home what takes two weeks at school. Trust me.

No personal experience but my dad returned from an african country with his 10 year old daughter (she is british v but spent her early informative years there) and sent her to their local primary. It didn't work out for her - she was stressed and not coping, not academically but socially (in terms of what 10 year old girls and their families find acceptable in the UK as opposed in east africa).

They ended up going private - many years on - she never settled into her all girls school but did ok and is now at a 6th form and is doing even better. But she's always struggled with british youth culture (even though she's british) because she was educated overseas in her early years.

Btw - zero illitiracy rates will be somemthing to do with whether he language is a phonetical on and also if there are many non english speaking migrants.