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

wheresthepimms how very refreshing

Thanks to your DS ,I will remind the boys ...

2010 PISA rankings of OECD countries here: www.guardian.co.uk/news/datablog/2010/dec/07/world-education-rankings-maths-science-reading#data

Caveat: this compares the attainment of 15-year olds.

English-speaking countries listed below:

Reading

1. Canada (6th overall)
2. New Zealand (7th)
3. Australia (9th)
4. United States (17th)
5. Ireland (21st)
6. United Kingdom (24th)

(OECD average, ie, all above exceed it)

Maths

1. Canada (10th)
2. New Zealand (13th)
3. Australia (15th)

(OECD average)

1. United Kingdom (29th)
2. United States (32nd)
3. Ireland (33rd)

Science

1. New Zealand (7th)
2. Canada (8th)
3. Australia (10th)
4. United Kingdom (16th)
5. Ireland (20th)
6. United States (24th)

(OECD average)

Not sure if there are any equivalent comparisons for primary children. I'd be interested to see them. But this suggests:-

1. Canadian-educated children will normally be ahead of their equivalents in just about everything.

1. Antipodean-educated children will normally be ahead of British children in all the above (and probably sport too)

1. If your Irish or from the US, and you worry about your child's eduation, you shouuld emigrate to some other English-speaking country, and if you're British, consider it.

OOps:-

"3. If your Irish or from the US, and you worry about your child's eduation, you shouuld emigrate to some other English-speaking country, and if you're British, consider it."

British-educated ;-)