Relocating back to uk

[Slwinsxb]

Hi all, my first post so I hope it's in the right place! After being away from the UK for 12 years it's looking very likely that we will need to return. The whole school thing is freaking me out as I just don't get how you work out where you can go and also where will be the best fit. I have 3 boys yrs 10, 7 and 5. The main concern is the year 10 he's started his GCSE's , how do I even find a school that will be able to accommodate what he has already started?? Where we are to be honest they think they know it all, but have been wrapped in cotton wool without them realising! I kind of know where we will go back to, but just don't know how I can really check out schools, ofsted reports all well and good, but not the same as something personal. Thanks in advance to anyone that can pick through what I'm trying to ask!!

For all your dc it would be a case of wherever there is a space in their year group (In Year Admissions) so until you can narrow down the area and contact LA it is pointless looking at Ofsted etc. If you know which LA have a look at their website for In Year applications process. Would you be able to consider private for your eldest as you may have a better chance of accommodating their options. At least it is relatively early in y10 but some schools enter GCSEs early or at least start the syllabus in y 9.

When are you planning to come back, October 2015? And to where in UK?

The schools I've experienced could manage to scrap together a programme to finsih 5+ GCSEs for your eldest. If he's missing any core subjects, then many 6th forms would allow him to do them the following year (age 17), and then he could go ahead & plan A-levels or apprenticeships, etc.

There are parts of the UK with less over-subbed state schools & you might have more flexibility & choice there.

Some schools would put him in to year 9 so he repeats year 10. Most school though will accommodate as year ten leaves a year - and in English he won't have coursework of any kind as all exam.

and in English he won't have coursework of any kind as all exam. igcse still has coursework.

Some schools would put him in to year 9 so he repeats year 10 no state school would do this

My only advice is move as fast as possible, the more year 10 time he misses the worse he will do. You are not going to find a school that matches up in courses, subjects, exam boards, coursework and everything else, you needto just get him into any school ASAP and help him to catch up

Actually charis i teach at a state school and we have had a few pupils go in a year below. And one boy who went a year ahead.
Also i didn't mention igcse as hardly any state schools will be continuing with it as it will not be counted in the 8 exams

extremely unusual, purple sky.

Most leas would never consider it.

Apart from anything else, a year 11 boy put back a year will destroy the school statistics and ranking on the league table, with all the attendant consequences for the school.

Realistically you are going to have to move before Christmas or after your eldest's GCSE's. Anything In between and it could really mess up his exams. Will you be able to get him tutored for what he has missed at the beginning?

I was answering your claim that it would never happen Charis. It doesn't destroy the rankings either as there is a (long and very complex) way around it. Currently where I work we have three children out of year - one had cancer and missed three years of education, one has moved from abroad and had not attended school previously and the third has severe learning difficulties. Have worked in three different areas and all three have had the same.

We also once had a 30 August birthday boy who went through all his schooling a year late

ok, if you say so, purplesky, it happens where you have been, it has never happened anywhere I have worked, and never would, including in all the circumstances you mention.

Thank goodness I work somewhere where the children come first then charis!

I'm not saying it is a good thing, Purplesky, I am saying this is how it is, largely because of league tables, you absolutly cannot have a year 11 child in year 10, it totally destroys the statistics, and no, there is no legal way round it

Well charis you can as I have taught that child. I also currently teach a year 7 who should be in year 8. I also teach many efl pupils who have no English but are in the correct year.

I'm in the throws of doing this myself at the moment. Although not with the added complication of GCSEs.

You can't apply for a place until you are actually there. I'm trying to look at this as a good thing as I can't worry about places as there is absolutely nothing I can do about it! There could be ten places in a school today and none at all next week. Or vice versa. And this means you can look at schools as you will be there.

I phoned admissions for the area we are moving to and they told me to phone the individual schools to see if there is a place.

I also know two boys who left juniors a year late...
OP your DC birthdays would also affect which year they are in, not all countries follow a september start.
When ate you moving?

Didn't Malala get to do her GCSEs later, she was 18? There may be guidelines but if there are good reasons those guidelines can be set aside and neatness of statistics should never be a reason not to do what is best for the student.

Thank you for all the replies, took me a while to find them again!! We are in Dubai and all the children have been in British curriculum schools so should easily slot in to their own year group without having lost anything. My year 10 has started the GCSE programme, and in year 9 has done an English paper that contributes to final GCSE and has another in October. Hadn't really thought about how those grades/results can be carried through. He will turn 15 in 3 weeks so an older year 10, so really don't think he should repeat year 9. If it has to be (and we still don't know) it will happen at the end of November, chances are we will have to stay with family for a few weeks as sorting things like renting and credit are also difficult after so much time away. This wouldn't be where we finally settle so guess that means keeping them out of school till term 2. We are looking at East Herts area, more specifically Bishops Stortford, and surrounding area. Another big thing is being in a place where the younger 2 can join a rugby club, bit of a nightmare trying to cover it all.

Have considered private education, but think that's more fear of the unknown, and watching too much UK TV!! They boys are worried they'd get beaten up everyday!! Like I said initially a lot of cotton wool wrapping over here, just by circumstance rather than choice.

Are you already familiar with the schools in the area you are looking at? Think that's what's making it so difficult for me. I went to school in London, hubby from Hertfordshire where moved when we married, but the eldest was 3 when we left, so hadn't even looked at any schools at all. I could make it easy and move next door to my sister and use her research but it's not the area we want to be in.

As a matter of priority you need to find out which GCSEs and exam board/s he is following. I fear what you describe is English igcse which is not common at UK state schools and even each board follows a different gcse sylllabi. Therefore his studies may not be continuous or transferable unless you track one offering similar subject choices and board down or perhaps go private for igcse. Once you are in situ you can apply to LA and potentially appeal for a y10 place if none available but that will take time and iirc Herts is not an easy area to find school places of choice.

The important thing is to find out the exam board, and then all the school's he could possibly go to within a radius that you're happy to have him travel.

If your employer will stump up for an educational consultant, they can do this leg work for you.

Then having identified schools where there is no obstacle to him continuing towards the same exams (with your fingers crossed about order of work so far and how he settles). You apply to all/most of them.

State schools: unless you are returning Forces/other qualifying govt staff, you cannot apply until the DC are in UK. You make one application, to your local council stating a preference (not a choice!) of 3-6 schools. They allocate one, or if none have. A space, they allocate you the nearest one with a space. If the allocation is unacceptable, then you can appeal (and I think you might have a persuasive case). But of course all this can take weeks and add uncertainty and stress just at a time you don't want more.

Handed considering private schools. If your DC is doing IGCSE then you may well find that it's only private schools which offer them across all subjects. Also, private schools will accept applications from overseas, and you could have a place sorted for him to start as soon as you're back. So there are objective reasons for for doing this (despite likely astronomical fees) at least for yrs10/11.

A consultant will be able to tell you more about what schools are like, and it's worth using the Good School Guide (though they write in a kind of code, so look at several entries to see what isn't said as well as what is). And using the search function here to see if your long- and short- list schools have been discussed before, or starting a thread to ask about them if you can't find a recent one.