Join school mid-cycle

[tchris]

Please share if your child joined a strong school to year 11 without GCSE previous studies, especially from abroad. Was it possible not to sit for GCSE exams? and just use internal assessment to move to A levels?

I would look at joining at the start of Y10, and sitting the 2 year course.
Not sitting GCSEs will cause issues later if they stay in the uk.

If you do start at Y11, you need to think very hard about what exams to sit - English language, maths, and the subjects they would like for A level would be my suggestion.

I completley agree with @DongDingBell.

DS(16) has just finished his GCSE exams. Any onward training or study requires passes in English Lang and Maths at the very least. For A levels (we've looked at 4 possible schools/colleges) its 5 GCSE passes, including Maths, Eng Lang, Eng Lit and potential A level subjects.

Even if you did find a school with a sixth form to take him for A levels based on internal assessment, he still wouldn't have that broad foundation of subjects at GCSE level, that universities and employers look for. Students only take 3 or 4 subjects at A level.

Also, as GCSE courses are taught over 2 years, internal assessment
would only be based on half the course.

I'm assuming you have 15yo (year 10) and are coming to the UK from abroad.

The policy my dc's school would have would be to drop a year and start year 10 again. It's generally worked out well, although there would be the disadvantage that they would have to fit their options round where there is space so they won't necessarily get their first choices.

I would imagine the school would require the child to start GCSEs. The assessments wouldn't be proof of their ability and there's no way the child would be allowed to just move on and complete A-levels as they wouldn't have the required knowledge.

Can I ask why you're moving at this stage? Is it not a better idea to stay where you are until the child has completed some qualifications? Having no qualifications at all would hugely impact this child future.

Most level 3 (A level equivalent) courses and apprenticeships etc require a minimum number of gcse or equivalent to enter. You can take level 2 courses in year 12 which tend to be more vocational subjects but those normally attract students who failed to meet gcse standard and are resitting English and Maths as required to be in education or training until 18. Even later job specs usually specify English and Maths passes.

Edited to delete - wrong thread!