independent schooling on return from o'sea q...

[Romy7]

when we get back from our next tour, dd1 will be due to start secondary. we would be tourex aug... i am wondering whether i need to think about independent schooling at this point, given the probability that we will miss the normal admissions round for secondary (won't know where we are going at that point...) and i am flapping about the likelihood of getting a decent place anywhere for her...
anyone been in this situation? what did you do?
i'm slightly less stressed about the other two as they will still be primary age (and we've been lucky so far lol) but as dd1 will have been in 5 schools already at that point, it has to be 'the one' that she will stay in... doesn't it? how on earth do you decide this?

I have worked in schools where a great many of the kids were from froces parents. The parents didnt want to be dragging the kids from school to school every time they had a new posting. The youngest I had was 5 and starting year 1 as a boarder (not my cup of tea but each to their own). I guess it is up to you to decide :
Do you want them to have some stability
Are you ok with not seeing them very often

Boarding school in my opinion is fabulous (I went and loved it but then again I was 12) and children become more independent and confident I think.
Look for schools that have a lot of forces kids. They know how to deal with the issues of parents being away, dealing with the news, blueys etc..there are some school that have burseries for forces kids too. There is one particular school in the North on England (near York) that I worked at that I WOULD NOT recommend even though they cater to forces kids.
Best of luck with the decision.

not really sure about boarding - but suspect that 2 out of 3 dcs will require stability at that point (dd1 will be yr 7 and dd2 has sn) so i suspect that dh will remain mobile and we will buy somewhere school-dependent... ideally with day and boarding facilities so we can flex as necessary...
has anyone come back from o'seas and walked into a decent secondary? it just seems a bit 'every man for himself' at that point... and how on earth do i work out where?
it just suddenly occurred to me that not only do i now need to organise for the posting, but i might need to organise for coming back as well lol...

If you are coming from overseas, independent schools are more than happy to assess your dc once you return and not during the entrance exam period which is in the Spring Term.

Generally most independent schools have spaces available, especially with the current economic climate. So try not to worry about that.

thanks nell - so it might be ok to wait until we know where dh is posted before making a decision re which independent... in that case i can see dd1 and i flying back for a few school visits... that has helped me be a little reassured that i don't have to make an immediate decision!

We are due back in UK Oct 2010, which is helpful as ds starts year 10 in Sept 2010! I am putting out feelers already for local grammars and private schools, as I need to be assured of a place and to have his options sorted asap. We are hoping however to get another appointment out here for continuity of education...it's worth trying anyway for us.

When are you due back ?. Independent schools around here are already starting to close applcations for next September, with 11+ exams in January.

not sure what happened - replied yesterday but it was obviously subsumed into the mn ether.
have plenty of time (2 years) - was just concerned that i might need to look around schools before we go, as we would return aug for sept start... but actually i think flying back with dd1 at the appropriate point to make a decision would not be unreasonable...
scaryteacher, that's really brave leaving it to yr 10! do you know where you are coming back to then?