Are American kids welcome in British schools?

[Cherine]

Hello ladies,
We may be moving to Oxford from the states while I pursue doctoral studies. I have two boys, 6 and nearly 11, and I am particularly concerned for my oldest. He has finally hit his stride and doing great in school and with his friendships. I'm just wondering as to whether they will be welcomed and accepted by the other kids or be singled out for being American.
I think this would be a wonderful opportunity should it present itself for myself and the family, but I am racked a bit by concern if they were to feel isolated. Many people writing on this topic have children that are still quite young and not school age.

Any insight would be very appreciated.

Kind Regards...

I think they'd be welcomed and most probably made to feel special as they'd be "different" in a good way- most children I know think Americans eat Oreos all day long and hang out at Disneyland on their weekends!

Kids embrace most new children, there will always be one or two who feel threatened and may cause trouble, but that's not Oxford specific!

Maybe post this on the main chat board for more advice?

Hth

And happy moving!

That was hilariously funny, as my husband hid the Oreo's on the top shelf for ourselves! Thank you so much for your reply. Yes, I will figure out how to post on the main board.

Hahaha see? Your sons will be fine

Try starting a new thread here chat

All of the children I've taught of that age are always in awe of the American children a) they didn't have to wear uniform at school b) they get to go to the US for their holidays. Joking aside, lots of American children at the Independent school I taught at and making friends/settling in not even remotely an issue largely (and apologies for over-generalisation) due to being more self-confident from your way of schooling them when young. Good luck with your move!

I was going to say that no one would notice, but that is an exaggeration. However, Oxford is chock full of foreigners of various flavours, so they will hardly be out of place. I would be extremely surprised if either of your children ever participates in a class in Oxford in which all the others are British-born!

The same is not true everywhere in the country, but it is certainly true of Oxford. I live in a row of ten terraced houses, only two of which are home to families who are all British-born. (My house is not one of the two!)

And even if for some reason school doesn't work out well for either of your sons, Oxford also has a big friendly community of home educating families, so there are plenty of options.

I know this is a delay on the thread, but having taught in a number of Oxford secondary schools, I'd have to say it would depend on which school you choose and what kind of personality your child has. Bullying in the UK is rife (not unlike in some parts of the US) and some schools deal with it better than others. As the above posters said, being American will be a lovely novelty in the beginning, but this will wear off, certainly over the time of a full PhD. Also be aware that the curriculum here is likely to be very different than the American one, and again, depending on the school, there are likely to be far fewer after school activities available to help him integrate, unlike in US secondaries. As long as you can find a place in one of the good Oxford secondaries (eg Cherwell), he'll probably do very well. Look at the Ofsted reports for schools to see which schools are good; there are quite a few underperforming secondaries in Oxford, I'm afraid. The local independent schools here are fantastic but very pricey, especially if you're still studying. Pm me if you want to discuss further.

Hello Oxford Mumsnetters… I'm trying to organise a get-together with my Mum's family for her birthday and Oxfordshire is the midpoint between us all. But I don't know the area well and would really appreciate some local advice. What we're looking for is an indoor venue where we can bring our own food but has some outside space (preferably a park with some things to do). I tried the Cotswold Wildlife Park as a friend recommended, but they no longer hire out rooms in this way.

Can anyone help?

Sorry, I just realised I posted on your thread instead of starting my own