Relocating to Cambridge, UK from California, USA

[PPanchal]

Hi All,

We are relocating to Cambridge, UK from California in Aug 2018.

I have a 15 year old son who has just finished 9th Grade in California from an independent school. Am looking for a "good" 10th Grade school for him.

Have heard and read about Parkside, Chesterton, Perse etc.

Any advice would be very helpful,
Thanks,
PP

Best wishes with you move! Any of the schools you mentioned are fine and which one you should go for depends on where you'll live and when you'll have an address (I believe having an address is a precondition for applying to a state school, i.e. Parkside and Chesterton, but not for applying to a private school, i.e. Perse). I don't think there are any schools in Cambridge that anyone would advise you to stay away from. It all depends on other factors such as location, your budget, etc.

Where are you moving to in Cambridge?

I think our year groups are out of alignment and you might be looking at year 11 (our youngsters turn 16 during year 11) though if you can get a school to take him in year 10 (the children born between 1st Sept 2003 and 31st August 2004) out of cohort that would be easier as they start the 2 year preparation for our national exams, GCSEs in year 10 and joining year 11 will mean he's missed some of the teaching of the curriculum.

Yes he needs to find a school which will accept him into year 10.

A little outside Cambridge, but Comberton Village College also worth considering.

They don't have 10th grade here... he'd be the age to go into year11 and the govt. schools don't like to ever put any kid out of their age group, so you've got a barrier right away in that he hasn't covered the material already covered for end of yr11 exams.

The school system here is designed to be extremely inflexible with regard to transfers between schools from about age 14 onwards. Even transferring between universities is almost unheard of.

Unless you go for fee-paying school you might find it a juggle.
Some other folk will be along to try to explain better.

Hi OP. If you're used to paying fees you might be best off going private and putting your son into year 10 so he doesn't have to take public exams next June having covered only half the curriculum. State schools would not be able to do this. However, if you're only staying a year or two I guess it might not really matter how he does in his GCSEs if you are then going back to an American high school from which he can graduate. How long are you planning on staying? Do you know yet where you'll be living? You can't really 'choose' a state school. You have to apply once you have an address and you're much more likely to be given your nearest school if there is space, or the nearest school with a space. That said, not many people move after the start of year 10 because of the GCSE curriculum so you might find your preferred school does have a space anyway if anyone left at the start of year 10. There aren't any really bad secondaries in and around Cambridge, to be honest. Some are better than others but much comes down to the individual child.

Hi I'm moving to Cambridge this September I currently have my daughter into either Colville or Queen Emma what are local mu's thoughts on these too schools please - any guidance would be appreciated?

Many Thanks