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Newbies' corner

American mum relocating to Harrogate... HELP!

48 replies

halfpintmama · 28/12/2018 14:23

Hi! We just received word from my husband’s company that he has been approved for a position in the UK and we are to start the visa process. This has been almost a year in the works since he was sent to Harrogate for three weeks back in January... but now that it’s becoming a reality, my head is spinning! My knowledge of England in general is limited and now I’m moving our family of four (DD-11, DS-7) across the pond. So please, HELP! 1st order of business... best areas to live in Harrogate and best schools? How can I tell if it’s a free school or something we have to pay for? In America those are public va private schools.. same in England? Looking for public! TIA!

P.S. I’m American, never been to England and never use these online chats so please be gentle with the abbreviations and slang... I promise I’ll get the hang of it eventually 😭

OP posts:
HarryG8 · 28/12/2018 21:41

Sorry - re=read more carefully. Baptised Lutheran. Oh well.

location2016 · 29/12/2018 18:40

This reply has been deleted

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HarryG8 · 29/12/2018 18:53

@location2016

it sounds a little like you are advertising your business here. You know that's not OK here, don't you?

Tartyflette · 29/12/2018 19:03

Would a Lutheran church be somewhat like the United Reform Church here?
The URC came about when the Methodists and Congregationalists joined together.
They’re not as ‘high church’ as the Church of England, which is roughly equivalent to the Episcopalian church in the US, I think.

Tartyflette · 29/12/2018 19:05

But I’m sure whatever church you choose will be absolutely delighted to welcome you as new members.

halfpintmama · 29/12/2018 21:42

@tartyflette The Lutheran Church here is in full communion with the Reformed Church, the Methodists, and the Episcopal Church, but have a very close relationship with the Episcopal Church. It’s not uncommon to find mixed congregations where there are smaller populations. I could probably go to either but I prefer the “high church” found at the more traditional Lutheran churches instead of the contemporary services. We will just have to “shop around” and find the right fit when we get there. Thanks!!!

OP posts:
Tartyflette · 30/12/2018 11:01

Sounds like the C of E might suit you, they can vary quite widely.
And Harrogate is a lovely town, I hope you'll be very happy there. Smile

nothingwittyhere · 30/12/2018 11:14

Maybe look around Cold Bath Road area. It's the other side of the Stray but still easily walkable to the centre, the station and Harrogate Grammar. Lots of residential property off a nice shopping street (of the more practical sort with bakers, grocers, cafes, etc. I'd live there if I could afford Harrogate! Will you be renting?

ErrolTheDragon · 30/12/2018 11:20

The URC came about when the Methodists and Congregationalists joined together.

Presbyterian and Congregationalists, not Methodists. But most of the mainstream churches in the U.K. have friendly ecumenical relationships, you'll be very likely to find either a CofE or other Protestant church that you feel at home in and I don't think they'll be bothered about your exact denomination. May be a different matter if you're looking at 'faith schools' - state schools for which one of the admissions criteria is often based on attending a particular church for a minimum period. If they're oversubscribed then incomers may find this puts them at a disadvantage, unfortunately.

sashh · 30/12/2018 11:34

If you are on a US base or linked you might have access to a US school on base, useful if you are only going to be here a couple of years.

If you are looking at state schools, well catchents ae quite loose these days so you will be looking for where has a place as these are in year admissions.

Virtually every UK school has a uniform, some stricter than others, the rules vary between schools and can be down right daft.

Your 11 year old will be in secondary school (high school).

Do you know how long you will be in the UK? The main school exams are taken at age 16 and are called GCSEs, students normally take 8-10 subjects and these are roughly, very roughly equivalent to a high school diploma and accepted by US universities.

To get into a UK university you need two further years study either at A Level or BTEC, A levels are taken in 3 or 4 subjects, BTEC level 3 is a selection of units in a single broad subject.

So the big difference is that UK schools specialise early, the GCSE course work starts in year 9, or year 10 at the latest, the grade depends, for most subjects, on a final exam taken in May or June of year 11, some have some course work but this only counts for a small % of the final grade.

Re the church going, the only subject that is compulsory in English schools is RE, and the law says schools need to have an act of 'daily worship' this varies between schools, some basically ignore the law on worship, others (usually RC or other faith schools) take it more seriously.

Both your children will learn about Christianity and at least one other faith, most schools do a wide look at world regions.

IN the UK it is not common to ask people what church they attend, we tend to think that's a private business, there is a saying that having a faith is like having a penis, it's fine to have one, but it isn't polite to wave it around in public.

and that the first floor really means the second floor not the ground floor like it does here

No the US is wrong on this one, the rest of the world has a ground, first, second etc.

Some words to watch out for, 'fanny' is not your butt, it is a vagina, fanny packs are bum bags.
A rubber is an eraser, don't be surprised if your younger child asks you if you have one.
What we call chips are what you call fries, what you call chips are crisps.
A bang has a number of meanings, one sexual, if your hair is in bangs it is a fringe.
Suspenders are ladies underwear, braces are what hold trousers up.

If you order coffee or tea it will have milk in it unless you ask for 'black' coffee or tea. BTW Betty's tearooms is a must for a decent cuppa.

ErrolTheDragon · 30/12/2018 11:40

Suspenders are ladies underwear, braces are what hold trousers up.

Pants and vests are also underwear, and we walk on the pavement. (Well, we walk all over the place)

Hoppinggreen · 30/12/2018 11:48

Yes don’t get suspenders/braces mixed up
Am American friend told me she quite liked her blind dates sense of style because he turned up in bright red suspenders!
And pissed isn’t annoyed it’s drunk here

Carolcool · 30/12/2018 12:02

Fascinating link @BiscuitDrama

Tartyflette · 01/01/2019 21:15

Yes, very important distinction to remember re between pissed and pissed off!.
The first is drunk, nothing else, and the second is irritated or annoyed.

whitefish8 · 06/01/2019 15:40

Well best of luck. People are nice. Free schools are state schools and there are also religious schools: church of england, catholic, jewish and muslim - all free or voluntary aided (as well as private religious ones). I think Harrogate is a pretty nice area (but I am from Wisconsin and have only lived in London since 1983). Education system is different but you will figure it out by the time your children are in secondary school (high school). I found I made great friends for life from dropping my kids off at nursery school. Still best friends.

Best of luck.

lljkk · 06/01/2019 15:47

When do you expect to arrive in Harrogate, HalfpintM?

KissingInTheRain · 06/01/2019 15:54

If you’re in a sunny part of the US prepare for chilly weather. And plenty of rain.

ErrolTheDragon · 06/01/2019 16:18

But if you're from a part of the US that's cold in winter, not that cold (I lived in PA for a couple of years and got caught out because we were told it didn't often get below zero and I had no idea they meant Fahrenheit not Celsius!Grin Britain has variable weather rather than a predictable climate but rarely too extreme.

azulmariposa · 06/01/2019 16:53

Make sure you pronounce Yorkshire correctly 😂
It's York-sheer not York-ss-hire

If ofsted say a school is oversubscribed then it means that there are more people wanting/needing to go there than there are places. Each school has its own admission guidelines and usually if you live out of the catchment area you are lucky if you get a place.

And how lucky you are, what a beautiful part of the country you are moving to. The North Yorkshire moors are lovely and the coast there is really nice.

Haffdonga · 06/01/2019 17:03

Id say it's pronounced York-sha not York-sheer with the stress on the first syllable, Azul. Smile

ErrolTheDragon · 06/01/2019 17:17

The North Yorkshire moors are lovely

And the Yorkshire Dales, which are closer to Harrogate, are even lovelier, IMO. Smile

Hoppinggreen · 06/01/2019 17:22

No, don’t say Yorksheer or Yorkshyer it’s yorksha
Mind you, Harrogate is known for its Southern ways, there’s even a Waitrose for Gods Sake !!

BikeRunSki · 06/01/2019 17:32

Ah OP, was it you who posted recently about clothes for British winters?

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