Moving back to Scotland this / next summer Qu re Schools?

[OldLace]

After 6 years away, I'm moving back to Scotland, either this summer (unlikely) or next (v likely)

My oldest is due to sit GCSE's next summer (Sept bday)
So, what year would he go into in the Scottish system?
Would having a house in the village of a High School guarantee him a place / a place in 6th form?
I also have a 12 year old (July bday)
What year would she go into, and would she start to select subjects at that stage?
I appreciate that it is not ideal to move them, but it cannot be helped.
If I can string it out to next summer would that be better than now?

Grateful for any info / advice - thanks.

Exams in Scotland are done April-June

At my daughters school they move year groups in May currently she is an S4student (2004 born )and was due to sither Nat 5’s .

She was due to begin her higher course work in May and sit the exam this time next year

If I’m correct GSCE are the same as our Nat 5’s so he would go into S4

If your other child is 13 in July they will go into second year

Hope this helps

You havent given the age of your older child. Think your younger would be going into 2nd year (S2). My ds chose subjects at the end of S2

And you normally go to your catchment school but can do a placing request to a different one. You stay at the same secondary school from S1-S6

Yep you will have to go to the school in your catchment area
Placing requests for other schools are submitted by the parents from December and decision given out in April
Just done this for my son

Depends if there is places at the school. Your oldest will go into 4th year in August (assuming they are turning 15 in September) and will sit Nat 5s around May 2021. The 12 year old would be two years below ie 2nd year assuming they are currently 12 and turning 13 in July.
Subject choices vary from area to area and may depend on timetabling. For instance in DS's school you had to choose one choice out of Geography, history and modern studies and had to do French, English and Maths. Some schools you have to do Nat 5 PE etc.

You might want to consider moving before next summer, as some schools "move up" ie start the new school year at the end of May, and do a month of the curriculum before the summer holidays. They do this because the national exams are April/May and so for the older children the time between then and the end of term was dead time, which is now often utilised more productively by them moving up into their new classes before the summer.

Do not assume that the school year starts in August.

When we moved from England to Scotland, we did so in time for our DD to join the school at the beginning of June, when all the other children began their new classes.

He is 16 at end of Sept this year.

When we left Scotland ds was in primary but had repeated P1, due to SEN, and it was verbally agreed (when I phoned to ask a year ago as I was hoping to come back then that he could return to the same year group he left ie 1 year below) Sadly, I wasn't able to move back then, and now Schools are shut and I dont want to bother them with Qu's

I am at a loss whether it would be better for him to try to finish his GCSE's here in England (sitting them summer 2021) so presumably too late to join in the moving up at that end of that Scottish term?

Or, to move this summer (prob impossible logistically) and he'd either catch in to the beginning of standard grades year (if they allowed it) or what?

I'd be happy with the School in the village. I know you have a right to a place if you have a house there at the beginning of P1 and S1 but I didnt know if that counted later on / for 6th form (Highers?)

Hope this makes sense, sorry?!

If he started this year he'd be due to start S5 I think which would be Highers he'd be sitting. Nat5s (gcse type exams) are sat at the end of S4 after studying in S3 And S4

He'd have a choice as to which year he would go in to (S4 as one of the middle "age" in the year or S5 as very much the oldest) - but if he were due to go into Y11 (GCSE year), I'd definitely go into S4 (Nat 5 year), which also gives him a chance to catch up with the different curriculum.

Is your 12 year old 12 now or 12 in July? A July birthday is easier as there is no overlap between the different cut-offs. All the would happen is that your dd would go from being one of the youngest in Y8 at the moment (? if that's what she's in now), going into Y9 in September, to one of the older ones in S1 (going into S2 in August).

Schools vary as to when they choose their Nat 5s. Some do it during S2, ready to start the new timetable end May/June. Others do it in S3 (again, ready to start the new timetable end May/June, ie ready to get it started before the summer holidays).

Dd (16) chose hers at end of 3rd year whereas ds (13) has just chosen his and is currently towards the end of 2nd year (same school).

Dd is currently Y8 and will be 13 on 20th July.

S5 would DEFO be the better year for Ds to go into (16 end Sept this year) as he is Dyslexic and Austistic and has quite a lot of executive function difficulties (huge problems with organisation, gets lost a lot etc

Do you not mean S4 would be better? They normally sit exams at the end of S4 (Nat5s) and then highers at the end of S5

We don’t have 6th form like they do in England.

You'll also need to bear in mind that content for GCSE is likely very different from Nat 4/5s and so he may find he has gaps for starting Highers. Given his SEN, I do think you need to talk to someone at the school or the local council, to get a steer from them on year groups etc. I'm sure it will be the same as teachers in England that are still working, just not in school very often. It may take a little longer than usual to get back to you, but it will be the only way to get a proper answer for the exact school you have in mind.

dementedpixie yes, I did mean S4, sorry!

OnlyJudyCanJudgeMe thanks, that's helpful to know.
I guess that is what i am trying to grasp. At present, he is sitting in the correct chronological year and in the first year of his GCSE's (at a really awful English Academy School - v poor facilities, academically, and badly bullied) He doesnt want to stay for 6th form there, so he wants to move next summer whatever.

As his sibling would follow him there this year (from her middle school) and I dont think it would be right for her either, I am was hoping to ask about jumping across this Easter, but obvs, I havent been able to get any reply from anyone (no one is answering any phones right now)

I think if he had the chance to do Standard then Higher grades in Scotland (do you have to get #enough decent standard grades to be admitted to Highers, like 6th form in England?) then that might be much better for him (and later her, who has the same issues, ie ASD and Dyslexia)

There are no standard grades any longer, it's National 4s and 5s you sit.
If your son is turning 15 this September he would be going into S4 currently and S5 next May

If he'd been in Scotland all the way through, he would indeed by going into S5 in September. But because he's in England, he's currently in Y10 and would be going in to Y11 (equivalent of S4) in September (as one of the oldest in his year).

Especially given that the OP says that he has some SEN, it would make sense for him to go into S4 (equivalent of Y11) and then sit his Nat 5s next April/May otherwise he'd miss the chance to sit any formal exams before his Highers.

My ds' birthday is mid September and he was in the the younger half of the year (because of December to February deferrals). I have an English friend whose ds' birthday is 2 days later - but he was in the year below in England as one of the oldest in his year.

Technically, your ds would be within his rights to go into S4 (as his birthday is after mid August) - but he would end up being very much one of the oldest in the year (deferrals are usually only November to February). Socially that might be an issue - but organisationally, you seem to be suggesting that he's a little immature anyway.

Just as reassurance, because schools go all the way through from S1 to S6, it isn't a case of being "allowed" to stay on. The school would advise on what combination of Nat 5s (either new or resits) and Highers (either continuing on Nat 5s or Crash Highers) he should sit in S5 - assuming he's done S4 and sat some exams. It would actually make things more difficult if he misses both his GCSEs and his Nat 5s.