Moving from US to UK with 14-year-old

[Geezmom]

I will be moving to the Maida Vale area next month with my 14-year-old son and I'm looking into schools for him. I'd like to get him into a State school because I can't afford private. Does anyone know what the requirements are to get him into a State school and how I go about finding the best school once I know my permanent post code? Thanks!!

You would have to go via your local authority. If you are in Maida Vale that will probably be Westminster. You fill in a form listing schools in order of preference, if the schools are full, your DC can go on the waiting list, you can appeal against the decision not to grant your child a place. Priority is normally given to those nearest the school, but Catholic/Church of England schools have different criteria. To be honest most good schools in central London have waiting lists for all years, so you may be allocated a place at an undersubscribed school further away.

I live in the area, my children are younger so have no direct knowledge of the secondary sector.

Here is the link to the Dept for Education performance tables for Westminster Secondaries. The key measures to look at are GCSE's A-C inc English and Maths (the section not including equivalents). Probably the best two near you are Paddington Academy and Quentin Kynaston.

www.education.gov.uk/cgi-bin/schools/performance/group.pl?qtype=LA&no=213&superview=sec

Info on Westminster's in-year admissions
www.westminster.gov.uk/services/educationandlearning/schoolsandcolleges/schooladmissions/inyear

Without wishing to be negative this is an appalling age to enter the English education system as public exams start in year10 and continue ad infinitum until year 13.The English system is not based on continual assessment at all so it will be quite difficult.

If your ds will be 15 before September he will at least go into Yr 10 which will give him 2 years until most of the exams ,if 15 before September he will go straight into the exam year.

There are schools which follow the US curriculum however I think they are mostly independent.

Sorry if he is 15 after Sept he will go into year10 ,

outtolunchagain

If he's not 16 when he arrives, then he will effectively have to go into Year 10 (normally for 14-15 year olds) anyway. GCSE courses are two years long, and you can't come in part way through, because you will have missed a lot of work, including coursework.

But state schools will not allow him to be out of year because there are funding issues,plus it is just not the policy of English schools for children to be out if year

One of my children attends a state school in a neighbouring borough. They take children in year 10, even year 11 although they start GCSE exams from year 9 onwards. OP should not worry too much about exams, they will make provision for him and she can discuss it with the school when he starts.

On the other hand if he arrives in the next few weeks he will probably go into year 9 (assuming he's not 15 till September onwards) which will be fine although his gives option choices maybe more limited by time tabling.

He'll be fine. London schools have plenty of experience of helping students entering the English system from overseas.

First thing to do op is to get onto the council's website; chaz posted the link upthread.

Also should add that although the league tables can be informative, they're not the be all and end all. A school with an "easy" intake will find it easier to top the tables than one with a less easy intake; it doesn't mean it's a better school or the best choice for your own son.

I would say that neither Paddington Academy nor QK have an easy intake. Although they are close to Maida Vale both serve areas that are deprived

PA has
82% English as a second language
53% Free School Meals

QK its
74% ESL
51% FSM

So both schools are doing well.

OP - don't be put off by the high ESL figures for these schools. This reflects the local community and actually the children will have normal English language skills (after 7 years in primary), it may just be that they don't speak English in the home.

Their results are comparable to those at my local schools where FSM is 10% tops, and ESL infinitesimal. Some great teaching going on, clearly :)