Extremely worried!

[Annabanana6]

Hi all, first ever thread and so hope someone is able to give me some advice. We've just arrived back in the UK after living abroad for nearly 4 years. We now wish to live in the Bournemouth/Poole/Dorset areas. We need to consider a college and secondary schools for our children. Can anyone give me any ideas what so ever as a starting point. We are terrified that we have put the girls back somehow with the education they were receiving abroad. Now we need a little pointer. Please help. Anna

How old are your children?

What sort of school were your children in when you were overseas?

Was it a local curriculum, British curriculum, IB etc?

We came back to the UK with our daughters after 3 years. They were 7 and 11. There is lots of talk about how overseas education puts your DCs behind. In our experience it is rubbish. My eldest DD got into the most selective academic girls' schools in the country and my youngest was rather bored having to redo Year 3 because she had been in a school where the year ran January to January. Above all they were well ahead of their peers in terms of the stimulating experiences they had had, their openness to new ideas, language skills etc etc. There were a few narrow minded teachers pointed up gaps in knowledge ie my 7 year old didn't recognise an oak leaf (there were none where we lived ) but most International Schools are well on a par with above average state schools in this country, and universities, at least really value expat experience.

If you are coming from a local system eg USA you may find that they are behind in some things., ahead in others. Eg The US is generally better at teaching good basic skills such as how to write well whilst the UK system may have addressed areas like literary criticism that the US may not have tackled yet. It is nothing that can't be remedied with a bit of tutoring in weak areas / areas of the curriculum not covered. There are huge amounts of background information online on the curriculum studied at each stage of the British school system for comparison.

The problems will be fitting into a new teenage (?I am guessing) culture, It is very hard at a time when fitting in and not being different is particularly important in terms of development. Certainly the worst time to move a child. It might be worth getting some help with this if you can afford it. I have known families torn apart by the resulting conflict. There is plenty of advice on the internet, this background from a quick google www.expatica.co.uk/hr/story/relocating-with-teens-tips-for-expats-10457.html

I can't help with state schools in the area which I am guessing that from "school / college" is what you are after, but privately Bryanston is very popular with expats both existing and returned because it has a similar academic perspective to many International Schools. Not the most academic but a broad curriculum.

Thankyou for your replies. Anna