Coming from abroad — religious/classical schooling in London?

[Traddkru]

Hi there, we are a Danish/Russian (I'm Danish, my husband is Russian) family who is making a one year move from Moscow to London because my husband has been reassigned temporarily in the journalism field.

My children are used to a much different environment than this UK and I would like to shock them at little as possible. We have twin 14 year old boys, a 9 year old daughter, a 7 year old son and I am expecting another child in half a year.

My 14 year old's go to a gymnasium where in addition to normal studies they have religious (Orthodox Christian) studies and they study the classics — Greek and Latin language and my younger two go to an Orthodox Christian primary school,

It would be absolutely ideal if I could get them all into similar situations, but I think we can forego Latin and Greek for the year and get private lessons however I think that getting educated in a school that imparts the values of our faith is paramount.

I see that everywhere in London there are Anglican and Roman Catholic schools, but I'm wondering if there are any Orthodox schools? We are willing to pay for them.

Thank you.

You will have a big problem.
At 14 in all (pretty much every school) in the U.K., state and private, students are studying for externally examined subjects in a two year curriculum. It is a very difficult time to introduce a student for just one year.
Your best chance would be to search for an international school which just studies International Baccalaureate, most also do GCSE at 16 as well as IB at 18.
However in my experience such schools are less likely to offer Latin and Greek, both of which are quite common at other private schools and Latin is available at a number of State schools.

RE is a pretty mainstream subject but involves the study of more than one religion, even in say a Catholic school. I don't believe there are any Orrhodox schools in the U.K.

You might find an education consultant helpful: the gabbitas trust or good schools guide are reputable sources.

The is a Greek Orthodox secondary (high) school in Noryh London. I have no experience of this, other than being aware of its existence. I don't know if Greek a d Russian Orthodox are similar, I certainly mean no offence if they aren't.

Mummy time means well, but she is wrong, perhaps she has forgotten that the UK allows for the establishment of faith schools.

There is one school that meets ALL your criteria: a Greek Orthodox Church in London. It is called St Andrew the Apostle Greek Orthodox School. Most wonderfully for you, it offers Classics, Greek and Latin. In addition, it is a school with an outstanding rank according to Ofsted, and as a relatively new school it does not appear to be oversubscribed.

You will need to go through the admissions process, but as a faith school, they are committed to taking at least 50% of children from a Greek Orthodox background.

This website explains it all. Good luck! I have a nephew at a Greek Orthodox school outside the UK, and I can't tell you how much he is thriving! Lovely people!

www.standrewtheapostle.org.uk

Oh that's lovely, the school daemon talks about is the one I was meaning.

However, surely such a school will have a waiting list and won't meet the needs of the younger children?

Nothing useful to add - but I may just hover here and look at the world.

And wave to Daemon! Lovely to see your name (especially) on a schools thread. (We "met" on another such a few years ago when I was new here and bearing a different name.)

Hello Grauch !! Lovely to see you, I think I know who you are :) Hope the boy is doing well!

Also, if your husband is transferring for just one year couldn't you just stay home and he fly back and fourth? To me this makes more sense then uprooting all four kids from their schools now! It's just a year. Or I would tell my husband to turn down that assignment. It's an awful lot of change for just one year w four kids and baby on the way. Too stressful.

That is actually a spectacularly good point Mamabear. (Though it might not accord at all with what the OP and her family want ...)

It does seem hardly worth the effort to move schools and homes and medical care just for a few months. Might it be a better experience just to spend the holidays here?

I would stay put, and come over here to join your DH during the school holidays.

It could be very disruptive for your 14 year old, who will presumably take exams soon? And friendships are so important for teens.

Do they all speak English?

I agree that it's too much disruption to your children's education for a one year job. You also have some very specific and difficult to find requirements. Do your children speak English?

Does your DH have to take the job?