Moving to UK state system at Y10/11/12

[drspouse]

I have a friend who knows nothing about the UK secondary system, but who may be posted to the UK for a couple of years with two DCs of secondary age.
Both are bright and the older one is a year ahead at home.
The younger one would be going into Y9. I'm assuming that any school near enough with spaces has to take them?
Do they have to let them do GCSEs in subjects they want? Can they insist on pre-testing e.g. passing their own setting exam in Y9 to do the GCSE?
With Y12, the older DC will I think have done the 16y qualification in their own country (and actually some university level science courses) - will sixth forms consider non-GCSE courses to start A levels?
Would rather not give more details but we are in an average sized town, a range of schools, but no private provision at all.

Yes any school with a space that is near enough will have to take the year9. They won't guarantee GCSE subjects. Sixth forms should be able to look up equivalent qualifications for A level entry- however the older one will be a problem if he's out of year. State school or college unlikely to put him into an older year group, and college provision for pre-year 12 is vocational only. She might have no choice but private fornthe older one.

Do they have to let them do GCSEs in subjects they want?

They will have to do Maths, English Language, English Literature and Science (either a double award which is worth 2 GCSEs or a triple award which is worth 3).
So that's 5-6 GCSEs.

Many schools also require students to do a GCSE in a modern foreign language. This will be the language that they have been studying since the age of 11 or 12.

Many schools also require students to do a GCSE in a humanity of their choice (History, Geography etc).

These would take the total up to 7-8 GCSEs.

Students would usually then get to choose a couple of optional subjects. In some schools the list of possible subjects is restricted by timetable constraints.

If the older teenager will be 16 years old on 31 August, then he will be in the correct age group to start Y12 at the beginning of September in a state school sixth form or FE college. However, each sixth form & FE college has entry requirements for their courses (based on GCSE grades) and I'm not sure how flexible they would be with accepting equivalent courses from abroad.

If he is academically able and will not be coming here for another two years, it might be worth him self-studying for a few GCSEs before he comes to the UK, especially in Maths, English Language and Science. The iGCSEs offered by CIE (Cambridge exam board) can be taken by international students; for example students in India and Singapore take them. They are also used by home educated students. The Science courses have an 'Alternative to Practical' paper instead of observed and assessed practical exams.

The specification for each iGCSE course, as well as past papers and mark schemes, can be downloaded from the CIE website for free. The textbooks are available from online bookstores.

Oh that's a good idea about self study iGCSEs. I'll suggest that.

They would ace a GCSE in their native language (before they came for the older one/while here as an independent student for the younger) though for the younger one it wouldn't be a language taught in UK schools. They have intensive English in their home country but it may not be enough for iGCSE independently.

The older one may be able to stay at school in their home country and live with family, with the odd weekend visit as it's not too far. So the question is probably more crucial for the younger one.

Most schools can still arrange for a child who speak a native language to take the gcse in their language even though they are not taught it at school I understand.

Good to know!

My sons' sixth form took their friend who had been home educated. He is doing fine in A levels I think without GCSEs although he may have done a few of them at home. Their school also has one boy in their class, another friend of theirs, who came over from India at 16 with his whole family and he has gone straight into lower sixth to do A levels over 2 years. Again no GCSEs although he will have the equivalent in the homeland.

Is English their first language? If not they could do with spending a year studying with some form of ESOL input. No matter how clever they are in their own education system the techniques and intricacies of another education system will impact on exam performance.

Years 10,11,12 or 13 are not a good time to move to the English education system.

Each educational institution will have different rules at post 16, asking for general input may not help. You need to ask the specific institution they may attend.

Again, depending on prior education A levels may not be the best bet. Doing an exam based qualification in a second language is very difficult.