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Secondary education

Connect with other parents whose children are starting secondary school on this forum.

Original poster

Telling school we are moving abroad

57 replies

taylorsweet · 02/07/2018 08:10

My daughter is in Year 8 in her Secondary School and I am about to tell them we are relocating to South America.

I need to request her records from the school which I can pass to the new school but just read online that she needs to be enrolled in the new school within 12 weeks of leaving UK otherwise she will be treated as a child missing education. She would be going to a private school but she needs a few months first to study the new language before joining school so I am a bit worried. Has anyone had any such experience? She is also a citizen of the new country we are moving too so she has double citizenship. Why so many rules and regulations? My plan was for her to study the language for at least 6 months and then join school.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks

OP posts:
Halfblindbunny · 02/07/2018 08:15

She will be in education if she is enrolled in a language school surely? Or do you plan to home school her in the language?

Original poster
taylorsweet · 02/07/2018 08:17

Well my plan was to get a private tutor to come home every day and teach her intensively. She has basic grasp of the language but needs to learn more before she can join school.

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SoupDragon · 02/07/2018 08:29

Isn’t that effectively home schooling then?

DunesOfSand · 02/07/2018 08:33

I think we just told them we were leaving the country. Don't remember a requirement to prove a new school.
Good luck.

Original poster
taylorsweet · 02/07/2018 08:35

SoupDragon....good point! In a way yes but she is only studying the language and not all other subjects. Also are you allowed to home school your child outside UK? We are moving to Brazil and in Brazil there is no such thing as home schooling. I am in touch with 3 private schools and will choose one of them but thought I'd give her some time to learn the language and then join. All very confusing

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Original poster
taylorsweet · 02/07/2018 08:36

The thing is my daughter is British and Brazilian so she is a citizen of both countries. I just wonder whether we have to to follow UK rules or Brazilian education rules?

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Original poster
taylorsweet · 02/07/2018 08:38

DunesOfSand thank you ! I thought the same but my husband (who is Brazilian) says that the school in Brazil require her school records from here. The school says they will provide the records but want details about the new school and they need confirmation she has enrolled within 12 weeks

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viques · 02/07/2018 08:43

I would get her enrolled in school as soon as you can and forget about the tutor. At,her age she needs to be making friends and her language skills will improve far more by hearing language used at at school than being 1-1 with a tutor. By all means get someone in at the weekend to work on written skills and grammar but poor girl, can you imagine what being 1-1 with someone everyday is like? Very stressful, intense and not very productive. I would also get hold of some films /songs in the language if you haven't already got them and play those now before you go, you have to tune into a language before you start to hear it

Homebird8 · 02/07/2018 08:46

When we moved to NZ I asked the UK school what forms I needed to fill in and they said there weren’t any. I couldn’t take the DCs out of school for a day without it being unjustified but I could take them out of the country forever without there being any process for it.

In the end I wrote a letter to the school explaining so that there was a paper trail in case I ever needed to explain to anyone. I didn’t have to prove the DCs were to be educated in NZ. And they only had British citizenship.

It’s possible that there are now rules that weren’t in existence in 2011 but if the child is resident in another country I would think that the UK can’t expect to have a handle on what is going on. They don’t with children in the UK who are home educated after all. Who told you that you needed to give the UK this proof, and who in the UK is it you are told to give it to?

SoupDragon · 02/07/2018 08:47

Have you explained it to the current school? I think the term for “home schooling” used to be “educated otherwise” or something, indicating that they were receiving an education outside of a traditional school setting. You could always claim you were educating her in other subjects.

Homebird8 · 02/07/2018 08:52

As far as school records are concerned I asked the UK school to provide some and they said to take the DCs exercise books. The new school in NZ said they preferred to make their own assessment as the DCs settled in and wouldn’t even look at the books. They certainly didn’t want reports and records from the UK school.

I got medical records printed out in the UK and gave them to the new GP in NZ. If I could do that then a school should be able to hand over any records to you as a parent to be handed on or not as necessary.
Probably just the school not knowing what to do in the circumstances and making it up as they go along.

Original poster
taylorsweet · 02/07/2018 09:01

Thank you all for the replies. The school seems to require this proof. I will have to explain the situation and yes I appreciate it will be intense one on one tuition but this will only be for a few months. She will start as soon as possible.

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Original poster
taylorsweet · 02/07/2018 09:14

Homebird8 I think you are probably right and they are making this up. I will need to speak with them again and explain.

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Homebird8 · 02/07/2018 09:16

Presumably the Brazilian school system is not the same as the British one. Your DDs records may not be necessary or useful to the new school whenever you enrol her. Go without the records and then request them from the old school when or if you need them.

Homebird8 · 02/07/2018 09:17

Nobody is going to stop you at the airport and ask if you have full education records on your person for your DD Grin

Homebird8 · 02/07/2018 09:18

We didn’t find a new school for our DCs until we arrived in NZ so it wouldn’t have been possible to provide details on leaving the UK.

user1499173618 · 02/07/2018 09:24

I don’t think the UK government has jurisdiction over British children who have permanently relocated abroad. The rules of the host country will apply to your DD’s education in future, especially since she is a citizen of her new country. You do need to make sure that you are not falling foul of Brazilian legislation. Unfortunately it is not just up to you to do what you feel is best for your DD.

TeenTimesTwo · 02/07/2018 09:25

I suspect this rule is in place to stop overseas forced/underage marriages for UK girls, particularly in India/Pakistan etc. So showing proof of the whole family upping sticks and moving will quite probably satisfy UK paperwork bods.

user1499173618 · 02/07/2018 09:28

I agree with Teen. I also suspect the rule is unenforceable.

Homebird8 · 02/07/2018 09:29

showing proof of the whole family upping sticks and moving will quite probably satisfy UK paperwork bods

Not sure how you could even do that.

user1499173618 · 02/07/2018 09:30

I also think your DD should start her new school immediately, with after school support from a tutor. She will adjust much faster and better than if you tutor her at home for a few months.

TeenTimesTwo · 02/07/2018 09:33

I was thinking about one way tickets, rental agreement termination / house sale / house renting out agreement / job offer in new location etc.

They aren't going to a country 'at risk' of forced marriages. She has citizenship of Brazil. A bit of evidence to substantiate the move would satisfy many reasonable people I would think.

Homebird8 · 02/07/2018 09:36

I’d just throw her in the deep end too taylorsweet. She already has a basic grasp of the language. Immersion is going to teach her faster and she’ll make friends and settle more easily too. Let her take a look at the schools and have an input into which she prefers.

I agree that you should also find out whether you are allowed to home educate in Brazil. Don’t break the law in your new country, not a good start!

Homebird8 · 02/07/2018 09:39

I could have done the job offer and entry visas but we didn’t sell our UK house until years later and hadn’t got more than a hotel booking in NZ. I doubt school would be interested in seeing an overseas visa or hearing about my interview process.

Original poster
taylorsweet · 02/07/2018 10:04

I agree with all of you however there is only 1 problem. We are first going to arrive in a very small town (my husband's birth place) where the local school is not suitable for her. We plan to move to the bigger city which is about 40 mins drive and we will need time to find a suitable place to live there.

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