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Secondary education

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

Original poster

moving schools during gcse

32 replies

kkennington · 01/10/2018 12:53

Hi my girl's currently year 10 in an international school. we've been living here since 2014. We will be moving back to Uk in this or next year. would it be okay for girls? anyone here with experience? There's no choice for us but changing school cause we can't stay in this country any more (no more visa and our jobs are moving back to Uk)

OP posts:
AlexanderHamilton · 01/10/2018 13:01

To be honest (unless you can find a private school that will let her repeat a year) moving any later than the January of Year 10 will be ctastophic for her education.

Moving at the start of Year 11 would be disastrous.

anotherangel2 · 01/10/2018 13:03

They will massively struggle. GCSE now have a larger content, some schools are moving to 3 year GCSE. GCSE content will be finished by Easter of yr11 at the very, very latest. GCSE start first week of May.

Schools use a mix of different exam board and even if by some miracle they were doing the same mixture of exam boards they maybe doing different topics. A new school may not even do the same subjects. This would obviously be much worse if they are currently doing iGCSE.

If you have to move then I would so it now.

LIZS · 01/10/2018 13:07

Is year 10 there the same as Uk? Is she doing gcses, ib or another qualification? Not many uk schools offer ib before 6th form.

AlexanderHamilton · 01/10/2018 13:09

Would starting at boarding school for two years immediately be an option financially perhaps a school near to where you will be living so they could transfer to being a day student when you move back.

Original poster
kkennington · 01/10/2018 13:12

Oh just forgot to mention but she is taking IGCSE at her school currently. and my dd also has some ap and sat scores (I still don't understand why she took it but it was mainly because you could choose AP or A-level or IB for year 12 and 13 ) Just trying to mention that she doesn't have any academic problem.
Yes I am trying to move her as soon as possible.

Maybe.... would it be possible to skip a year and have a head start of A-level?

OP posts:
Wolfiefan · 01/10/2018 13:13

Start A level without GCSE? No

AlexanderHamilton · 01/10/2018 13:15

Even the most flexible private school in the UK would not let her start A level without GCSE's or equivalent.

Original poster
kkennington · 01/10/2018 13:16

Is any of boarding schools in uk available to join now? I did ask few and they just answered me back that they don't accept year 11 students. I've got no idea to find schools that accept students entering the school in the middle of the term nor year 11

OP posts:
Stormsurfer · 01/10/2018 13:17

IGCSE is different to GCSE. The syllabus and emphasis on skills are not the same.

Original poster
kkennington · 01/10/2018 13:17

one of our thoughts is to let her take gcse as a private candidate.

OP posts:
Wolfiefan · 01/10/2018 13:18

You are going to find it really difficult to find a school that she can do the same subjects in with the same boards.

titchy · 01/10/2018 13:18

Private and starting year 10 again next year, or sending her NOW to year 10 boarding school. Otherwise she will be royally screwed.

titchy · 01/10/2018 13:19

You need to ask boarding schools about her joining year 10. You can't expect her to start anywhere in year 11.

Stormsurfer · 01/10/2018 13:20

You might be better considering having her enter boarding at her current school. That would be better for continuity. Then move her to UK for start of A Levels.

AlexanderHamilton · 01/10/2018 13:23

No, none will accept Year 11 students. You need to contact them and ask them if they will accept her immediately in Year 10 due to change of circumstances.

LIZS · 01/10/2018 13:25

She would be unlikely to start A Levels without gcses but there are one or two in dd's year who have (independent) having moved from abroad. You could probably find an exam centre for igcse but many subjects will have alternative syllabi so finding a school to match teaching wise. There are private tutoring centres who may be more accommodating or offer one year gcses.

AlexanderHamilton · 01/10/2018 13:31

If you thinki that home education is an option then it is something you could consider.

user1499173618 · 01/10/2018 13:35

Your best bet is to send your DD to school in the U.K. as a boarder right now. Start ringing round!

Original poster
kkennington · 01/10/2018 13:38

Thanks for everyone
This is just like a nightmare. The country is so weird that they won't give out student visas easily. ( so even though we find a boarding school here, my dd can't stay here.)
OR!!
does anyone now about the sixth form colleges (like csfc where they provide 1 year gcse courses). Are they okay?

OP posts:
Original poster
kkennington · 01/10/2018 13:39

The okay that i mean is that if there are any problems with school for students doing only 1 year of gcse

OP posts:
Wolfiefan · 01/10/2018 13:41

GCSEs aren’t a one year course. I would move her ASAP. Let her catch up what’s missed.

cakeisalwaystheanswer · 01/10/2018 13:42

The small differences between different exam boards and IGCSEs/GCSEs are not an issue for most subjects excepting Eng Lit and History. She will have all of Y11 to learn different question techniques, small differences in the syllabus. But the problem will be finding a school that has covered the syllabus in the same order as her current school as she doesn't want to spend Y11 repeating the topics from Y10 and ending up missing huge chunks of the syllabus.

I agree with PPs, ideally you need to leave her where she is for an extra year or she needs to move here now, either to a boarding school or to stay with family until you get back.

As a last resort somewhere like MPW may be able to help as they offer 1 year GCSE courses and I'm sure you're not the first they will have seen in this situation. It's a bit sixthformy but she sounds motivated.

www.mpw.ac.uk/locations/london/

BellBookandCandle · 01/10/2018 13:44

My DD moved from a state secondary to an international independent school at the end of Y10. She did the last half term before the summer break. It was a boarding school, but she was a day pupil so all prep was done at school and there were subject specific clinics to support struggling pupils/provide catch up sessions. Teachers were always on hand as many lived on site so there was always someone to ask if help was needed.

They could accommodate all but one subject, so she picked up history which she'd not studied since Y8. She achieved 6 Grade 9's in her GCSE subjects and 3 A's in her iGCSE subjects (one of which was history!)

It was an intense 12months and DD is a bright student who was being overlooked in state education - the onus at her state school was ensuring they pulled pupils up to Grade4 or above if they were already there, they weren't interested.

So, much depends on your DD - is she willing to work hard, give up/seriously cut back on family time/hobbies? Would she be happy at a boarding school - look for one that takes international students they are used to students coming and going.

Good luck!!

PillowOfSociety · 01/10/2018 13:45

I would put her in a UK boarding school now. Right now. Preferably one that does the same syllabus as she is currently doing. Or can one of you come back with her right now and put her in a suitable school immediately?

Or ask her current school what or where thy would suggest. Can she go into the International school in the UK? Now?

How on earth did you come to accept a job that would mean moving a child in the middle of GCSE?

Even if you find a school that does the same board / same syllabus, they may not cover it in the same order or at the same speed / over the same amount of time.

AlexanderHamilton · 01/10/2018 13:47

You weould need to contact CSFC to ask about their results. I can't imagine that trying to cram 2-3 years worth of content into a one year (two term) course is going to be easy.