Please tell me everything you know about the Scottish school system

[Tinofcurses]

We're planning on moving back to Scotland (most likely Glasgow) at the end of 2020 from NZ. Ds will be 16.5 and will need to somehow slot into the school system in early 2021.

He will have completed year 11 at high school here, which is maybe equivalent-ish to S4?

Longer term, ds currently wants to go to uni in Scotland and study engineering, so whatever he does at school will need to be able to lead to that.

Can anyone explain how the system works? And what the options might be for ds?

Pretty clueless right now, but at least I've given myself plenty of time to plan!

Best to ask in the Scotsnet topic as you'll get more responses there (including from Scottish teachers).

To confirm one question: S4 is the equivalent of Y11. Are you planning on him jumping forward or backwards 6 months? I'd recommend backwards as it gives him time to adjust to the different curriculum. The Scottish students will have sat their Nat 5s at the end of S4 and will be starting in their Highers. There is more flexibility in the Scottish system for him to play around with subject/level combinations.

I went to NZ aged 13.5 (October of S2) and jumped "forward" 6 months. Spent 6 months catching up (but I'm clever ), then had another 18 months of being at the same level of my classmates. But after 2 years (not long before the exams), we cane back to Scotland. I "went back" 6 months, to my original class (and the original school ), 6 months before the "O" Grades (shows how long ago it was ). I never did work out how I had to "catch up" both times (but primarily because of differences in curricula: I got to know "Hamlet" really well as I ended up studying it for 3 years in a row - the middle year on my own as they'd already "done" Macbeth in class for the "O" grades)

But that was a loooong time ago. Any idea where in Glasgow you're likely to end up.

so s4 kids do nationals probably national5s. the number they csn do varies from region 6 to 9 subjects.
then s5 proabbaly higher but can do nationals usally 5 or 6 highers.
Those count for uni.
strathclyde uni is big on enhineering and runs a summer school.for school.kids

Thanks both. I'll also ask in the Scotnet topic.

I think going back half a year would be easier than trying to catch up. Ds is clever, but it'd be better to be able to concentrate on making friends, getting to know the city etc.

Not sure where we'll end up. Hopefully somewhere fairly central with a good, non-catholic, school and somewhere to buy a decent coffee