How to Scottish highers work for someone moving from English system?

[hoodiemum]

We are debating a move to Scotland. We have a DS doing GCSEs in England in summer 2020. His 16th birthday is April 2020. If he started in a Scottish state school in autumn 2020:

1. Would he be starting a new syllabus (like with start of A levels in England) or would he be joining the Scottish system at a bad time, with impossible amounts of catching up to do?
2. Would he be doing 5 subjects? Are any compulsory, or do you just choose your favourites?
3. Would he be able to have 2 years of school, or would it be just one year then straight to a 4-year degree course? (I'm very confused about how advanced highers work.)
4. How hard would it be to get him into a decent secondary school? Would he get an automatic right to a place at the local one (which seems to be one of the best in the country)?
   If it makes any difference, he's an academic kid - should get mostly 8s/A star at GCSE.

This is very similar to questions I have. So boosting and hoping for answers

I'm interested in this too.

I can answer some of your questions. The higher year starts in May / June of fourth year at most schools, so you’d be better moving before the summer.

Most schools offer five or even six highers. Some can be crashed but most build on previous work. English may be compulsory at some schools - you’ll need to check with individual schools.

He could either have one or two years at school before a four year degree course. Nowadays most people stay on for sixth year.

He would almost definitely get into a local school as the year numbers will have decreased by fifth year.

AgentProvocateur Thank you! Very useful.

There's a lot of flexibility at senior school level in Scotland, but be aware that the most academic uni courses will need five highers at the right grade taken in the same year. This bit is crucial because of the flexibility of the system. So for eg my DS isn't academic at all, but could maybe manage two highers in 5th and three in 6th year - while he would then have five highers (and let's say for the sake of argument at a good grade) they wouldn't 'count' for a really competitive academic course.

Lots of DCs leave after fourth year so I don't think getting a place would be a problem. And yes, the work starts after exams are taken so the course work actually starts in May, not August.

If you give the school a call they'll be helpful though.

For an academic high achieving child, they will usually take 5 Higher courses, most school change timetables and begin teaching the courses in June.

One or two years of highers (5th and 6th year) depending on results needed and what the child wants to study. For example I achieved the results I needed in 5th year so went straight into uni to do my 4 year degree.
Advanced highers are only studied in 6th year where they have achieved a very good pass at higher, not all schools will offer them and usually sit them alongside a few other Higher courses.

You should be able to get a place at your catchment secondary. If that's your permanent address. Although you might want to consider which courses they offer and if that suits your ds.

Given that GCSEs don't finish until the third week of June or even later wouldn't this affect that start of the academic year in Scotland?

@Ginfordinner yes it would, you'd be missing at least a few weeks of the new timetable and Higher courses. Most schools in Scotland will start teaching the higher syllabus as soon as exams have finished in May/early June.

Not sure where in Scotland you're planning on moving, or your financial situation, but some independent schools like Strathallan (Perthshire) and I think Glenalmond (rural Perthshire) teach the English curriculum in Scotland.

I would think most able DCs take 5 Highers in S5 and then 2 or 3 (or occasionally 4 if aiming high) AHs in S6. It is possible to go to a Scottish Uni straight after Highers (except for Medicine or Vet Med), but I think it is generally preferred to have studied to AH level, and you'd need AHs to apply to English Unis (if you were going down that route). I don't know any of DS's cohort who didn't stay on for AHs, and your DC may not want to go to Uni at 17 and be unable to go to bars and clubs with their mates. Maybe also useful to be know that there is no AH equivalent of Further Maths.

S5 teaching will start after the end of S4 exams, so you could be missing the first 4 weeks or so of the syllabus. Given that you can take crash Highers in some subjects (so Highers where you haven't previously studied the subject) I don't think you'd need to worry about playing catch up too much.

Also be aware that you likely won't have the required 3 years residence for the free fees, although £1820 per year is still way better than the English fees.

A big plus point is that if you apply to Scottish Unis at the beginning of S6 then it is on the basis of known Higher results, not sure if things are now moving more to conditional offers but DS got all unconditional offers for his engineering course a couple of years back.

For our school, local admissions were generally guaranteed if you lived in the catchment, but you had to have an address in the catchment to be able to apply (popular school). Best to speak to the local authority maybe?