Moving from England to Scotland at Y12 and Y7

[JackoFAllTrader]

Hi, we are planning to move from England to Scotland next year. Currently I have a Y12, going to Y13 and a Y7, going to Y8 next year.

My most concern is for my Y12, my daughter, as she'll be taking her A-level exams soon (2025) and I can't grasp on what to do if we move to Scotland.

You cannot move a year 12 child, even to a different school / college in the same town let alone a different country with a different education system. That would be madness and really unfair on them.

Well they may be in either of 2 years in Scotland depending on when their birthdays are. There is no "equivalents" whatever people may tell you as there is a 6 month mismatch between intakes.

For your older child, I would be pushing for them to join S5 at the start of the term in August 2024. She will then sit her Highers in spring 2025 and then has options.

She can either apply for Uni in autumn 2024 with a view to leaving school in summer 2025 and starting uni - assuming her higher results are good enough. This might work well in her advantage depending how old she is and where her birthday falls. Alternatively, she might decide to stay at school for S6 and leave school in June 2026.

The Scottish system has considerably more flexibility with placing children into a year that suits them than the English/Welsh system which seems more rigid.

Another option might be to look for a private school where she can do A-levels. Not many schools do these though, it tends to be the most expensive boarding schools like Gordounstoun rather than the city day schools.

Actually, thinking again about it, it doesn't really matter whether she goes into S5 or S6 when you move.

The plan would have to be for her to take 4 or 5 highers in the 2024-25 school year, and apply for uni this time next year to start Oct 2025 if that is her plan. It is entirely do-able.

To be fair, there may be no choice.

@JackoFAllTrader , you realise that she applies to uni in the autumn of 2024, how will that be possible if she doesn't stay at her current school? A levels are a 2 year course, every school teaches the syllabus in a different order.

If her dd is coming to Scotland she won’t do a levels she’ll do Highers which are a one year course.

Thanks all guys, I think we'll let her finish the exams here in England before moving to Scotland.