UK or Singapore

[Sirius9899]

Dear Mumsnetters
We are a family of 3. DH, I and son aged 12 living in Norway for the past 7 years. We like the peace and quiet life in Norway but the cold weather and a lack of social life is causing sadness in all three of us. DS goes to an international (IB school) that is partially funded by the state, so easily affordable. I work from home, DS is in the legal profession and we own a home plus car here. Overall, a comfortable life except the cold weather and socialising issue.
DH has been offered a choice to relocate to the UK or Singapore for work and we need your help in making a decision. We are British by nationality but Indian by ethnicity. Please advise the pros and cons of both places if you have experienced living in both / either places.

For UK, DS will ideally go to a state IB school and I will continue working from home.
For Singapore, DS will go to a private IB school and I will WFH.
DH's salary on offer in Singapore is at par with the offer in UK (considering Purchasing power parity, taxes etc.)

For Singapore, as you mention WFH w/o further details, have you worked out what type of visa you’d be on yourself and whether that permits you to work?

Plan is to go on a DP and can work remotely on that for international clients only.

Singapore is very small and a relative of mine got serious cabin fever there. It's also extremely hot. Salaries are higher but cost of living is very high indeed as well. Having said that it's probablu an easier life than the UK overall. If you like variety of people, the natural world, hiking, outdoor pursuits etc, uk. If you like air conditioned shopping malls, ex pat social life (lawyers/bankers), lots of cheap help and hot weather, singapore

On education, you will be applying outside the normal UK transition point so you may be fairly restricted in terms of vacant places dependent on your location and, as I expect you are aware, only a minority of state schools offer the IB. Where would you be likely to live?

You are correct. We are aware of this issue so are ok to defer the move till admission is finalized.
Checked IBO website and there are a couple of state schools offering IB but as you say, very few do. Mostly in South east and Grammar schools.

I appreciate that on the face of it the UK is "warmer" than Norway, but it's a different kind of cold; and if the cold is genuinely a major cause of wanting to relocate, you may come to regret the UK. UK cold is "damp cold", Scandinavia is more of a dry cold. I find that the UK feels colder and more inhospitable in terms of climate.

On other grounds, I wouldn't move here and if I were younger I would be gone in a flash. I don't see much future in the UK for younger people - might not impact on you or your hubby if you already have strong career paths, but I am not sure it's what you might want for your son.