ajdjad

Hi ,

Need to be by family due to terminal illness of one of my parents, so we are considering moving back .

A couple main things worry me , my eldest child still here in the USA (16 turning 17 this year is in Grade 10 (entering Grade 11 high school in the fall).
What would happen to her? Obviously she hasn't finished her HS, but in England she would be leaving this year right? Would she automatically be accepted? She would not have an English High School Completion or a USA completion. She is doing well in School , in a Engineering program here . I really need to move back but I don't want to wreck her life

I also have a child going to enter 9th Grade here (she will be 16 in Nov ) and another child who is twelve. They have been in UK school once in 2007 for 7 mths while my husband was in training in the UK , but then we went straight back to USA schools.

Mummy in the foothills

Does the High school near where you'll be have a 6th form, she could go there? Or the local Tech to do some GCSE's or A levels. Make sure to have the high school send the final transcript for the years of high school she has completed. They can send them direct to wherever she'll go or give you a sealed one in an envelope.

Sally Redux

Some schools have sixth forms, or you need to look into a sixth-form college or college of further education. I did look into this myself as we were considering a move back when my son was about the same age. Call the Local Education Authority of the area you are moving to, they are usually helpful. As I remember the sixth form college wanted to look at syllabuses of what he had been studying and transcripts of grades.

Very tricky isn't it, if she is doing well here it could be rather disruptive, but only you know whether you need to be there.

ajdjad

Thanks for your help , I have emailed the local school in the UK and will just have to wait for their answer. Its is very tricky.

brits1

Hi, We moved back to the UK with two teenagers, one 16 the other 19, the eldest had his West Australian tee's and started Uni here in the UK straight away, the other had just started his final year 12 in W.A, we left in March so we could settle and be ready for the Educational start in September in the U.K (our youngest wanted to do this as he wanted to start College and make friends that way) we only had his school course work to go on with and we brought his work over with us as well as his final month college report. The 6th Form colleges and Adult Education Centres were really wonderful, they advised so well our youngest was looking forward to starting his courses, he could start either A levels, GCSE's or Btecs (he could of chosen other different courses as well NVQ's...it was a bit overwhelming after the lack of choice for that age group in W.A) anway he finally decided on an Advance Btec and GCSE's, he has done really well in all courses and finishes this year at college with 3 definate offers from Uni's, please try not to worry, I know its hard, look for schools in areas your returning to and ones that sound good, phone, email etc and keep in contact with them. All the best

ajdjad

Thanks for your help. I emailed the local school which has a sixth form and they have emailed me back and are going to call me and talk to me about options

sarah.h

Hi we moved abroad last year with two kids age 16 and 13,now we are going back, my older kid done his GCSE's and my younger will be going back to year 10, and we are trying her get back in the same school, but local authorities told us that their is no more space, and it is really frustrating, has anyone else been in the same situation.

Sally Redux

Yes we could not get our daughter back into the same school after an absence of 1 term the first time we came here. They were really sh*tty about it and gave her place to a kid who didn't even live in the area. I have known other people who got in on appeal to the LEA but apparently you have to break down and cry, we were not successful. It actually turned out to be a much better school that she subsequently went to.

Choccie

Hi

This is something that has been playing on my mind for months now! We are hoping to return to UK from NZ and our son is in year 10 here. We have been here for 7 years and I worry whether he would be able to cope with GCSEs if we were to return soon as he has been attending a small area school with limited subject options. If we wait till he finishes yr 11 next year it will be a funny time to start over there as the terms do not align very well. He is quite up for a move back but I just want to make sure everything is OK.
Any suggestions greatly appreciated!

Spacecake799

Hi,

Do you mind me asking why your leaving NZ. We have been here 5 and a half years and are my husband is heading back with our youngest son ready for year 9. I know he will find the work very hard but I am sure its for the best. The school did say that under special circumstances they could go back a year.
Also if your son finished year 11 and then you went back he could do sixth form college from the September. My oldest son returned last march and has been doing the AS levels and is really enjoying it.
Just reading your post again, I would speak to the school and see what they think for a start in September. He may need extra help but I don't see why it wouldn't work.

Carole

SadInStates

We've just returned with our eldest 2 being USA Grade 9 & 11. We've enrolled the 17 y/o in a state online school so he can finish 12th grade and graduate, but it looks like the 15 y/o will have to fit into a local school either in Yr 11 or Yr 10 if they agree to hold him back a year, which he is not happy about!
The state online school is an option for one year only as you have to be a resident of the state in order to register.

As we are currrently "of no fixed abode" (ie staying with parents until DH finds a job) I'm not sure what we're going to do with schools at all. The potential is that the other 3 are going to be in 3 different secondary schools scattered across one of the largest London boroughs!

penguinsix

Something to consider is where they will be going to Uni. If you are thinking of going to a state school in the USA (Univ. of Michigan, Cal Berkley, etc) then you leaving is going to be breaking up the in-state residency period such that you will be switched from 'in-state" to "out-of-state" tuition, which is tens of thousands of dollars in difference per year (though conversely if you are looking to go to a UK uni you are coming back in time to start the residency clock rolling for UK residency fees).

Is it at all possible to split the kids for awhile? Perhaps one parent stays in the US with the children and the other goes home to deal with the family? I know, a pretty scary thought on many levels (financial, separation, etc) but I've seen it happen many times. In fact, I even seen it happen with Americans who have relocated simply to another state. I know of case where a parent would have to move for work reasons in the last year of a child's American high school and they would have the child live with an uncle or friend just to finish out the year with their classmates.

I'm sorry to hear about the circumstances of your move.

Choccie

Spacecake I have pmd you - warning it's a long one!

Sun101

Not ideal at all.

I would second penguinsix, one parent staying in the US and the other in the UK. Or possibly the daughter going into grade 11, could stay with family or friends in the US (if thats possible).

In the UK I am sure she would have to start her GCSEs, as without them universities (at least any of the good ones) will be very unlikely to take her on. Plus A-Levels are highly specialised (the equivalent of year 1 in a US College) and it would be a very big/ difficult jump for her to start them straight away.
That would mean starting year 10 again, putting her back two years. She would have to do her GCSEs in a College, as no school I know will accept students two years behind and I doubt that she would want to be in a class with 14 year old. Then there would be two years of further study. That can be A-Levels, or more vocational qualifications like BTEC or NVQs.

If she wanted to study in university in the UK it would be good news, as after two years she would be considered resident in the UK, and as such pay domestic fees. If she wanted to go to uni back in the states then it would be very bad news, especially if she was planning to go the a state college/ university in Texas.

If you are in London you could also look at an American High School, but be warned it is very expensive. The American School in London charges £23,550 per annum, though you may be able to get financial aid. ACS School charges £21,860. Im guessing thats out of the question, but just showing the option.

The twelve year old should be fine, but moving them back and forth to the radically different systems in the UK and US isnt ideal.

Sally Redux

I don't agree that she would have to take GCSEs. She will have her US transcript for this level of education.

I believe the residency requirement for home fees for UK universities is three years.

A-levels are specialized but if she's been working at a good level in the US school I don't see why they would be too difficult.