Nutmegger

Not sure what else to tell you -- do you have any questions?

Trish S

Are you British? If so, what grades are the equavilant years as our GCSE years? If we do stay out there for 3 years, I need to make sure my son will have qualifications to do his A levels when we get back. He will be the age to start your 8th grade in September. Also, do you have half term weeks like we do. Just thinking of visiting family etc.
Thanks Nutmegger!

Pulaski

The US education system is completely different from the British system of GCSE's and A'levels. There is nothing in the US schooling system that provides an equivalent foundation for A'levels to that provided by GCSE's in the UK. The US system doesn't provide any take-away qualifications/certificates at 16, high school operates as an integrated four year program from age 14 to 18, and switching from the US system to the UK system during that period is going to cause huge problems.

The US school system does not have half terms either. While the number of school days in the US school year is broadly similar to the UK, the holidays are spread out quite differently, with about 10 weeks in the summer, shorter breaks at Christmas and in the spring (probably not coinciding with Easter). There are other ad hoc days off for bank holidays, in September (Labour day), October (Columbus day), November (Veterans day and Thanksgiving), January (MLK), February (Presidents' day), and May (Memorial day). The long summer holiday falls between Memorial day and Labour day, but does not overlap with either.

A small number of schools have switched to a "year-round" calendar, roughly similar to the British school year. I do not know if any schools in Connecticut have a year-round calendar.

Nutmegger

Pulaski has helped you already, I see. Which is as well -- I am indeed British, but my only experience of the school system is via friends' children. However, reading the annual rankings is a good indicator of how good the schools are in many towns in Fairfield County.

kodokan

Pulaski summarized it nicely. I'm practically the poster child on this board for casually moving my kids through the education systems of various countries and optimistically assuming it'll all come good, but even I would be considering my options veeeeery carefully for kids the age of yours.

Your son at 16 would have no qualifications; the US system doesn't have an equivalent to GCSEs or A levels. High school diplomas are issued by the school to attest to the completion of X number of years of study in English, Maths, Sciences, etc.

He could perhaps at that point enroll in a college of further education, and take the necessary 5 (I think?) GCSEs that would be require for A level participation and university applications. This would of course push his 'secondary school' education out to age 19 and mean a later start for uni.

The GCSEs wouldn't be a walk in the park either, due to the different way that the US teaches maths throughout high school (by single discipline annually - Algebra, Geometry, etc - rather than as a broad base); science is the same so he'll have likely done Biology but no Chemistry or Physics; his history would be US history rather than what's in the GCSE curriculum, etc.

Like I said, I'm very open-minded about educational experiences when kids are younger - my kids did a good chunk of their elementary schooling in French, a language they didn't speak before stepping into the classroom. My 16 year old is currently on his 10th school.

But for your 13 year old, the ONLY way I'd be willing to do this would be to consider it a 5 year rather than a 3 year plan, so he would get through to 18 and graduate high school with a recognized diploma. This would still bring some challenges for UK university applications, but they're all relatively easy to overcome nearer the time (you'd need to be fully up to speed on the importance of either the IB or AP classes). I'd also want a written guarantee from the company that they would apply for green cards immediately upon arrival in the US. My husband worked for his multinational for over a decade in two countries before moving here, but they still laid him off last year. It happens, and if it had happened when we were still on L visas, with a then 15 year old, it would have been an unholy educational mess to recover from.

What's your 19 year old currently doing?

Jerseygirl

I'm a little confused about the 19 year old. Taking a lad of 19 away from his friends...to a country where he cannot work and will have to leave in less than 3 years...unless he has a GC...doesn't make sense to me.

Trish S

This is helpful!! 😑

Trish S

Thank you so much everyone. I really appreciate all the advise. I've got it now re education. Wow! That's tricky!! Does the International Baccauleariate system work the same?
My daughter took a gap year, so is limbo at the moment and may study out there. My son doesn't know anything about it yet - he's my biggest concern. He may love or hate the idea.
At the end of 12th grade, is that similar to finishing A'levels?

Nutmegger

People seem to find that the younger the child, the better they adapt. Life will be very different for the 19 year old here -- for example, drinking age is 21. It might be difficult to connect with peers unless she does take some kind of educational course, as other kids of her age will be off at school or working. Otherwise, she might want to volunteer for a nonprofit in a field she is interested in -- for instance, there is a great contemporary art museum in Ridgefield if that might appeal to her, and an animal rescue center that is always looking for helpers.

Trish S

Thank you again Nutmegger. It is a really tricky one, I know. The package really needs to be worth the move!!

Pulaski

JG makes some great points. The US isn't a particularly good place for a 19 year old who is "drifting" .... the devil makes work for idle hands, and what have you.

For starters (i) she will have to apply for and be accepted by a US college or university, which is going to take time, (ii) she won't qualify for the "in state" tuition rate, so the fees are likely to be very high, (iii) she won't be able to drive until she has taken a test, and outside of NYC, and San Francisco, there are very few places in the US where public transport isn't an utter joke, so she'll need a car otherwise she'll be stuck at home.

Nutmegger

Basically, public transport doesn't exist in Fairfield County -- other than the train into NYC and a few bus lines within the inner-city areas.

Nutmegger

This is an excellent private school in the city adjacent to Ridgefield that was attended by my friend's son. They are familiar with working with international students.

Wooster School: International Students

Jerseygirl

Sorry...I'm speaking with hindsight...my daughter was 11 when we moved. I wish I hadn't taken her away from her family and friends.

Owen778

Honestly, Jerseygirl's statement is what everyone reading your thread is thinking. Bringing a 13yo could probably work out, as long as you worked out a way to account for the education system differences, but bringing the 19yo to not work or go to college would just be awful for all concerned.