Kate77

Hiya, I was wondering if anyone had any info on GCSE's or A levels in Aus?

My daughter is currently taking her first year of A level in the UK, and we are moving to Melbourne next year. Ideally I would like her to continue on with this course, not sure if any colleges offer this option though.

From what I have heard in Australia the high school equivalent of A levels is a two year course?

If anyone has any info on this I would REALLY appreciate it

Bermudashorts

No personal experience but seem hundreds of threads on moving teenagers and continuing the UK education / exams in Australia has never been mentioned as an option. I think you will need to embrace the education system of your adopted new home.

jad n rich

To give her any sort of fair chance ( of a good mark/uni entrance) she would need to do aus grade 11 and 12.

How old is she?

Buzzy--Bee

I agree with Jad. Also bear in mind that the school year here starts in February, not September. Would you be here in time for the start of the 2012 year, in which case she should start in year 11.

BB

quoll

Not sure why you would think a foreign country would have your particular UK A level exam curriculum. However you can apparently convert GCSE and AS results in Vic - how they are converted and whether someone would be disadvantaged in terms of final scores is another matter - not to mention the need for the student to pick up another 5 or so subjects.

Let her finish A levels and then move. Her A levels will travel to Aus far better than the reverse (probably need lower grades to get into equivalent courses at uni). That way she also keeps her options open for a UK uni as well as an Aus uni if that is what she fancies. If she tries to get into a UK uni eith Aus year 12 results, not only would she most likely have to do a foundation year she would be slugged international fees for not having lived in UK for the 3 years prior

scrubbedexpat020

If you are planning to stay I suggest she does VCE. As Buzzy and Jad said, try to get out for start of school year February.

It actually won't matter if she arrives late in the school year?
The VCE is very flexible, unlike 'A' levels. When you start your 3 'A' levels it's basically suicidal to change subjects after a few months. What you start, you finish, because it will have a major, detrimental effect on your results.
Fortunately, VCE is different. In year 11 (lower sixth) you do 6 subjects, 5 at level 1/2, and one at level 3/4. In year year 12 you do 5 subjects at level 3/4. Now, it just so happens that it is only for the level 3/4 subjects that you sit the public exams to get into uni. So in year 12 you are examined on 5 subjects, and in year 11, one subject. As a result of sitting the exams you get an ATAR. the ATAR score is calculated by using the top 4 subject scores, and 10% of the other two subjects.

So what? Well, my kids tell me that doing a level 3/4 subject does not usually necessitate doing the 1/2. For instance, my daughter in year 11 dropped Chemistry and started Specialist Maths 3/4 in year 12. A level 3/4 subject is examined on its syllabus, and in most instances, you don't need to have studied the 1/2, but it helps.

Therefore, come out next year and go into year 11. In the meantime, decide what 6 VCE subjects she wants to do (3 'A' level and top 3 GCSE?). Get the text-book of the VCE 3/4 she will be doing in year 11 and prepare for the exam.

Here's the translation between ATAR and 'A' levels. http://www.britishcouncil.org/au-edu...qualifications

Here's how Aus and UK degrees compare http://www.aber.ac.uk/en/postgrad/ho...ty/noneuquals/

Kate77

Thank you very much for your responses and advice. It is all a bit daunting.

The reason I wanted my daughter to continue with the A level qualification if it was possible was so that she won't have a split, with AS levels and the Year 12 qualification. If AS levels do convert to Year 11 then this might be ok.

I am coming over to Melbourne next month to check out schools/houses, so I will make some appointments at some high schools while I'm there.

Thanks again

Kate

Bermudashorts

A levels are UK qualifications, if you want her to complete them then perhaps postpone your plans for a year?

Margaret3

Would recommend this option if at all possible. Due to timeing of our visa we had to move when our daughter was in 4th year at school in scotland, we got her visa stamped and two weeks later she returned to scotland for her 4th year exams. I think it was good for her psychologically but a complete wast of time in the education system (we would've been better keeping the money for extra tuiton for the all important vce exams here in victoria).

Have you thought about the IB programme (International Baccalaureate) , i wish i had looked into this a bit more, but not sure how useful it would be or is, but am sure someone on here will know more about it. Anyway i found this site when googling it, sorry if its a crap link
http://www.goodschools.com.au/at-sch...riculum/intern

Another point to remember that we didnt know , if they are studying summit in the u.k but the school they attend here does not offer that they can still study it outside of school at vce leve and the mark can go towards vce. For example my daughter was studying and good at french at school, the school she attended here offered german and Japanese, so we thought that was that, but wish we had known of above option.

Please, please make the schools your priority, if you can afford a good private then your laughing, if not (like us), find the suburbs with the good public schools (like us yaay!). My oldest now at uni (although she did go through a phase saying she was applying to glasgow uni next year..eeekkk). Our youngest is in her first year of public high school and loving it ...thank god!, i would say it is the biggest stressor of the immigration game.

flip

Presumably she's only just started her A'levels in September and I wonder if she does have a chance of changing over to the International Baccalaureate instead?

It's highly academic but she could then move more easily from one school to another.

I suppose it also depends on where you're moving to and if you're able to pay for private education as I'm pretty sure there are just twelve IB schools in Victoria which are all private.

If you wanted to call a school to ask them about the possibility of transferring, one is Tintern in Ringwood (outer East). http://www.ibo.org/school/000689/ .

They could probably also tell you how difficult it is to move from one curriculum to another as they're used to international students. I'm not particularly recommending the school - certainly we can't afford it, but they're just one place you can discuss her options.

The academic year here starts in early February so that would also influence how easily she'd integrate into the course.

Good luck.

Cal