Keeping up with the UK curriculum in Australia
Feb 27th 2012, 3:07 am
#31
Gutter Gob!!
Joined: Feb 2005
Location: Perth
Posts: 13,098
Re: Keeping up with the UK curriculum in Australia
I'll just tell my husband not to take the next job he gets posted to shall I?
The original question was 'how can I stop them falling behind'. Well if they are put in years to fit with their age group then they will be behind.
I would never ask for her to be put up for 'status' reasons! (can't find that post to insert here).
If you are staying in Australia for the entire length of your child's education then all well and good but some of us don't have that luxury.
The original question was 'how can I stop them falling behind'. Well if they are put in years to fit with their age group then they will be behind.
I would never ask for her to be put up for 'status' reasons! (can't find that post to insert here).
If you are staying in Australia for the entire length of your child's education then all well and good but some of us don't have that luxury.
Feb 27th 2012, 3:40 am
#32
Proudly Deplorable
Joined: May 2003
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Re: Keeping up with the UK curriculum in Australia
I'm not judging you so take this however you like.
Feb 27th 2012, 3:42 am
#33
Forum Regular
Joined: Feb 2012
Location: God's country
Posts: 279
Re: Keeping up with the UK curriculum in Australia
That must make it really hard for you... Uncertainties like that arent always easy to live with and so I perhaps understand a bit better why you want to "keep up" with the uk education system and be striving to meet the targets they set in the uk rather than adapting to the local culture....
Maybe Home Educating would be a better option... That way your kids can still get a uk standards/target based education AND have a life too... I had visions of your poor children being in school all day then doing English schoolwork all night
Maybe Home Educating would be a better option... That way your kids can still get a uk standards/target based education AND have a life too... I had visions of your poor children being in school all day then doing English schoolwork all night
. I don't get anything sent over from the UK for them either. Mine are at a private school here (fees are eye-watering!) and know what you mean about a little bit of Britain. On the whole I'm happy with it but my elder daughter tells me her German lessons are about 2 years behind UK 
Northernbird - know what you mean academically, we'll have to see and assess when the next move comes up, but socially will be fine. Any place we're likely to be posted to they have good pals (as do I :-))
Feb 27th 2012, 3:46 am
#34
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Joined: Apr 2008
Location: Epsom
Posts: 1,705
Re: Keeping up with the UK curriculum in Australia
What about finding a school that does the International Baccalaureate program?
Feb 27th 2012, 4:03 am
#35
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Joined: Feb 2010
Location: Amongst Melbourne's tall gum trees
Posts: 1,323
Re: Keeping up with the UK curriculum in Australia
The curriculum wouldn't change and as the IB is recognised by all universities, the children will have a choice.
If I can afford it (and the stoopids that run the country at any given time can't get their act together by the time my eldest goes to secondary school), I will certainly send my kids to a school that offers the IB. It would be really nice if it were a local public school, but failing that, a local private school will do. Off to buy a lottery ticket then...
Feb 27th 2012, 4:16 am
#36
Lost in BE Cyberspace
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Re: Keeping up with the UK curriculum in Australia
Home Schooling?? I'm not mad you know . I don't get anything sent over from the UK for them either. Mine are at a private school here (fees are eye-watering!) and know what you mean about a little bit of Britain. On the whole I'm happy with it but my elder daughter tells me her German lessons are about 2 years behind UK
Northernbird - know what you mean academically, we'll have to see and assess when the next move comes up, but socially will be fine. Any place we're likely to be posted to they have good pals (as do I :-))
. I don't get anything sent over from the UK for them either. Mine are at a private school here (fees are eye-watering!) and know what you mean about a little bit of Britain. On the whole I'm happy with it but my elder daughter tells me her German lessons are about 2 years behind UK Northernbird - know what you mean academically, we'll have to see and assess when the next move comes up, but socially will be fine. Any place we're likely to be posted to they have good pals (as do I :-))
If I didnt have to work I would consider home educating child number 3, but only because she's motivated, bright and picks stuff up so quickly... She would be a joy to learn stuff with.... The others would have been hard bloody work IMHO....
Feb 27th 2012, 5:15 am
#39
Proudly Deplorable
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Feb 27th 2012, 11:26 am
#40
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 398
Re: Keeping up with the UK curriculum in Australia
I wouldn't worry too much. Our daughters have moved from the UK to Aus, to UK to Aus to UK and are doing just fine. They are now 17, 15 and 13.
The only time you need to stay put is when they start the exam years. There are differences, but children soon catch on and adapt and those differences can happen between schools in the same country (as we've just found out having had to move within the UK last year).
Relax and focus on the positives of giving your children different life experiences which, we have found, are hugely beneficial for them.
The only time you need to stay put is when they start the exam years. There are differences, but children soon catch on and adapt and those differences can happen between schools in the same country (as we've just found out having had to move within the UK last year).
Relax and focus on the positives of giving your children different life experiences which, we have found, are hugely beneficial for them.
Feb 27th 2012, 12:12 pm
#41
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Feb 2006
Location: Gold Coast
Posts: 25,277
Re: Keeping up with the UK curriculum in Australia
It's not so much falling behind but being a year behind in school. The primary school my daughter went to age 5 wouldn't take her a year earlier despite being told we were going back into the British system at some point. Moved to an international school and then she had to skip a whole year (luckily this worked out ok). Coming back to Aus, it looked as though she would have to repeat half of year 5 and ALL of year 6. All the schools (private) said she would have to but when we went to meet the head of primary she gave her a test and agreed she could stay in her current year. This does mean though that she's 12 and in year 8, she's the youngest by miles. What age is your oldest child?
