Little Lisa 1971

Hi Everyone,

I'm hoping for some information or advice from anyone who works within the Australian School/University system.

We are moving to Australia in August 2012 after my daughter has finished her GCSE's. My concern and question is where will she stand with her High School Certificate and Uni. She is the oldest in her year and will therefore be 17yrs old in September 2012. I believe she will go into Year 11 which will only give her 1 term of Year 11 and a full year in Year 12, will this be long enough to achieve the credits required for her High School Certificate and a place in Uni? Will she receive any credits for her GCSE's as she is expected to get good results? Could she miss her High School Certificate and do a Uni entrance course instead of going to High School as she will be 17yrs old when we arrive? She wants to do a Criminal Justice Degree in Uni.

I would really appreciate any information anyone has as I really need to make sure our decision to move to Australia doesn't damage our daughters education and future.

One other question, we are validating our Visa on the 12the December 2011 (arrive in Perth 14th Dec) and would like to know will the schools and Universities already be closed for Christmas or will we have the opportunity to contact some schools for information.

Thanks in advance for any information or advice given.

Lisa

quoll

Honestly? Let her stay and do her A levels - they travel well to Australia and she would need lower grades to get into equivalent courses here. That way she keeps all her options open for either UK or Aus uni courses. Can she stay with friends or relatives to let her do this?

Moving a kid at this age is a real gamble - the year 11/12 course is an assessable two year course so to lose almost one year would not be a wise move especially if someone has high aspirations.

Alternatively, drop the GCSEs and get her here at the beginning of year 11 in February although if she, at some stage, decides that she doesnt like it here and wants to return to UK then she will be behind the 8 ball going back without GCSEs

coolerkingcooler

I can only tell you about South Australia. I know that they give credit here for GCSE's or first year of A-levels. In know several people whose children this has happened with. Some have been given the choice of doing the whole of year 11 or going straight into year 12, depending on the specifics.

In SA, largely on the year 12 counts but you do now have to pass credits in numeracy and literacy to be able to enter year 12. So I guess that would mean 'passes' in maths and english at GCSE.

Have a think about what Quoll is advising, the situation is certainly different in SA that the UK. One example is that the score required to get into a Uni and course can be dependent upon which subjects you do as some give a higher score - eg maths and physics.

Cooler

Little Lisa 1971

Thanks for the replies

We did want to come out to Australia sooner but our daughter has insisted she stays to sit her GCSE's. She has worked really hard studying and has got places on both Law & Psychology GCSE courses.

It's not really an option for us to leave her here to sit her A levels. We have plenty of family close by that she could stay with but we are a close family and I don't see the point in starting a new life without our daughter and to be honest she would be horrified that we would even think of leaving her behind. I have thought about staying in the UK another couple of years so she can sit her A levels but then we would be in the same boat again with our younger son!

If anyone from Western Australia can shed any further light on my original question I would be really grateful Especially the info Cooler gave about GCSE credits.

Thanks Lisa

HelenTD

Contact TISC, Tertiary Institutions Service Centre http://www.tisc.edu.au/static/home.tisc?cid=58845, to see if your daughter can gain entry to uni with GSCEs. I could find no reference to them on the TISC website, but it does recognise 'A' levels. There are alternative pathways to entry into uni, but you would have to check with the universities as well. The universities are University of Western Australia (UWA), Murdoch, Curtin, Notre Dame and Edith Cowan (ECU).

I would suggest that you find out as much information from high schools, the universities and TISC now, as you won't get much help in early/mid-December. The WA school term and year finishes on 14 December and universities are still open but often with reduced services. In the lead up to end of the education/academic year in combination with Christmas and the long summer holiday, it all gets a bit crazy here.

quoll

She isnt going to get into uni with either just GCSEs or even AS levels (not a uni with any sort of status anyway). She could look at doing her year 12 at TAFE and a quick google gives you http://www.canningcollege.wa.edu.au/...ear12WACE.html which looks as if it (or another of its ilk) might answer the bill. However you have to be aware that TAFEs are often the chosen route of kids who havent made it in HS so the quality of the rest of the group may bring down the scores. It looks as if 3 or 4 GCSE passes from Sri Lanka and places like that are prerequisites for year 12 entry so she should be OK (they dont list UK GCSEs in their international student requirements)

Little Lisa 1971

Thanks for all your replies

I think we will have to e-mail a few schools once we have narrowed down the area we want to settle in as our next step. Kirsty is expected to achieve A's & B's in her GCSE exams. I'm hoping as long as the school will give her some credit for these she will get enough credits in Year 12 to achieve a good enough result to get into Uni.

If anyone teaching in the Perth area can shed any further light on the practise of giving credits for GCSE's please let me know.

Thanks Lisa xx