1jemma1

My family are moving over to Australia but one worry we have is for my teenage son and daughter. They have completed year 10 at high school, so 1st year of GCSE'S but due to work commitments, we will need to move before they are able to complete their final year. We are looking at moving within the next 2 months.

My question is - does anyone know of a way you can complete GCSE'S in Australia? I will certainly be sending them to a regular Australian school, and i want them to finish their final years off their; we intend on the move to Australia been a permanent one, all been well. But, if they had the chance to also complete their GCSE'S, i would like them to also do that, just incase, for their future back up, since they have come this far with them. I know it would be a lot of work, but its something we would sit down and work out.

But before we can do that - i just wanted to know - if doing GCSE'S in Australia was even possible?? We would be moving to Melbourne.

Has anyone tried it or looked into it??
If anyone has, i would really appreciate feedback

Thanks

roaringmouse

Think you would have to look into IGCSEs for that.

Not sure if it would be worth it, as if the intention is a permanent move then they will end up doing their VCE at school in Melbourne.

quoll

You can do them by correspondence but AFAIK there are no examination centres in Aus. Cambridge was talking about opening one in WA at one stage but I don't know if anything ever came of it. If you're planning on staying in Aus then no one will give two hoots about GCSEs. If you are planning on keeping their options open then you may be better to find a school that does the IB as that travels well internationally - far better than the VCE in fact. Alternatively, of course, you could leave the kids in UK to finish GCSE/ALevels which really would keep all their options open without risking international student fees for uni.

carolinephillips

Get them to do the IB. They can go back into the end of y10 for the last few weeks of term before the Christmas break. This will give them the chance to make friends and find their feet, before the hard work starts in January for 2 years of hard graft. (DD is in Y12 and is about to do her IB exams in November.)
With the IB it is hard to jump in during the course as there is a lot of work that is assessed more or less from the beginning. You certainly have to pick your 3 higher level subjects and go for it from day 1, and you can't drop to less than 3 HL subjects, so some people in DD's school start on 4 and drop one down to SL- usually maths!! (Maths and English are compulsory.)

IB is a different way of working to HSC or GCSE- it is a lot of independent research and learning about learning methods (Theory of Knowledge), and service. A much broader and reflective learner, who will be able to pick up the way university students are expected to work without too much trouble, as that is basically the level they are working at.