OK to start year 12 in Adelaide?
 

Hi,

We have not been able to decide on a time to go to Adelaide cos we have a teenage daughter who has started year 12 in June 09 and will be doing her Cambridge Alevels in June 2010.

If we wait for her to finish then our son will have to start school mid year and she won't have anything to do until Jan 2010.

Would it be ok to start her final year there?

Appreicate your feedback.

Thank you

Mari

Re: OK to start year 12 in Adelaide?
 

If you know where you'll be living (suburb or town)then I would make some contact with the school first to check out if the subjects match up ect.we moved in the UK when my daughter was about to do 6th form and it was'nt easy for her subject wise and she had alot of catching up to do.She managed ok but its not something I would put her through again.

Re: OK to start year 12 in Adelaide?
 

If she does her A levels then she wont need to do another year in school - she can work and save up for uni because her A level results will travel quite well to Aus - contact the uni of her choice to see what grades she would need to do the course she wants to get into. She could do a TAFE course if she was bored - second semester starts July but, honestly, if she can save up for her fees she will be in a better position. Your son will be fine to start any time you arrive - as long as he starts before year 11 he shouldnt have any hassles at all.

If you are thinking of taking her out before A levels - for heavens sake dont! The curriculum is totally different, she would have to do more subjects and part of the course would already have been completed so she would be seriously disadvantaged if she wanted to go to uni.

Re: OK to start year 12 in Adelaide?
 

Thanks.

But we are going on a 475 visa. Does she not have to be a full time student until we get our PR?

I heard that it will be a problem if she works and we may not be able to prove that she is a dependant.

Cheers

Mari

Re: OK to start year 12 in Adelaide?
 

She can do a TAFE course in something vocational for one semester if you need to keep her dependent, there is no point in her going to school to do 6 months of a course with final examinations on a curriculum which she wont have covered - she will already have university entrance requirements with her A levels. Remember that the school year here starts in January. However as temporary residents she will have to pay international fees for any post school courses that she undertakes. She could get a part time job and still be a dependent.

Are you going to make her stay at school for however many years it takes you to get PR? Could be 2 or more all depending on how things go with your employer. I dont think that would be very sensible.

Re: OK to start year 12 in Adelaide?
 

I wanted us to go as soon as we have our visa to fulfil the requirement of 2 years but with her finishing her Alevels in June 2010, we hesitate to do so.

I was thinking she can may be start year 12 there is Jan 2010. That will give her some time to make friends of her own age and enjoy school there before she starts uni following year.

But looks like we have to wait another 6 months for her to finish Alelvels. Dont want to rush too much.

Do the banks there provide any student loans to cover international fees?

Thanks

Mari

Re: OK to start year 12 in Adelaide?
 

Dont think you will find a loan for an international student unfortunately.

A levels will be a definite advantage - year 12 isnt a standalone program as I said - it's the final year of a 2 year course so she wouldnt have covered half of the curriculum before assessment and part of the assessment is likely to have been continuous assessment which she will have missed. Far better forget her going to school altogether and then start uni at the beginning of 2011 - she will still be a dependent when you apply for PR.

Re: OK to start year 12 in Adelaide?
 

I guess so too. Forget school and start Uni in 2011.

Thank very much

Mari