Hi,

Our daughter is 17 in July and has just completed her first year of 6th form in the UK.
We hope to land before September. Will she go to High school or should we be looking for a University place?
She ultimately wants to be a nurse/midwife
We have researched the school websites and thought she would still have a year in school but friends have since said she would go straight to Uni.

Any help please.

Regards

Gary and Suzie

Your friends are in error. If she had her A-levels, yes; but she'll have to graduate from High School if you go before that.

Hi

Thanks for that, we were hoping that she would get a year in high school first to help settle in.

Gary

I have phases of hating my children but I wouldn't do that to them. Why not stay another year let her finish school and then move?

From what I have read on here before, I rather think that the first year of A levels is equivalent to grade 12, so you might find that she meets the requirements for her pre-nursing course here already.
Where are you headed? Why not check the requirements for the nursing degrees in your intended province. I could be completely wrong of course, as it's not something I have personal experience in.....

Here's the admission requirements for a nursing degree course at University of Alberta (Edmonton)http://www.uofaweb.ualberta.ca/nursing/requirements.cfm. Most of the subject are level 30. I believe A levels are counted as level 31 ...

Otherwise it'll be up to you whether you want to enrol her in high school for one year, or, as Dbd suggested (I think) let her finish her A levels in the UK and then come over .....

Thanks, We'll take a look, we are heading to Calgary area, maybe Okotoks or Cochrane. I'm popping over next week so could investigate further then.
Its my daughter that wants to come over with us now, she doesnt want to stay here any more than we do.

Gary

It's hard to see how that's going to work. I don't think an academic year would be long enough to adjust to the Canadian high school curriculum and get a result adequate to get into university.

Hi

We are hoping to move to Calgary in August our daughter will be 17. We own property so have visited the school she will attend.

They have indicated that she complete grade 12. Her GCSE results will give her credits for grade 11. The only grade 11 subject she has to take is Social Studies because we have no subject equal to this.

They have worked out a grade 12 program that will give her the required subjects for the type of University courses she wants.

The book shops sell great study guides for the grade 12 subjects we bought the social studies ones as this is completely new. She is going to start this open distance learning over the summer. In truth much of the maths, chemistry and biology will be the same as her first year of A level and the school has said that they may even be able to give her some credits here when she gets August AS Level results.

One other point they made was this way she will be applying and visiting Uni with her peers so good for getting to know people.

Chris

It needn't be difficult. For one thing she will get credits for the work and exams she's already taken at school in the UK, and worse case scenario is that she might have to take an extra year doing high-school top-ups before applying to nursing. Mr negative.

Better for her not to have to take the extra year at school but to finish high school in the UK and start university in Canada is it not? Much tidier. Maybe it can't be done because, for example, a parent's job opportunity won't wait but moving halfway through the A level course is hardly desirable.

I'm sure it can be done with no problem, and I'm also sure not completing her A levels will make not one bit of difference, .... unless maybe she doesn't like it here and wants to return to UK!

They're gonna do what they're gonna do but I fail to see how you can be sure that failing to make the best of one's educational opportunities will make "not one bit of difference". It might not matter, she might do well in Canada, she might have failed the A levels anyway, but failure to get into university might depress her, she might start on a downward spiral toward lap dancing and drug abuse. She might very well want to go home and find that not finishing high school makes it difficult to get into university there. We just don't know.

As you say, they will do what they will do. But if she doesn't want to finish her A levels, then she likely won't put as much effort in as she might (seen THAT happen!), and then that year will be a waste of time anyway. Who's to say that making her stay reluctantly in the UK to finish a course she doesn't want to be doing will be "making the best of her opportunities"?

If they are intent on making a new life over here, then the sooner they start on that the better. This is just my opinion OK? You are entitled to yours, and neither will likely make one iota of difference in the end anyway.

Hi

As someone who is going to move a 17 year old during A level study I think you know your child and you have to consider what they want and do the research.

We have been to a number of UK Uni open days and they will accept a High School diploma , so if like my daughter you want to give Canada a try and be with your family before making Uni choices you are not burning any bridges. I think a teen will work a lot harder if they are where they want to be and with family support.

We applied in 2006 and would love to have been able to move last year but that visa issue date is out of our hands. Also if a job offer comes up you may have to take it and then make the best of that for the whole family.

Chris

Hi,

My son has just done his AS levels and we aren't planning to move until he has done his A Levels. Given free choice (ie not having to wait years for the visa) we would have moved last year and given him 2 years in high school. He desparately doen't want to move until he has done his A levels and may still decide to stay here and do his degree, he is looking at UK and Canadian Unis.

Our research showed that grade 12 seems to sit somewhere between AS and A2 and that students completing good A levels would probably get credit for first year at uni in Canada. It certainly looks possible to get accepted on some courses with just AS's it that is what you really want to do.

I think that, as with all things teenage, you have to tred carefully because if you try to force them into something they will most likely pull the other way. If your daughter is really keen to get to Canada and fit into the education system there, then I am sure you can make it work. Good luck