OrkneytoPortugal

A big thank you to the last 2 posters - this is incredibly helpful information! Yes, it is complicated, but it sounds as if you have already done a lot of the necessary leg-work, and that answers a lot of my questions. This is where a forum comes in really useful
Because we are not actually thinking of returning to the UK ourselves, and our daughter has a choice of possible places to stay, I have not yet started to contact individual schools or colleges, but I guess that will be my next step.
One question remains - about whether it is necessary to have formal 'guardian' status for someone looking after a 16 year old? I may start that one off again as a new thread, and see if anyone out there knows the answer!

clothes.over.bros.xo

I am moving back to go to school also -- I'm going to stay with my Gran, and we don't have to fill anything out or anything -- she's just going to look after me until I finish up high school. We've spoken to lots of people and it really seems quite straightforward. It doesnt sound like it's long before your daughter is 16 anyway, and after that, she's in charge of herself, isnt she? Also -- I've been reading the three year residency posts -- I'm not sure about that -- I was told by people at the Universities I'm looking into I only have to be a resident for one year, not three. Hope this helps.

sarah64

Wow, which Uni's are telling you one year and not three? More than one? Every single place I called last year were adamant about the 3 year rule. Is there seriously hope then? We've been talking about going back to the UK for ages but the education part always gets in our way. My 16 year old would be going into lower 6th I think, giving her 2 more years of school (in the uS she only has one year left). That would be great if it's possible.
Sorry to hijack but does anyone know how one year of a good US uni translates into the UK education system?

dunroving

I think she would have to start from scratch (Year 1), because US universities inolve over a year of general ed classes (social sciences, humanities, English, etc.).

Another issue is because the UK has a cohort system, she might feel a bit of an odd-one-out (depending on her personality) entering into second year as a newbie, when everyone else knows each other.

It would probably make more sense for her to work part-time for that year and have some savings to take with her to college in the UK.

sarah64

Thanks Dunroving, that makes perfect sense, good thinking.

Sandim

My son is at an online Brit school taking IGCSE and doing well. He loves it because it is interactive and he has the discipline of having to be in a classroom at a given time. He is sitting his first year exams right now so I'll have a good insight as to how many O levels he can expect next year then maybe take more a year later. He did have a struggle at first since he has been in the US system since 6 y/o despite that he was always an A/B honor roll student but they have been great at Briteschool and have put him in tandem pre IGCSE classes. The school is going to offer A levels if they get enough requests starting 2010.