Gabgoeshome

Hello ,

I did post this elsewhere but I am going to try here too

We are going to return to the UK spring of 2012 and I am wondering if anyone has any experience of this please ...

My younger son will be eight when we return (a late August birthday ) so he will have to go in to year 4 -having been a 2nd grader in the US .

At school here he does very well ,but I feel it seems a huge leap KWIM ?
No more Primary grades

Anyone been there done that ?

Also lol ,my eldest will be 13 he will go from grade 7 here to year 8 ,if anyone can chime in with opinions with that -I will be very grateful !

Thank You all .

pinkkristen

Haven't done it, but we have an 8yr old soonish to be 9. She will be going into year 5 when we move back Sept 11. After having been here 2 years i know she will be behind even though she has done well in both countries. I am thinking of extra tuition for her and our 5 yr old to make sure they don't struggle. Its hard, i find they have a very lapsadasy attitude to youngsters in the school system and its frustrating! She has gone so downhill academically since moving here. A lack of interest in school is apparant too. Sad

There are lots of people on here that have moved back with teenagers and i'm sure they will give some sound advice. i can't as my eldest is the 8 yr old.

good luck.

Gabgoeshome

Thank you for your opinions and help

When we came here' 05 my eldest was just seven and he went in to 1st grade ...unfortunately he really went backwards in some ways .

It didn't help that he had to 'un-loop' all his British cursive and learn to print again (for starters lol)

My younger son is a first grader now ,he seems so young but I guess they do grow a lot in 18ish months !

I guess it is his August Birthday that really concerns me ,I wish there was more flexibility in the UK with that .
Skipping one year/grade is a challenge ...but 2

Where will you be heading back to ?(if you don't mind my asking )

reeni

When we came to Canada we were also in Oakville, fortunately we found the primary schools better than the high school. White Oaks High is terri-bad. Police are always there. I don't know what the others are like. For one year we had a really amazing teacher, but she had a new post by the end of the year.

My 8 and 11 years old are going to be put back a year just to be safe when we go back in Feb, my 14 year old is in year 10 - and will just have to knuckle down. But with him we have the support of the year head and the head teacher to get him sorted.

A great site for worksheets is http://www.primaryresources.co.uk/index.htm

I looked at some in each category to see how it compared to here. I found that strictly by age - the kids in Canada a re further behind. And they do not teach Bridging in math here either.

geeandtee

We came back just in time for our son to start his first year in Secondary School after he'd received all of his education in the U.S. in a lousy school district, in a state that's down at the bottom of the league in terms of education standards.

While we were staying with a friend, she arranged for a teacher friend to drop off some of last year's test papers (Level 2). My son did them all and managed a C average on all of them, which apparently is pretty good for someone who hasn't been taught in the UK.

He started at his new school in September and is doing just fine (touch wood), he doesn't feel like he's out of his depth and he's really enjoying the variety of lessons.

Gabgoeshome

I didn't think there was any possibility of being held back ,I think I will need to contact the schools I am interested in .

Thank you so much

Sally Redux

I don't have any experience of doing it this way, but from what I know of the British education system, I'm sure the school will be as helpful as possible about any extra support need for the young child.

Gabgoeshome

That is very encouraging ,well done to your son !

pinkkristen

Thats interesting about your comments on the highschools. I'm not sure where the local high school would be (i think its the one on Trafalger?), don't know the name though.
The school she is in is fine, its a nice school, but is behind where she would be. I don't want to put her back a year as that would devastate her as we are going back to the same school, so not an option. Our other option (typically the expensive one, is to get private tuition for them
In your opinion, or if you have had feedback from other parents, are the other highschools like white oaks, or is that a one off?
Funny, as my concern was the secondary schools when we move back, but goes to show that nowhere is perfect!

To the OP, we are heading back to Yorshire

Gabgoeshome

Yorkshire ..wonderful

We are going to try Dorset after being Londoners lol !

reeni

White Oaks is just off of Trafalgar on McCraney - behind Oakville Place mall. It has major Drug problems - too many kids with too much money. According to to my sons friends there was a bust there yesterday. IDK about the other high schools to be honest.

We too are moving back to Yorkshire and to the same village we left. My eldest is really pumped as he will be back with all his friends and cousins. The 2 younger ones were small when we left so they will be making new friends. I did have to speak with the head teacher at the primary school and request that they go into a lower class. But when we talked it out she understood and was supportive.

pinkkristen

I think white oaks is the one the kids around our neighbourhood would be going to! I remember a friend saying they all had to get a bus to trafalgar. You saying about your kids going back to be in the same school as their cousins is exactly the same as ours (apart from eldest)! It makes me happy that they will have a goood support network. If u don't mind me asking, what did you think of Oakville/Canada. I have a few expat friends who love it, think its the best place for their kids. I feel gulity/weird for not sharing the same thoughts, (even though on paper, there aint nothing wrong with it!)

I try not to go on about it infront of them, even though they know how i feel and are very supportive. i feel like an alian!!!
I just want to go home and feel normal again!

pinkkristen

Reeni, where are you heading back to in yorkshire? i truly think its the best county in the UK, love the people, countryside, great cities........Oh god i bloody miss it)

We are going back to West Yorks, just outside Leeds, but close to countryside too/ best of both worlds! One thing i took for granted and one thing i definatley now appreciate after being here!
I can be donned in wellies one day if i want a hike in the Yorkshire Dales, then the next going to dine at a trendy restaurant dressed up ready for a nice glass of pinot the next! Ahhhhhhh....!

lisag8070

Hi I moved back to the UK last year with my 8 yr old daughter, my DD had been through the US system and like you I was worried about the difference...but we needn't have worried..

My DD's birthday is in August to and when we came back she went straight to yr 4 (she'd just finished 2nd grade when we left).

I know every child is different, but she seemed to be the top in reading but kinda muddled through her maths, this was because in the UK they introduce multiplications and divisions at a very early age, but in the US they never even touched these subjects...but we just bought a couple of Maths books from WH Smith and practised a few pages every other night and within 1 month she understood what the teacher was talking about..

We managed to come back during the summer holidays so she started her new school at the same time as everybody else so she didn't feel to out of place, so maybe this helped?..my DD is a social butterfly and loves playing with different kids all the time, she doesn't care what you look like or what your wearing...if your game look fun, she'd love to join in..

Oh and to make the UK sound interesting and fun to your young son tell him he doesn't have to start school until 9:00am instead of 7:30 and get 1 hour to eat lunch and play and 2 other break times (my DD's face lit up with this info)..and I did tell her that everybody will want to speak to her to listen to her talk..which they did..

I hope this helps

oh and PS we're in Yorkshire too..

Gabgoeshome

Thank You so much for this .

DS is an advanced reader, so at least it is good to hear that not all subjects will be a challenge

Do happen to remember what was expected in terms of handwriting and the written English ?

I am also consoling myself with the fact that he will have completed a huge chunk of 2nd grade -we will arrive in the UK prob March ,the school year finishes in May here KWIM ?

DS is a second child, very sociable(like your DD ) -I hope that will help him
to adjust.

Does your daughter have a Yorkshire accent now BTW ?

Thanks again