lenandsons

Good afternoon folks, we are thinking about moving back from Canada, however our son aged 15 has just started his second last year of high school here in Ontario and our daughter starts high school next year(she is in final year of middle school) What are the challenges they are likely to face especially in terms of GCSE's etc? Will we struggle to get them accepted by high schools based on the differences between the Canadian school system and the UK?
?

Pollyana

Can't help you directly, but to help others who have more knowledge of schools - what month/year were your children born, just to help work out which UK year they would be in.

lenandsons

Hi son is December and daughter is November

lenandsons

Is there a Canadian school in the UK? Thinking that if getting my teens into a UK school is a hassle, potentially that could be resolved with a Canadian school??

christmasoompa

You won't struggle to get them accepted - by law the council has to give your children places. No guarantee it will be in your first choice of school of course, particularly if you're moving to a very oversubscribed area, but they will definitely be able to attend school.

cyrian

Sorry, I disagree about getting into a school.
It depends on where you are living in the UK.
My DD has just moved from London and London was a total nightmare in trying to get a school.
There are lots of private schools because the state schools are overloaded.
To change from primary to secondary in the private sector you need to apply to several private schools and hope that one of them accepts your child,
She moved to Scotland in the summer to an area with some of the best state schools in Scotland and there is a lot of pressure on places in each school.
It really depends on the area that you are moving to.
I suggest that you establish the area and then focus in of appropriate schools.
HTH

christmasoompa

Many state schools are overloaded, but each child is legally entitled to a place at a school (certainly in England - no idea on Scotland). As above, it just may not be their choice of school, but a child won't be without any school at all as the local authority has a legal requirement to provide a place for every child between the age of 5 and 16.

cyrian

That is absolutely correct but the schools that are left with places are often the schools the other parents have avoided.
My DD lived in Wandsworth in London and each child had to sit an exam and were allocated a school according to their results.
The local school had metal detectors at the entrance.
If all you want for your child is any school then that is fine but if you are looking for your child to go to a better school then you need to do your homework properly.
The allocation of places in Wandsworth was (I think) in March/April for the September intake.

christmasoompa

So we're basically saying the same thing then. The OP was asking about getting them in to *any* school, and that's what I responded to.

cyrian

Sorry, I missed where they said "any" school.
They were asking about challenges they could face and I was trying to point out that in some areas of the UK there can be problems even for those who are already in the system.
I think that the OP should address the potential problems in whatever area of the country they will move to and tackle the mis-match between the UK and Canadian system after that.
My GSs have had to adjust to the different systems between England and Scotland.
The older boy missed out on being able to choose certain subjects because they were already full when he was accepted into the school.
He had to take French when previously he had taken Spanish in England and he therefore lost out in over a year of French lessons.
The school has provided additional support to bring his French up to the level required.
The OPs older child may also not be able to choose the same subjects that he had studied in Canada.
The younger child should be easier to accommodate.
There are league tables for state schools in England Here
HTH

lenandsons

Thanks for all the replies, one of my biggest concerns for my eldest is how do we accommodate things like GCSE'S etc. I have never had a school age kid in the UK and having grown up and done my own schooling in South Africa, I am unclear on all the key milestones.

christmasoompa

You've not said when you're actually thinking of moving or to which country? Assuming England/Wales rather than Scotland, and assuming your son hasn't turned 15 in the past 3 weeks, then he'll be Year 11 now, which is GCSE year. No way I'd consider moving him until after that (June 2024 onwards) personally, chucking him in when everybody else is just about ready for their exams and they're essentially just spending the rest of the year revising (two lots of mocks - usually November and February, then the real exams start in April) would be hell for him. But if you're not planning on moving until next summer anyway then that won't be an issue.

Even if he's turned 15 since September (and is therefore Year 10) I still wouldn't move him personally. So either way I'd wait until he would be entering Year 12, as that's a natural gap and a good point for him to join the system for the last two years of schooling after GCSE's are finished.

cyrian

You should consider where your son's future lies.
If he decides to move back to Canada with UK qualifications then he will be at a disadvantage.
If he decides to stay in the UK with Canadian qualifications then he will be at a disadvantage.
As I said above, you need to choose your location in the UK and then identify schools.
You could then speak directly with the school and ask their advice.
It could be that they suggest that the older child drops back a year to align with the UK system.
Another option could be to go to college when he leaves school and upgrade any qualifications if required.
You need to speak with a professional in education in the UK.

lenandsons

Hi all, so we will be moving to England. Looking like April 2024. My son turned 15 December 2022, so by the time we return, he will be 16. My daughter will turn 13 in November 2023.

christmasoompa

OK, so he'll be moving in the year of GCSE's. They start in April so essentially he'd be expected to rock up in a new school and sit 3 or 4 weeks worth of exams for something he doesn't know about straight away - I would strongly suggest you delay your move! If you move a little bit later then he can just start school in September 2024, and do either A Levels, the IB program, T Levels, or a vocational type course. Tons of options these days for kids for whatever he is interested in. And all translate just fine for uni abroad, my daughter has applied to uni in Canada and the US with A Levels and had no issues at all.

Good luck.