Moving from NZ to UK with teenage son - question about timing/education
Dec 2nd 2019, 1:23 am
#1
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Joined: Dec 2019
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Moving from NZ to UK with teenage son - question about timing/education
My son is 15, he'll be starting NCEA next year, and we've been in NZ for around 10-11 years. We've been thinking about moving back to the UK to be near family, and we had pretty much agreed that we'd do it once my son finishes school in 3 years.
I've just realised he'd be classed as an international student for uni in the UK, and I'm not sure how we'd fund that. He wouldn't be eligible for student loans would he?
So my question is, what's the best thing to do education-wise? Move earlier and finish school in the UK so we meet the 3 year residence requirement? Or wait until after he's finished uni in NZ and hope he still wants to move with me? Both options seem terrible but I can't think of an alternative.
I've just realised he'd be classed as an international student for uni in the UK, and I'm not sure how we'd fund that. He wouldn't be eligible for student loans would he?
So my question is, what's the best thing to do education-wise? Move earlier and finish school in the UK so we meet the 3 year residence requirement? Or wait until after he's finished uni in NZ and hope he still wants to move with me? Both options seem terrible but I can't think of an alternative.
Dec 2nd 2019, 8:15 pm
#2
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Joined: Apr 2006
Location: Was Torbay, NZ now North Yorkshire UK
Posts: 813
Re: Moving from NZ to UK with teenage son - question about timing/education
My son is 15, he'll be starting NCEA next year, and we've been in NZ for around 10-11 years. We've been thinking about moving back to the UK to be near family, and we had pretty much agreed that we'd do it once my son finishes school in 3 years.
I've just realised he'd be classed as an international student for uni in the UK, and I'm not sure how we'd fund that. He wouldn't be eligible for student loans would he?
So my question is, what's the best thing to do education-wise? Move earlier and finish school in the UK so we meet the 3 year residence requirement? Or wait until after he's finished uni in NZ and hope he still wants to move with me? Both options seem terrible but I can't think of an alternative.
I've just realised he'd be classed as an international student for uni in the UK, and I'm not sure how we'd fund that. He wouldn't be eligible for student loans would he?
So my question is, what's the best thing to do education-wise? Move earlier and finish school in the UK so we meet the 3 year residence requirement? Or wait until after he's finished uni in NZ and hope he still wants to move with me? Both options seem terrible but I can't think of an alternative.
Dec 4th 2019, 5:05 am
#3
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Joined: Dec 2019
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Re: Moving from NZ to UK with teenage son - question about timing/education
personally I would move back now if you can. My son was 13 when we returned and we put him back a year simply to give him a better chance. I think either that or wait until after uni but as you say that’s a long time and will he leave with you. We left our daughter there, it’s a very long way.
Dec 4th 2019, 10:55 am
#4
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Posts: 21
Re: Moving from NZ to UK with teenage son - question about timing/education
Our son was 15 when we returned in the summer '18. He did the last year of GCSE as he turned 16 in that September. He didn't find it as hard as he thought it would be. the school did give us the opion of going back a year but our son didn't want that.
Dec 4th 2019, 7:22 pm
#5
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Joined: Apr 2006
Location: Was Torbay, NZ now North Yorkshire UK
Posts: 813
Re: Moving from NZ to UK with teenage son - question about timing/education
Did you have any trouble getting a school to agree to put your son back a year? Mine is currently one of the oldest in his year, and going back a year he'd be a lot older than the rest of his class. If the school years matched up it'd be less of a dilemma. I'm 95% sure we're going to do it though.
