Hello

Have been in Australia for past 2 years and for various reasons considering moving back to UK end of 2014. My son will have almost completed Year 10 in Australia and his UK peer group would be just starting Year 11 i.e.. GCSE year in the UK. Any experience of children of this age moving back and how they managed at school..

Thanks in advance.

If you move your son at that stage, I don't think he will not be able to take GCSE exams as he would need to be entered in year 10 in the UK IIRC.

Hi our youngest moved back just as he had started year 12 in Aus (tee year) he started 6th form here in the UK and has done very well, he took a gap year (to earn money) and starts Uni this September our oldest went straight to Uni and has just graduated with a 1st, both our boys spent nearly all their education in Aus, they have both not had any problems with the education here (apart from our youngest who said English Lit/Lang here in the UK was much in depth and that he really enjoyed it) good luck

That's really good to hear Brits! So not having GCSEs wasn't a handicap to them?

I think the equivalent of GSCE (the school certificate) was abandoned in Australia last year. One of my boys is also in year ten. I think this has led to a lack of focus with the only real examination prior to University is the Higher School Certificate (HSC).

We are also thinking of moving back at the end of 2014 for lots of different reasons but one of which is education...I totally agree that there is lack of focus especially when they hit year 10/11 and have another 2 years of school to do before they get a "certificate"! Doesn't seem a lot for 12 years of schooling especially when you compare it to the UK, they can leave with upto 10 GCSE's and a couple of A levels by the end of year 12.

No, our youngest is attending Uni with an Advanced Btec with *** distinctions, he differed his place at Uni for a year (to work and earn extra money for his fee's as his elder brother has left Uni without any debt and he wants to do the same..a bit harder as the fee's are more expensive now) in his gap year he gained 3 GCSE's because he wanted to keep his brain active lol and was even thinking of A/S level studies but decided to start Uni this September as planned.

We were acutally talking about that today with our Sons and they told tales (gulp lol) of how other students really just took lessons as a bit of a joke unless they were going to take Tee's in years 11 and 12, it seems really weird that you can attend school for 12 years (some leave before then) and have not to have sit a formal exam qualification, seems a bit of a lack of drive to strive etc. but hey hoe it must work to some extent.

If you do move back try and not worry to much (lol as if) about Education etc....as we had sooooo much help and advice etc in helping our two Sons get to where and what they wanted to achieve educational wise, I would look ten years younger if I'd known that lol before we left Aus.

Hi Pom22. I echo Brits1, don't stress about it too much. GCSEs are a two year course, but in certain subjects, like Maths, maybe English, or languages, your son will probably have learnt similar stuff.
The school will most likely do what is needed to give him a good chance.
There may be some pieces of coursework he will need to do.
I spent several years teaching kids for GCSE, and covering everything in a short period of time. These were kids that had missed a lot of school due to exclusion or illness. The courses last two years in school, but can be done in less!