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US child support payments to UK bank account. Getting my US kids into UK schools.

US child support payments to UK bank account. Getting my US kids into UK schools.

Old Jul 29th 2016, 3:30 pm
  #16  
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Default Re: US child support payments to UK bank account. Getting my US kids into UK schools.

Originally Posted by Mdauphin
I'm most likely going to my mums so I can use that address for the time being.
Then you can find out which school(s) your kids will be "allocated" to and you can contact the school(s) and make your situation known.
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Old Jul 29th 2016, 5:06 pm
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Default Re: US child support payments to UK bank account. Getting my US kids into UK schools.

We returned to the UK in May 2015 after spending 2 years in the US. At time our daughter was aged 14 and was returning to school at the tail-end of Year 9, just in time to chose her GCSE's.

My advice to you is to contact the Local Authority for the area that you are returning to. They will explain to you the admissions process and the necessary documentation that you will need to supply in order to receive a school place.

I called our LA from the US and they were able to tell me which schools had places available for my daughter's year group.

I could not apply for a place from the US as the LA required a Council Tax bill in our names, even though we were returning to our property and could supply mortgage and bank statements. I'm in London though where schools are oversubscribed and places are at a premium.

Once back in the UK I had the Council Tax changed into our names and applied for my daughter's school place. I knew that our preferred school did not have any places so my daughter went onto their waiting list and started at our second choice of school. She settled in so well that we decided to leave her at the school and took her off the waiting list for the other one. She's now completed Year 10 and has recently sat 2 GCSE's and will sit a further 8 next year.

This leads me to a second point. I notice that one of your children is 15 and if you are returning this year would be starting Year 11. This is the year that children will sit their GCSE exams which are studied over a 2 year period. I'm not sure how they will deal with your child as I don't think it would be possible to complete all of the GCSE's in one year. This is something that you must discuss directly with the school.

I am happy to help if you require any further information.
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Old Jul 29th 2016, 5:30 pm
  #18  
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Default Re: US child support payments to UK bank account. Getting my US kids into UK schools.

Originally Posted by Novocastrian
Was that in the 1950s or the 1960s?
I did the same in 2013, not much has changed in Wales But the school wasn't oversubscribed.
Edited to add, I use a local credit union to where we lived in California.
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Old Jul 29th 2016, 5:54 pm
  #19  
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Default Re: US child support payments to UK bank account. Getting my US kids into UK schools.

Originally Posted by HartleyHare
We returned to the UK in May 2015 after spending 2 years in the US. At time our daughter was aged 14 and was returning to school at the tail-end of Year 9, just in time to chose her GCSE's.

My advice to you is to contact the Local Authority for the area that you are returning to. They will explain to you the admissions process and the necessary documentation that you will need to supply in order to receive a school place.

I called our LA from the US and they were able to tell me which schools had places available for my daughter's year group.

I could not apply for a place from the US as the LA required a Council Tax bill in our names, even though we were returning to our property and could supply mortgage and bank statements. I'm in London though where schools are oversubscribed and places are at a premium.

Once back in the UK I had the Council Tax changed into our names and applied for my daughter's school place. I knew that our preferred school did not have any places so my daughter went onto their waiting list and started at our second choice of school. She settled in so well that we decided to leave her at the school and took her off the waiting list for the other one. She's now completed Year 10 and has recently sat 2 GCSE's and will sit a further 8 next year.

This leads me to a second point. I notice that one of your children is 15 and if you are returning this year would be starting Year 11. This is the year that children will sit their GCSE exams which are studied over a 2 year period. I'm not sure how they will deal with your child as I don't think it would be possible to complete all of the GCSE's in one year. This is something that you must discuss directly with the school.

I am happy to help if you require any further information.
Thank you that was very helpful. I am concerned about the GCSEs. My daughter is in AP classes here and doing well. I don't want to mess her education up and this move is bad timing in that regard. I'll contact the LA as you suggested.
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Old Jul 30th 2016, 1:08 am
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Default Re: US child support payments to UK bank account. Getting my US kids into UK schools.

Schooling is a media frenzy subject at the moment which is whinnying hear stories of all extremes.

Each school has a catchment area. If your catchment school has space (there is discrepancy over published admission numbers per year group and overall capacity so make sure these are both ok - more relevant to primary) then it's easy And they can be in school the next day.

If you want out of catchment you are relying on them having space.

If no where has space, something called fair access protocol comes into play and the la will force a school to take the child (the rules for this vary la to la, some it's catchment school others it's one within a distance). This might take a bit longer to sort but not too much longer.

If you know the school you want or local authority, start emailing ASAP - they can reserve your place using an address out of catchment if they have spaces and are offering to out of catchment. Even just having dialogue with them is always useful to get an idea of spaces and process for that catchment.
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Old Jul 30th 2016, 3:05 am
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Default Re: US child support payments to UK bank account. Getting my US kids into UK schools.

Originally Posted by bert07
Schooling is a media frenzy subject at the moment which is whinnying hear stories of all extremes.

Each school has a catchment area. If your catchment school has space (there is discrepancy over published admission numbers per year group and overall capacity so make sure these are both ok - more relevant to primary) then it's easy And they can be in school the next day.

If you want out of catchment you are relying on them having space.

If no where has space, something called fair access protocol comes into play and the la will force a school to take the child (the rules for this vary la to la, some it's catchment school others it's one within a distance). This might take a bit longer to sort but not too much longer.

If you know the school you want or local authority, start emailing ASAP - they can reserve your place using an address out of catchment if they have spaces and are offering to out of catchment. Even just having dialogue with them is always useful to get an idea of spaces and process for that catchment.
Blackpool!
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Old Jul 30th 2016, 3:12 am
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Default Re: US child support payments to UK bank account. Getting my US kids into UK schools.

[QUOTE=Mdauphin;12015538]Blackpool![/QUOTET

Oops posted too fast. I'm going back to Blackpool area
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Old Jul 30th 2016, 7:38 am
  #23  
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Default Re: US child support payments to UK bank account. Getting my US kids into UK schools.

These should help:

https://www.blackpool.gov.uk/Residen...ation-form.pdf


https://www.blackpool.gov.uk/Residen...-policies.aspx

Ofsted school inspection reports can be found at: https://reports.ofsted.gov.uk
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Old Jul 31st 2016, 1:33 pm
  #24  
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Default Re: US child support payments to UK bank account. Getting my US kids into UK schools.

I live in an area where there is only one secondary school. My youngest went there in 2013. Admission was very simple. Of course I have choice - I could have sent mine to Cheltenham Ladies College ! My bank manager would not let me.

Last edited by scot47; Jul 31st 2016 at 1:38 pm.
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Old Jul 31st 2016, 2:23 pm
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Default Re: US child support payments to UK bank account. Getting my US kids into UK schools.

In terms of child support, the best piece of advice I received when going through my divorce in the US before returning with my kids was to lodge my divorce agreement with the county child support office so that they can do a formal child support order.

However amicable an agreement you think you have with your soon to be ex, once you leave the country you cannot guarantee your ex will make payment and it will be difficult to enforce on your own. Honestly, having the local county child support on side has been an absolute god send - they set up a garnishment order so that the child support is deducted from his wages by his employer and paid directly into my US bank account and every 2 years they do a cost of living rise and they also represent me if he ever disputes the rise. Plus if there is a change of circumstances i.e. your income goes down then they will re-calculate the child support due from him to you and will enforce it.

I cannot recommend enough that you do the same and speak to your county child support office - it acts as an insurance policy for you and gives you peace of mind.

Last edited by bromleygirl; Jul 31st 2016 at 2:24 pm. Reason: typo
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Old Aug 2nd 2016, 3:35 am
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Default Re: US child support payments to UK bank account. Getting my US kids into UK schools.

Originally Posted by HartleyHare
Using the emails in these links, email the admissions team and ask what spaces your catchmeny schools and any others you want checking. They will also be able to confirm their current process.

(I have been able to apply and secure our places from overseas for September - not blackpoll though)
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Old Aug 2nd 2016, 2:57 pm
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Default Re: US child support payments to UK bank account. Getting my US kids into UK schools.

Does anyone know it it helps the kids get a school place faster if they have a UK passport? Mine have US passports and could get UK ones but I'm not sure how long it takes. I read someone on these forums once say they left the US on the US passport and entered the UK on the UK passport but I don't know if that's dodgy.
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Old Aug 2nd 2016, 3:08 pm
  #28  
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Default Re: US child support payments to UK bank account. Getting my US kids into UK schools.

Originally Posted by Mdauphin
Does anyone know it it helps the kids get a school place faster if they have a UK passport? Mine have US passports and could get UK ones but I'm not sure how long it takes. I read someone on these forums once say they left the US on the US passport and entered the UK on the UK passport but I don't know if that's dodgy.
Thats what we did.
US says you have to leave and enter US on US passports, but we enter UK on UK ones. We have no 6 month stamps in our US passports. Not dodgy at all.
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Old Aug 2nd 2016, 3:18 pm
  #29  
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Default Re: US child support payments to UK bank account. Getting my US kids into UK schools.

Originally Posted by Mummy in the foothills
Thats what we did.
US says you have to leave and enter US on US passports, but we enter UK on UK ones. We have no 6 month stamps in our US passports. Not dodgy at all.
Ok good, thanks. I'll have to see how long it would take to get them.
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Old Aug 8th 2016, 7:36 am
  #30  
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Default Re: US child support payments to UK bank account. Getting my US kids into UK schools.

You really need UK passports for the kids ASAP. If they enter the UK on the US passports, they will get a 'visitor stamp', and you may well need to provide proof of right to settle in the UK.
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