KOH2

If there have been similar threads in this vein I would appreciate being pointed in the right direction.

Basically we've got our flights booked for the end of October but don't want to have the kids going back to school after the summer hols as house sale will be nearing completion by then (we hope) + we have a few trips planned both within the UK & Europe so don't want the hassle of not being able to take them out of school.

Winding down the UK side of things is a long process but who do we need to inform about their education? Is it just the school or the local council too?

TIA

Pollyana

So you plan to tae them out of school for 2 months while still resident in the UK, so they can go on trips with you?
I'd be interested to hear if thats legal, as there have been so many cases of people being fined for taking their kids on holiday in term-time.

Hazelnut

I think you'll need to contact the education department of your local authority. I would be surprised if they didn't insist the children go back to school after summer. I'm not sure of the rules around telling the school that you're moving when it comes to end of term in July and that the children won't be back. How much schools or education authorities follow up to track children that move around the country isn't something I know.

PB65

Someone who has actually done this can comment but you could start by discussing with the head teacher on the basis you are emigrating and end of summer term might be last time kids will attend in UK. With all the changes in UK law in this area not sure what follow up exists if any that you have actually left the country and if it were September might be fine, end October might be a stretch with non attendance. Anyway if were me would start with head teacher to test water with a provisional range of dates without saying you have actually booked anything see what flexibilty there is and if anything agreed get something in writing. If you go straight to the local education authority they probably will just follow the official line.

jmh

Talk to the school before the end of term. The most likely result is that you will not enrol the child at school for the new year. You may be required to agree to educate them at home, but you don't need to follow the curriculum. Visits to sites of historical interest might qualify. This sort of thing happens all the time. Just be honest and discuss it with the school in the first instance. Nothing to worry about.

KOH2

Well, the thing is we might technically be homeless by the end of the summer hols anyway. Unfortunately, selling a house is not an exact science and we can't just give notice as is the case with renting. So we've tagged on the almost 2 months from our expected completion date so that we've got that in reserve if need be. We don't plan on having to come back from NZ to complete the sale.

I've got rellies in Poland that I will want to visit before the final flight anyway & if we make a few trips around the UK & Europe before we leave I'm sure it will be far more educational than two months at school.

We're slowly shutting down our life in the UK - I wish I knew how other people have managed to co-ordinate everything together?

Hazelnut

After we did our fact finding tour we made the decision that we would move from where we are, if at all possible, whether we got NZ visas or not. Ever since our household has lived in a Shrodinger state of uncertainty with some boxes packed, some stuff in 'not taking that to NZ but would keep for a within UK move', quite a lot sold or given to charity and other stuff still out and in use.

I have *no* idea how it all works but plenty of people assure me it does. Having a relaxed attitude has helped, we've faced some pretty hideous challenges over the last two years and they have helped me realise that you don't worry too much about the small stuff, you just keep going, one step at a time and one challenge at a time.

After all, at the end of the day she'll be right

KOH2

We had initially only planned a 'move within the UK' but the unrest in Europe changed that to 'move to hubby's homeland' - big adjustment on our part and definitely a lot more sorting & cleaning

That's what I keep repeating to myself - one box at a time.

Hazelnut

Current political and social developments have also been a factor in our decision making process, both those within UK and those within the wider EU.


There's some amazing people on this forum that have put up with me and kept me sane. Step at a time.

jmh

You don't need to worry about coming back to complete the sale - I sold my house from appointing the agent right through to completion from NZ. The hardest part was transferring my money from Halifax bank to Moneycorp!

simonsi

We just told the school that the children weren't returning after the summer holidays, we flew out early August so no issue. Schools don't per se have any responsibility to ensure children in general are educated, that falls on the local authority. I think for there to be a problem you would have to be reported to the local authority but that might be difficult if you don't have an address by that point. Was the same in 1996 when we went to Saudi, dropping out of education was the least problematic part.

moneypenny20

Something to bear in mind is that when you arrive in NZ, unless you are very quick off the mark to find somewhere to live and get the kids enrolled in school for a month or so, your children will be out of school from mid July to the end of January.

KOH2

Well, we had a plan for keeping them in school till around Xmas but that has just fallen through so they'll be coming together with us on our great adventure, which isn't a bad thing as they can also be involved in decision making re new house and at least they'll be well settled before the start of the school year. Academically they're pretty bright & hopefully they'll settle back into routine soon enough. If we manage we'll try & get them into school ASAP upon our arrival so at least they'll get a taster of what NZ schooling is like before the summer break.

Parnell

I would skip the quilt trip others may put on for taking kids out of school


They will learn more in the transition of country some very valuable life skills "Stress Management", holistic valuations.


Kids adapt and its not so much the content but the love of learning that's important. You can obtain content from local school and home teach for a month or two but come November there's a whole lot going on outdoors to learn in NZ.

moneypenny20

If you can get them in before I honestly would. Ours were out from Mid November to late Jan which isn't much but if they could have had a few weeks at school before the break and made friends I think starting new schools in a new country wouldn't have been so stressful. Also they got bored as bat shit 'helping' choose a house. Being in a car driving around in the height of summer even if we did have air con was not a pleasurable experience for any of us.