Moving to another country
 

What does this entail? Mainly interested to know how you find a place to live and put your kids into a good 'state' school in the catchment area, bearing in mind that Im guessing you need to apply for secondary one year before term starts.

Hi Kong, when we came here we rented at first, took our time and had a good look around the city. Luck would have it that the area we rented in had just opened a brand new primary and intermediate school, with every facility that you could want. Even better I got a job as a teacher aide there. Kids were fine at that school, but we failed to research the high school, and the one we were zoned to was a nightmare, problems started big time.
Now kids are back home. 1 in high school, 1 going to college in September, but we will have to pay big time for it as we have been away nearly 7 years and she is classed as an overseas student. Still we would have paid college fees big time over here anyway, if we could have got any decent education for her.

Thank you for your reply. So your back in NZ now? I think that I would need to leave for UK for say one year before my son starts his secondary there to get a place to settle down and apply for a school for my son. I mean I can't just get up and go when I decide right, I think I need to do it through the proper channel.

Could I apply for a school for him when Im in the UK but he is not as he'll still be at primary 6 in HK? I was told that even if he does not sit for the SAT's in UK, they would give him some other form of examination.

We are in NZ but 3 girls are in Scotland. 15 year old has not been tested yet, we are hopeful that she will manage the 5th year when it starts in August, and not be held back. She attended school there for 4 weeks before the holidays began, and said she would be fine.
I booked her place at school when she was still in NZ no problem, school was very helpful, and most schools have web sites, and you can look at exam results on the net for each school, can't remember the site, but if you go to British education you will find loads of info. Easier for us as we are going back to our home town, so we know the school.
Scottish schooling system a bit different from English, so can't be of much help, if that's where you are headed.
Good luck with your move.
Linda