New Jersey school query?
 

Hi,
We are looking to temporarily move to New Jersey around May/June time with our son who will have just turned 13 for approx two years.

I have been doing some research around the International Baccalaureate system and I am a bit confused. I have found a couple of schools that teach up to Grade 8 but where do I go from there to complete the middle years programme.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated. :)

General school query
 

If you move from the U.K. to the USA with a 13 year old, is there the equivalent of a GCSE type qualification at 16 years of age ?

From reading various school curriculums it looks like once you enter high school you are working towards your High School Diploma at 18 years of age which is equivalent to our A levels, is this correct?

Our move to the USA maybe temporary, 1 or 2 years and we are trying to ensure if we do return in this timeframe our son is not disadvantaged by having to be put back a year school wise to complete his GCSEs.

Thanks for any guidance or advice.

Re: New Jersey school query?
 

Which part of NJ are you planning to move to? North Jersey? South Jersey?

You could check with this (private) school and they may be able to point you in the right direction if you are going to be resident in another part of the State.

Newark Academy isn't actually in Newark - it is located in an affluent area between Short Hills and Livingston, so if you will be working in NYC or at a pharma eg. Novartis/Merck/Celgene then you may want to take a look at this school:

http://www.newarka.edu/internationalbaccalaureate?rc=0 (Hope you have a deep pocket though!) :lol:

Re: New Jersey school query?
 

I think the IB program is specifically for high schools (9-12 grades). Although in saying that our school district was going to offer this program starting in junior high, well it sounded that way, all very confusing. In the end they didn't have enough interest so they put it on hold. That doesn't answer your question, but unless you're going to do a private school, you'll want to find a good public school. Unless of course there's a British school (I don't think there's one in New Jersey) that you want to spend the money for.

Re: General school query
 

No
Yes, however a HS diploma is in no way equivalent to A levels.
Had you thought of a private or magnet school offering an International Baccalaureate?

Personally I wouldn't move a teenager between schools even once in the same country unless there was absolutely no alternative. Planning to do so (potentially) twice, and internationally to boot, seems to be quite unfair. :unsure:

Re: New Jersey school query?
 

Nope - no British schools in NJ.

There is one in NYC - I don't know much about it but did hear that most of the pupils are American, especially in the youngest age group. In the British system children start school at an earlier age than in the US schools - therefore some very competitive American families enroll their child(ren) in the British school and later switch to the US school system.

Re: General school query
 

Absolutely agree with you there!

And an Associates degree is more comparable to A levels over here.

Re: General school query
 

We moved to the US last June with our 12 year old. She had almost completed YR 7 at secondary school. We are due to return to the UK next May (2015). This gives her 2 years to do her GCSE's. We will get a private tutor so she can catch up on any missing work, but her school did say they would offer support and she would not have to drop back a year. I should add that we have kept our house in the UK and would return to it and hopefully get our daughter back into the same school.

However, there is the chance that we could stay longer - hubby is keen to stay an extra year. This would put a spanner in the works and I would have to contact the school to find out how they would handle a student starting in Yr 11. We would not have a issue if the school drops her back a year. There's no law that she has to start university 18. If you do a search on the MBTTUK board there are posts from parents whose children have returned to the UK at 16, 17 and 18 and how they have slotted back into either sixth form/college or university.

Re: New Jersey school query?
 

Just saw your other post - we are also in NJ up in Bergen County.

Re: New Jersey school query?
 

There are the two university "entry" exams, one or both usually taken late in Grade 11 (roughly age 17) or early in Grade 12 (age 18). They aren't administered by the school or the state however, but by private companies.

The SAT and the ACT.
http://sat.collegeboard.org/register/when-to-take-sat
http://www.act.org/products/k-12-act-test/

Re: New Jersey school query?
 

We really do need to know the area. My local high school offered the IB program...but that's no use to the OP unless they are moving into the catchment area.

Re: New Jersey school query?
 

Thanks everyone for your feedback, it's very much appreciated.
Hubby will be work based in Jersey City and Older son is hoping to go to NYU. I think we are aiming to move to North Jersey area.