norfolkgirl

My daughter is young in her grade here - Freshman here are generally equivalent to y10 at home (first year of GCSE's) but because of when her birthday is she would only be y9 at home!
I have looked at IB programs but there isn't one in our district and it would mean leaving a very good High School if we moved to find one.
With the A level courses at home i'm sure it might be possible to go straight into A levels if you moved back but there just doesn't seem to be an easy way to fit the systems together once you reach high school age here.

I keep reminding myself she is getting other opportunities while we are here!!

Jerseygirl

I thought the beginning of GCSE's at home started in year 9...exams sat at the end of year 10. Years 11 thru 12 for A levels.

avanutria

Does your high school offer AP classes?

norfolkgirl

The old 6th form (upper and lower) years are now years 12 and 13 in the UK.
This means most kids in the US graduate high school a year before their contemporaries in the UK (given the education levels this also explains a little of the need for an extra year in a degree course)
In the UK some schools begin GCSE courses at the end of year 9 (or earlier) but the regular 2 year courses are in years 10 & 11.
I was a primary teacher (pre kids) and went through all the year comparisons with friends and family who teach in the secondary system to make sure I hadn't made any mistakes in my calculations last year!

norfolkgirl

We are looking at whether my daughter might take AP classes later at High School but at our school these are very competitive. She does qualify so that isn't an issue and hearing that they can be equivalent to A Levels is helpful (Oh dear, to take AP Bio she needs to study Chemistry which she hates - looks like I'll need to review my Chem!!)

Jerseygirl

Ah OK. When I was as school it was still upper and lower 6th but I've heard my sister...who was a teacher...referring to year 12 as the year in which A levels are taken.

Celtic_Angel

and how old would the kids be in year 10? my son is 15 next month ..does this mean we would have to be there now for him to begin the GCSE course?

norfolkgirl

I think you'll find his peers in the UK have started GCSE's this year (Sept)

Sally Redux

I'm getting really confused now, but I think you're right. We were toying with going back this year, my daughter would have started GCSE's (she's in 9th grade). 2-year course and then 2 years for A-Levels. So they would leave school at 18, the same age as here, if they took A-Levels.

norfolkgirl

In California the 'birthday year' runs from Dec to Dec (instead of Sept in the UK) So if a child has a birthday before Dec (5th? I think) the grade is the same as the year number. If it is after Dec 5th you take one off the grade to get the UK school year. A levels in y13, High school graduation is 12th grade.
My son is in 6th grade, his UK friends are in y7, his birthday is in April. they will all finish High School/start uni the same year.
My daughter has an October birthday so she is in 9th grade/friends in UK are in y9 but she will finish a year ahead of them if we stay here!

MaineLeedsbloke

My American wife wants to move myself and 2 children both aged 10 back to the UK........I don't share that sentiment. I work at a university here in NH and if we do stay here in the states and I stay within Higher Ed, my kids will be able to go for free at the institution I work at or tutition remission at another college that is connected to my university. I realize that it doesn't give my kids all the options they may like but it at least gives them the choice not to be thousands of dollars in debt. Anyway, just a thought, do universities in the UK give tutition help to staff member children like they do here in the states. Being a Leeds Metropolitan University graduate, I would love my kids to go to a British University and even if they were classified as a foreign student, I would think they would save money and get a better education overall simply based on the fact that most of the degrees being only 3 years and being more structured towards the major (with the exception of Medicine, dentistry and vet science) as opposed to 4 here.

Sally Redux

Presumably that is a private university though? My husband works at a state university and it doen't offer such a scheme. Almost all British universities are state-run, at least for now. Medicine in the US takes even longer, you need a first degree and then a medical degree.

Bob

Depends on the uni....I know a few folks who have parents teaching in various Boston uni's and got tuition for free, but not all the colleges did this. Also didn't cover cost of books or other living expenses like campus stay and food. Still not a bad deal.

Sally Redux

It's a great deal! If he could get into UCLA for free we'd be laughing.

OK so it depends on the area.

taffie77

I don't know how this would affect students coming from overseas, but proposals have been made to lift the cap on course fees at UK Universities:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-11557370