Worried about my sons education
 

We are planning a move back to Huddersfield the summer of 2015 from aputh carolina. My son will be 13 and going into year 9. He does great in school here...all A student, very polite, behaves in school. I am worried about him not fitting in and maybe struggling with a whole new curriculum. Has anyone else had experience with this?

Re: Worried about my sons education
 

Any move is going to be difficult. But 13 is a good age to be moving to a new system. 15 would be too late to be a good age.

Depending on his birth date you might want to consider carefully which year to place him in. Remember the UK school date system selects around date of birth before or after August, not so most of the USA.

Re: Worried about my sons education
 

Obviously no one wants to disrupt their child's education or make things more difficult than they need to be. I offer this I moved around the same age for an 18 month period at that age due to my parents moving abroad and making a mistake. It did not seem to affect me (I hear the coughs and smirks as your reading this). If you want to return don't let it stop you. Think of all the military and diplomatic employee children around the world who move. I know many go to specialized schools but many don't. Of US military children who move approx once every three years, although not ideal - the positive is that they invariably develop an extremely well informed way of dealing with others and being able to interact with people extremely well.

Now Huddersfield well thats another story...;)

Re: Worried about my sons education
 

His birthday is September 21st so he will turn 14 right After school starts if I am correct?

Re: Worried about my sons education
 

That means that, in the ordinary way, he would be expected to be one of the oldest children among his peers. In the UK education system that is.

Re: Worried about my sons education
 

Is he one of the oldest in the year at his current school, or does the year start date work the other way for him over there (is he one of the youngest in his year)?

Being one of the oldest in his year is a better situation for him than if it were the other way around, socially.

However, If he's one of the youngest in his current year (what grade is he in, and what grade would he be headed to if you were staying?), and becoming one of the oldest in his year here, that could mean that educationally, he is repeating a school year (obviously, contingent on the curriculum content in the two countries, of course). Unless I'm doing my maths wrong, of course (my brain is fried at the moment).

As much as, or more important than, his age relative to his year-group peers is what the relative educational level is where you are now, compared to what curriculum level he enters here. Lots of people on here have brought kids back and can give you an idea of relative educational levels between countries and whether it's best for him to enter his age-determined year group or the one above.

Re: Worried about my sons education
 

Thanks for your thoughts :) and as far as Huddersfield goes, I lived there till I was 19 so I know what I'm in for...that's why the area I'm looking at is Shepley, shelley area...close enough to Wakefield and Barnsley too

Re: Worried about my sons education
 

He should be entering the 8th grade in the us in 2015 and he is also he oldest in his grade like he would be in the uk. I guess when you consider kindergarten is the same as year 1 in england, he would be at the same point in his education over there. He's in 5th grade here right now. I think my concerns are Maybe more to do with socially than academically. He is intellectual and does well in school. He should adapt ok, other than being behind on languages..no French and German here. He plays soccer at club level here so that would be a way he could make friends, but from what I remember, the kids in england are so streetwise and try to be grown up too soon, he is right now still a boy and I wonder how he will fit in.

Re: Worried about my sons education
 

Yes, US children are in general probably more naive or protected than in the UK - they are taken everywhere by car, have "playdates" at home rather than going off on their own with their mates, etc.

I missed the fact that your move is several years away - so that's good, you can plan ahead.

If you are concerned about languages, maybe he could have some private lessons in the US to get him ready for the UK? Or is that not feasible?

I take care of US students who come over here on exchange (I work at a university) and although they are more naive, they are usually very popular - hopefully that uniqueness may go in his favour too, when he enters UK secondary school.

Re: Worried about my sons education
 

Or even get a used copy of the 12 disk DVD set called "French in Action". Self study on a computer and excellent material.

Re: Worried about my sons education
 

Good point. We assume we need teachers to learn, but especially for bright children self-directed learning is an alternative (and sometimes more effective) option.

Re: Worried about my sons education
 

Good luck for your move back to Huddersfield :) Maybe contact Shelley College (from what you've said I'm guessing that's the school you'll be aiming to be in the catchment area for) and ask about school support with languages and social adaptation?

Re: Worried about my sons education
 

Thanks everyone for taking the time to post. Great idea on the French discs. @adele, yes shelley college is the school I would be looking at. I went there when it was shelley high and I would like a school with a good 6th form. I will contact them and see what they recommend. :)

Re: Worried about my sons education
 

Just trying to be funny about Huddersfield. I have no problem with it. Good luck

Re: Worried about my sons education
 

I'm from the other side of town but my first BF was from Shepley and went to Shelley High! He did A-levels in 1999.

All the best with it all :)

Re: Worried about my sons education
 

Shelley and Shepley are beautiful scenic parts of outer Huddersfield as you know, not far away from everywhere, it is an idyllic place to live, all the best.

Re: Worried about my sons education
 

We moved from the American public school system to the UK state school system with teenagers. At age 13/14 (which would have been 8th grade in the US/entered Year 9 in the UK) he went from a smallish, excellent, very child-centred American middle school to a large UK secondary school, also with a great reputation. He was/is very bright and well-behaved, and had thrived in his previous school both socially and academically. He struggled in his new British school, finding the behaviour of the other pupils frivolous & wild, the classrooms chaotic and noisy, discipline lacking, uniform rules "stupid", and the intellectual level of the material he was taught--supposedly preparing pupils for GCSE's--not challenging enough.

I think the key to a smooth international transition is VERY individual, and depends very much on the kind of child you have, what kind of school he's coming from, and what kind he's going to. It's good you're so familiar with the school he would (hopefully) be attending. I wish I'd prepared my son more for the differences in curriculum that seemed to really kick in Year 9. All his classes seemed to be teaching straight to the GCSE's, whereas his American middle school had no test-focussed orientation and allowed the pupils a lot of creative leeway. But again, that's all part of the differences between the systems followed by each school, and can vary so much.

We eventually found a great British school that nurtured our son, but I wish I'd done more delving into the different schools available locally before rather than after we moved. We'd have saved him a difficult transition. But we also met Americans whose children of similar age did fine.

Re: Worried about my sons education
 

Re education, my 2 sons just turned (last couple of weeks) 13 and 15, they are Aussie and have restarted yr 7 and yr 10 in the UK, because our school year in Oz starts in January. They are both a year older than their peers but because of the school system it was imperative that my older son especially started yr 10 in the UK . My younger son looks and acts slot older than his peers... We are from inner Sydney and they are at a school in the country UK, we have now asked the school to re-access my younger son to see if he can be now moved up to year 8 as he is so much more mature... The school are looking at his ability academically and will make a decision shortly.
As for socially my boys are loving the school, they are fortunate as it's a small private school with many students from all over the world. They are currently boarding while I finish up the move and wait for my visa in Sydney..... They have never boarded before and luckily are loving the school and new experience. My boys are not particularly academic.... They are into the arts and love sport..... My older son is a little shy but loves the lack of "jock" mentality at their UK school and his aloofness ia now not so much a standard issue with him.... In short it's working out well.

Re language, both my boys did French at school in OZ, but my older son dropped it for yr 10 here, as ut is compulsory at the UK school we had him do some private tuition prior to starting school in the UK.

Good luck ! You have plenty of time to plan and organize, unlike us we only had a couple of months.

Re: Worried about my sons education
 

Our kids have really taken to their news school here very well and have made some great friends. There is definitely more discipline here which is fantastic, their old school in Brisbane was pretty lax. We did worry that they wouldnt take to wearing a more formal uniform and especially a tie but it was no problem at all.
As has been said every case will be different and is so dependant on where you came from and where you are going to.

Re: Worried about my sons education
 

Haha! Yes every case if different... The school my sons went to in Sydney is a very traditional boys school... Strict on uniform, detentions for looking at the teacher the wrong way etc etc.... The school we chose for them in the UK has no school uniform, teachers are called by their first name and it's co-Ed .... They are loving it and enjoying the teachers not sweating the small stuff.... It's an arts based school which really suits my sons .

Re: Worried about my sons education
 

I must admit I like the discipline aspect of their current school, I hate the idea of calling teachers by their first names. I havent heard of a school quite as 'relaxed' as that.

Re: Worried about my sons education
 

Yes difficult to get used to calling the teachers by their first name, and I find no uniform a pain because it costs more to dress the boys.... However the ethos at the school is marvelous for my boys , being that they are both strong in the arts ( both my husband and I work in the arts). I did sayvto my husband though , that I wouldn't have wanted our boys to have done all their schooling at such a liberal school, it's a good balance to have experienced both.
The teaching for the arts far outstrips the school they were at in Sydney ( even though it pertained to supporting artistic pursuits compared to other boys schools in Sydney ) Not only that the teachers for maths and the sciences has engaged my boys.... What more can you want? Perhaps a little more focus on sport . It's a balance of experience and what works for the needs of your children.

Re: Worried about my sons education
 

i really dont get why they teach French in schools anymore...nobody speaks French outside of France except in Quebec and a few west African countries..Spanish is far more useful as a second language globally.

Re: Worried about my sons education
 

It is hard when children are involved in moves (even a move to a different suburbs is bad enough let along another country) I use to worry myself to bits about returning with our two sons, my DOH use to drive me mad lol with his "it will all work out" etc and in the end it has/does. Fitting in with the Education is not so bad, we found the Schools/Teachers here in the UK to be really use to having students from overseas that they made it easier for our two to fit in, both have done well with their studies and have/are going to Uni here. I would do my homework on the best schools in the area you are thinking of returning to and try not to worry to much in front of your Son as they can pick up on that, the Students here are not like they are painted out in the press, you get good and bad in all walks of life. Best wishes