School years when moving back.

[Ramblingrosie]

Hi everyone,

 

A slightly odd question as we haven't even moved out to Australia yet! We are heading out to Brisbane on a 3 year posting at the end of the month with our 4 children. My older two (who are in year 2 and reception here) are both August babies (I'm sure I can still refer to them as babies despite being 6 and 4!) and are both going to end up dropping a year in Australia because of the ways the years there fall and I was wondering if anyone had moved back to the UK and been able to keep them in the Australian years? Does that even make sense to anyone?

 

​Rosie, x

[caramac]

We tried it with our youngest who was born in June, but 6 weeks early. She was going to a state primary and they wouldn't let her go into reception instead of year 1 despite her not having started any full time schooling in Australia. It wasn't good and in retrospect I wish we'd sent her straight to the independent one her sisters were at. They would have been much more accommodating.

Will you be returning to where you live now? If so, it might be worth checking what their current school's policy is. I do think state school are pretty intransigent though.

Good luck!

[PaulRaynor]

Hi Rosie,

 

I am a primary school teacher here in Brisbane and can let you know that your elder daughter would be in year 1 when you arrive. The little one would be pre-prep age until January. As the academic year is the same as the calendar year they would also not be the youngest in their class which could be a good thing.

 

I have also taught in the UK and returning to the same year group as theirs in Australia has proved a little difficult. It probably depends on an individual school or the LEA's policy. Important thing to remember is that their peer groups will be nearly a year and a half further on in the system when you get home although it shouldn't make a lot of difference at their ages.

 

It is entering secondary school where the problems begin.

 

​Paul

[Ramblingrosie]

Thanks for your help, both of you - The Eldest's teacher did suggest that it might be possible, but I wondered if anyone had actually done it. The matter is slightly complicated by her having mild Aspergers. They will be going into a private school in Brisbane and I had wondered whether to see if they could stay in the same years as they are now, but I think they may struggle with that socially. The littler ones will be ok because they will stay in the same year group (being a january and an october birth), even if they are a few months behind. I had looked into a montessouri because the year groups are more fluid, but I think that she's too old to start at one of those now. Oh well, what will be will be!

[Alaska]

As it's a short term posting then I would be inclined to keep them in the years they are in now when they come to Brisbane which I think should be agreed from what I have heard.

They were the youngest in the year in the UK and they will effectively only be 2 months younger in Brisbane (due to the end of June cut off rather than August) if that makes sense!

[Ramblingrosie]

As it's a short term posting then I would be inclined to keep them in the years they are in now when they come to Brisbane which I think should be agreed from what I have heard.

They were the youngest in the year in the UK and they will effectively only be 2 months younger in Brisbane (due to the end of June cut off rather than August) if that makes sense!

 

Thanks, I think we will definitely discuss it with the school. If we were going to be in Oz permanently, then I'd have no qualms at all about them dropping down a year - I think it would be better for them - it's just the move back that makes it hard.