Guest jacobs creek Posted January 10, 2009 Share Posted January 10, 2009 My daughter just turned 13 in November so I am, trying to work out when is the best time to move from the UK regardin her education. She is set to start Year 9 (first year of high school) in September 09. So I thought that it would be better for her to do her GCSEs in the UK then go to University in Australia. But after reading some previous threads it seems that this my not be the best way to do it. She will take her GSCEs in Year 10 and 11. So I assumed she could do her A-levels or whatever the Australian equivalent was and then apply to an Australian Uni. What would be the best way which will cause the least disruption to her education. Any advice very grateful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ellie2 Posted January 10, 2009 Share Posted January 10, 2009 We waited so our twin girls could do their A levels but found for us to be the wrong thing to do. As they met boys ect, the older they got the more they didnt want to leave their friends. But now they are here they love it and one of them started at uni last February, but we could have been here instead of waiting for them to do thier A levels. Christine Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest prettyinpink Posted January 10, 2009 Share Posted January 10, 2009 My son had just finished year 9 when we moved out here. Because of the school year difference (Oz schools break up in Dec not July) he ended up doing the last term of year 10 (equivalent to UK year 9 in this case) which gave him a good foundation knowledge for the WA system in schools. He then picked his options and will do the last 2 remaining years in Oz senior school. We found this worked well for him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest jacobs creek Posted January 11, 2009 Share Posted January 11, 2009 My son had just finished year 9 when we moved out here. Because of the school year difference (Oz schools break up in Dec not July) he ended up doing the last term of year 10 (equivalent to UK year 9 in this case) which gave him a good foundation knowledge for the WA system in schools. He then picked his options and will do the last 2 remaining years in Oz senior school. We found this worked well for him. Thanks. I'm still not sure what to do yet. What is the Australians equivalent to UKs GCSEs? What year do they start them? Mel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest prettyinpink Posted January 11, 2009 Share Posted January 11, 2009 Thanks. I'm still not sure what to do yet. What is the Australians equivalent to UKs GCSEs? What year do they start them? Mel Hiya Mel, each state differs in their approach to education. so what may be for WA may not be for QLD. This link provides a useful overview of the differing systems and gives some good onwards links to the Australian Qualifications Framework Education in Australia - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Hope that helps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quoll Posted January 11, 2009 Share Posted January 11, 2009 My daughter just turned 13 in November so I am, trying to work out when is the best time to move from the UK regardin her education. She is set to start Year 9 (first year of high school) in September 09. So I thought that it would be better for her to do her GCSEs in the UK then go to University in Australia. But after reading some previous threads it seems that this my not be the best way to do it. She will take her GSCEs in Year 10 and 11. So I assumed she could do her A-levels or whatever the Australian equivalent was and then apply to an Australian Uni. What would be the best way which will cause the least disruption to her education. Any advice very grateful. Doesnt quite work like that here unfortunately. In all states the final two years of school - years 11 and 12 (forget what year she would have been in UK, it's all irrelevant) are the crucial ones. If you miss a good part of that course then you can be seriously disadvantaged with respect to your university entrance score. If you come and do just year 12 you wont have enough credits to pass. GCSEs are to all extents irrelevant unless there is a chance she will want to resume her education or employment at some stage in UK. I would say that if you can get her here in time to do year 11 from the beginning then that would be the best time. As she is 13 she would usually be in year 8 here this year so you have a bit of time. I also disagree with the comment that it was a waste of time doing A levels - I think if you are going to move and havent moved by the time the kids turn 16 and go into year 11 then the best thing to do is to wait until A levels because they are considered university entry equivalents. They also carry the possibility that if Aus doesnt work out then a kid has the opportunity to go back into uni (even if they may have to pay international student fees). You also need lower grades at A levels for most Aus uni courses than you do for UK courses afaik. In this case, I would say come sooner rather than later because she is still young enough to fit nicely into the Aus system, whichever state you go to and not quite old enough to be getting boyfriends which will tie her (or so she thinks) to UK. As long as you know absolutely there is no chance of you going home then dont bother about GCSEs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quoll Posted January 11, 2009 Share Posted January 11, 2009 Thanks. I'm still not sure what to do yet. What is the Australians equivalent to UKs GCSEs? What year do they start them? Mel There is no equivalent to GCSEs. Kids either finish up at the end of year 10 or they go on to year 12 which is more akin to A levels. Aus is not a great exam place and even the year 12 assessments range from total continuous assessment (ACT) through to more emphasis on a final exam (NSW). The crucial thing for any kid is to be sure to get the WHOLE year 11 and 12 course done. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest jacobs creek Posted January 12, 2009 Share Posted January 12, 2009 Doesnt quite work like that here unfortunately. In all states the final two years of school - years 11 and 12 (forget what year she would have been in UK, it's all irrelevant) are the crucial ones. If you miss a good part of that course then you can be seriously disadvantaged with respect to your university entrance score. If you come and do just year 12 you wont have enough credits to pass. GCSEs are to all extents irrelevant unless there is a chance she will want to resume her education or employment at some stage in UK. I would say that if you can get her here in time to do year 11 from the beginning then that would be the best time. As she is 13 she would usually be in year 8 here this year so you have a bit of time. I also disagree with the comment that it was a waste of time doing A levels - I think if you are going to move and havent moved by the time the kids turn 16 and go into year 11 then the best thing to do is to wait until A levels because they are considered university entry equivalents. They also carry the possibility that if Aus doesnt work out then a kid has the opportunity to go back into uni (even if they may have to pay international student fees). You also need lower grades at A levels for most Aus uni courses than you do for UK courses afaik. In this case, I would say come sooner rather than later because she is still young enough to fit nicely into the Aus system, whichever state you go to and not quite old enough to be getting boyfriends which will tie her (or so she thinks) to UK. As long as you know absolutely there is no chance of you going home then dont bother about GCSEs. So am I correct in thinking that my daughter will go in Year 11 in Jan 2012? She turned 13 in November. So if we arrive in time for then she can complete Year 11 and 12 then go on to Uni? :wacko: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quoll Posted January 12, 2009 Share Posted January 12, 2009 So am I correct in thinking that my daughter will go in Year 11 in Jan 2012? She turned 13 in November. So if we arrive in time for then she can complete Year 11 and 12 then go on to Uni? :wacko: All depends on the state - there are slight variations - but yes, at 16 I think you could persuade any state to put her into year 11 and if you were here in the January so much the better. Year 11/12 courses lead to a tertiary entrance score (called different things in different states) if kids take a tertiary package. So yes I would say that would work for her. Dont worry about what the years are called in relation to the years she is in in UK - just think of this as a totally different experience (which it is!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest jacobs creek Posted January 12, 2009 Share Posted January 12, 2009 All depends on the state - there are slight variations - but yes, at 16 I think you could persuade any state to put her into year 11 and if you were here in the January so much the better. Year 12 courses lead to a tertiary entrance score (called different things in different states) if kids take a tertiary package. So yes I would say that would work for her. Dont worry about what the years are called in relation to the years she is in in UK - just think of this as a totally different experience (which it is!) We are thinking about moving to Queensland, Gold Coast. I do have 2 younger children who will just go straight into primary school so they are easy I think. When we move to QLD permanently what would my daughter be classed as for Uni? Would say have to pay international fees? Or would she be classed as an Australian Resident? Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest snow white Posted January 12, 2009 Share Posted January 12, 2009 So am I correct in thinking that my daughter will go in Year 11 in Jan 2012? She turned 13 in November. So if we arrive in time for then she can complete Year 11 and 12 then go on to Uni? :wacko: hi my daughter was 13 on decmeber o8 she goes back to school in january and will be in year 9 so that means she will be going into year 12 in jan 2012 we are on goldcoast so i think all states and schools and terms etc may differ when we arrived she only had 4 months of primary school year 7 to do and wnet into high school straight after her birthday for new term in january she is fine and has made loads friends im pleased we did not wait as the older they are the stronger their ties and friends will be lesley x Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest jacobs creek Posted January 12, 2009 Share Posted January 12, 2009 hi my daughter was 13 on decmeber o8 she goes back to school in january and will be in year 9 so that means she will be going into year 12 in jan 2012 we are on goldcoast so i think all states and schools and terms etc may differ when we arrived she only had 4 months of primary school year 7 to do and wnet into high school straight after her birthday for new term in january she is fine and has made loads friends im pleased we did not wait as the older they are the stronger their ties and friends will be lesley x Hi Lesley, ahh right. So my daughter would be in the same year then as we want to goto the Goldcoast. Have you opted for a private school or state school? Also what are the fees like? How did you choose a school are there many to choose from? Sorry for all the questions? Mel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest snow white Posted January 12, 2009 Share Posted January 12, 2009 Hi Lesley, ahh right. So my daughter would be in the same year then as we want to goto the Goldcoast. Have you opted for a private school or state school? Also what are the fees like? How did you choose a school are there many to choose from? Sorry for all the questions? Mel hi mel its fine ive been there in fact im still there asking questions and ive been on gold coast 16 months lol, mine are in state school but schools here are fab as in choices etc, have to pay for uniforms, and all school books needed and stationery, also have to contribute to school funds $50 per year per child or 120.00 for families with more than 2 children at school thats it really kids love it have settled really well lesleyx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quoll Posted January 12, 2009 Share Posted January 12, 2009 We are thinking about moving to Queensland, Gold Coast. I do have 2 younger children who will just go straight into primary school so they are easy I think. When we move to QLD permanently what would my daughter be classed as for Uni? Would say have to pay international fees? Or would she be classed as an Australian Resident? Thanks Ah, Queensland - you may have to specify that at 16 you want her to be in Year 11 because they are still at the stage of working to catch up with the rest of Australia about some sort of universal age requirements for school but kids in Qld do tend to be a bit younger. Still the most important thing is that she does the full two years, to heck with how old she is! University - if you are here on a temporary visa then she will be up for international fees. If you are here on a permanent visa she will be able to get a Commonwealth funded place but, unlike citizens who can defer their fee payments, she will have to pay her fees up front each semester - currently between about $5k and $8k pa depending on the course but by 2013 who knows???????????? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest jacobs creek Posted January 12, 2009 Share Posted January 12, 2009 Ah, Queensland - you may have to specify that at 16 you want her to be in Year 11 because they are still at the stage of working to catch up with the rest of Australia about some sort of universal age requirements for school but kids in Qld do tend to be a bit younger. Still the most important thing is that she does the full two years, to heck with how old she is! University - if you are here on a temporary visa then she will be up for international fees. If you are here on a permanent visa she will be able to get a Commonwealth funded place but, unlike citizens who can defer their fee payments, she will have to pay her fees up front each semester - currently between about $5k and $8k pa depending on the course but by 2013 who knows???????????? Eek I better get saving then. :eek: So let me get this straight in my head. I need to ask the school for my daughter to start year 11 so she can complete that year and complete year 12. Then she can qualify for Uni which I have to pay fees up front? Do you need to pass certain exams to complete year 11 and year 12 or can anyone do them? I told my daughter that GCSEs don't count in Aus. She now thinks its a good idea for her to just not go now :biglaugh:. Does a Uni semester start in January like the school? Thanks for all you help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
debbie2302 Posted January 12, 2009 Share Posted January 12, 2009 Hi, I have triplets who were 13 on 6 december 08. We are hoping to get out to oz by the end of this year and start them in Year 9. I want them to get as much education in oz as possible before going to uni and I wouldnt even consider keeping them here and taking their GCSEs and then moving over, I know it would be so hard for them to want to come. The younger they are, the easier it is for them to adapt to ozzie life. Debbie xxx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest jacobs creek Posted January 12, 2009 Share Posted January 12, 2009 Hi, I have triplets who were 13 on 6 december 08. We are hoping to get out to oz by the end of this year and start them in Year 9. I want them to get as much education in oz as possible before going to uni and I wouldnt even consider keeping them here and taking their GCSEs and then moving over, I know it would be so hard for them to want to come. The younger they are, the easier it is for them to adapt to ozzie life. Debbie xxx Well I suppose it depends on how quickly we can get there. I just know I def want her to go to Uni and she does as well which means year 11 and year 12. See I'm might just have understood some of it after all. Triplets? you must have your hands full :spinny: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
debbie2302 Posted January 12, 2009 Share Posted January 12, 2009 So are you still in the early stages of your app then, we are too, OH has sent off his ACS application (for IT geeks),hopefully will have that back in next 8 weeks and then we will apply for our visa, keeping our fingers crossed that his job comes back on the CSL list, and then will decide whether to apply for 176 or 175 visa. My three can be a pain at times, but they are close to each other, and very supportive of each other which helps me, as my OH works away most weeks. Good luck with your journey. Debbie xxx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest WARDStoOZ Posted January 12, 2009 Share Posted January 12, 2009 The younger they are, the easier it is for them to adapt to ozzie life. Debbie xxx I agree with Debbie... the sooner the better! Lots of Luck...!!! Dan xx :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quoll Posted January 12, 2009 Share Posted January 12, 2009 Eek I better get saving then. So let me get this straight in my head. I need to ask the school for my daughter to start year 11 so she can complete that year and complete year 12. Then she can qualify for Uni which I have to pay fees up front? Do you need to pass certain exams to complete year 11 and year 12 or can anyone do them? I told my daughter that GCSEs don't count in Aus. She now thinks its a good idea for her to just not go now :biglaugh:. Does a Uni semester start in January like the school? Thanks for all you help. OK, schools will always try and enrol a kid with their age peers - and that varies from state to state. In Qld, it may be that your daughter's age peers might be in year 12 when she arrives but if she goes straight into year 12 she runs a very real risk of not being able to get a good tertiary entrance score so you would insist, quite politely, that she needs to do the full 2 year course and be enrolled in year 11 - she may be a bit older but she may also, OTOH be better prepared than the other kids in year 11. Anyone who is the right age can do years 11 and 12, no prerequisites at all - Australia is not so hung up on exams as UK is!!! I have known kids who have dropped out at year 8 or 9 then found they couldnt get jobs etc and come straight back into year 11 - not always successfully but some of them have done really well. In Aus the academic year is Jan - December for all institutions, schools and universities. Usually starts at the end of Jan but unis are notorious for their short terms so dont be surprised at Feb - November:biglaugh: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest jacobs creek Posted January 12, 2009 Share Posted January 12, 2009 OK, schools will always try and enrol a kid with their age peers - and that varies from state to state. In Qld, it may be that your daughter's age peers might be in year 12 when she arrives but if she goes straight into year 12 she runs a very real risk of not being able to get a good tertiary entrance score so you would insist, quite politely, that she needs to do the full 2 year course and be enrolled in year 11 - she may be a bit older but she may also, OTOH be better prepared than the other kids in year 11. Anyone who is the right age can do years 11 and 12, no prerequisites at all - Australia is not so hung up on exams as UK is!!! I have known kids who have dropped out at year 8 or 9 then found they couldnt get jobs etc and come straight back into year 11 - not always successfully but some of them have done really well. In Aus the academic year is Jan - December for all institutions, schools and universities. Usually starts at the end of Jan but unis are notorious for their short terms so dont be surprised at Feb - November:biglaugh: Thank you. I am noting all this down. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest barker.14 Posted January 15, 2009 Share Posted January 15, 2009 Hi there, we're a little confused, can anyone help. We are planning to be in Australia in 2011, our daughter will be 15 in the October of that year, so we want to know really what 'school year' would she be in when she joins an Aus school? We have read many of the threads on here, and we are new to this forum site (which is very good by the way) and we get the distinct understanding that years 11 and 12 in Aus school years are the most important, therefore how old is a child when they go into year 11? Obviously everything about schools in England is completely irrelevant at this stage. Thanks Al & Kel (....or aka the new 'Sheila & bruce!') Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest snow white Posted January 15, 2009 Share Posted January 15, 2009 Hi there, we're a little confused, can anyone help. We are planning to be in Australia in 2011, our daughter will be 15 in the October of that year, so we want to know really what 'school year' would she be in when she joins an Aus school? We have read many of the threads on here, and we are new to this forum site (which is very good by the way) and we get the distinct understanding that years 11 and 12 in Aus school years are the most important, therefore how old is a child when they go into year 11? Obviously everything about schools in England is completely irrelevant at this stage. Thanks Al & Kel (....or aka the new 'Sheila & bruce!') we live on gold coast my daughter will be 16 in december 2011 and she will be going into year 11 for 2012 check though as it can differ from state to state hope this helps lesleyx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quoll Posted January 15, 2009 Share Posted January 15, 2009 Hi there, we're a little confused, can anyone help. We are planning to be in Australia in 2011, our daughter will be 15 in the October of that year, so we want to know really what 'school year' would she be in when she joins an Aus school? We have read many of the threads on here, and we are new to this forum site (which is very good by the way) and we get the distinct understanding that years 11 and 12 in Aus school years are the most important, therefore how old is a child when they go into year 11? Obviously everything about schools in England is completely irrelevant at this stage. Thanks Al & Kel (....or aka the new 'Sheila & bruce!') Differs from state to state - but a child turning 15 late in the year would generally be in year 9 for that year so if she started Feb 2011 she would be 14 at the beginning of the year and in year 9, but obviously if you arrived late 2011 and she enrolled in 2012 she would have turned 15 (just) and be in year 10. Qld she may well find herself in years 10 and 11 for those years - Qld always has been out of step with the rest of Aus which is a nightmare for any kids moving states, but they are trying to get their act into gear. Check here Education in Australia - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Bottom line though is it really doesnt matter which year she goes into - the year naming system here is Australian not English and as long as she is with her age peers she will be just fine. The only exception to this rule is if they try and enrol her part way through year 11 or, more seriously, into year 12 - the reason being that she could be disadvantaged with her year 12 scores if she wanted to go on to further education. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest barker.14 Posted January 16, 2009 Share Posted January 16, 2009 we live on gold coast my daughter will be 16 in december 2011 and she will be going into year 11 for 2012 check though as it can differ from state to statehope this helps lesleyx Thanks for your information Lesley, we are planning the move to Gold Coast, infact we're considering Nerang...where aboutss are you, what do you think of Nerang - please be honest.....we don't mind Thanks Alan & Kelly Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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