Katkat Posted June 10, 2010 Share Posted June 10, 2010 My husband's company have offered him a 2 year contract in Sydney, which we are really excited about. However, our daughter is 13 and I'm concerned about how this will affect her education. If we go, she'll spend the next 2 years following an Australian curriculum and then on her return will only have a year to work towards GCSE's - possibly not a good idea? (Whether we'll get her back into her oversubscribed school is a whole other issue...!) Our other possible option is to extend the contract for an additional year which would mean she would be able to do the School Certificate in Australia and then return for A'Levels in the UK. Does anyone know much about the SC? Is it compatible with going on to A'Levels? Have asked her school, but they haven't been too forthcoming. I feel like my head is spinning at the moment- this has all been so sudden! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quoll Posted June 10, 2010 Share Posted June 10, 2010 School Certificate (yr 10) is a total non event for the most part. Nothing at all like GCSEs - usually just a matter of turning up for school and doing a modicum of work. I dont know that anyone ever fails it (providing they havent wagged school too much) and not sure about other states but it isnt something that is graded or even requested for the most part. In theory she can just go straight into A levels but in general the level for comparable ages here is lower so she may struggle in some of the subjects that build upon prior knowledge (maths and advanced maths spring to mind). Is there any chance of her doing distance ed for the first year of GCSE so that when she goes back she has covered much of the curriculum - I know that some boards do correspondence studies. Difficult decision I think. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caramac Posted June 11, 2010 Share Posted June 11, 2010 I would think very, very carefully about it. I brought our girls back to the uk at Christmas so they can complete their education here (my oh is still in Aus). We have one in Year 10, so first year of gcse courses, one in year 9 and one in year 7. The eldest is taking three science modules at the moment which are a part of her final exam and has already had to do a major piece of English work, which is also part of her final grade. The middle one has already started gcse work for the sciences. (IGCSE)maths and classics. All the girls have had a significant amount of 'catching up' to do and I've been shocked at just how much they missed in their year away. I knew the eldest would have a term or so's work to catch up with, but it's actually been a lot more than that. Thankfully the older two are pretty able and focused, but I'm very glad we brought the youngest back when we did; I really don't think she'd have coped as well as the others have! If you go, is there any chance you could stay until your daughter has finished her education, especially if she's thinkng of A levels? Just my opinion, but I don't think the SC would prepare her for A levels, but she could stay and do the HSC. Mind you, then you've got the difficulty of university......... Good luck with your decision. It's a hard one! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Katkat Posted June 11, 2010 Author Share Posted June 11, 2010 Thanks for sharing your experience. It is a hard decision. Did you find the Australian school system generally less challenging, or was it just the different curriculum that made the transition back a shock? Do you mind me asking what kind of school your children went to? I have been in touch with people at both Mackellar girls and Stella Maris in Manly- does anyone know anything about these schools? I think we have pretty much decided that staying for 3 years to do the SC is not an option, and 5 years for the HSC isnt possible. Her school have said that if necessary she can take 2 years to do her GCSE's when we get back (but obviously can't in any way guarantee she'll get back in), but I have mixed feelings about her going back and being put back a year. Our daughter herself is really keen to go, and I'm sure it would be a really good experience in many ways for her, but the price to be paid on our return may be too high. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caramac Posted June 11, 2010 Share Posted June 11, 2010 Have sent you a pm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Katkat Posted June 13, 2010 Author Share Posted June 13, 2010 After much thought and late night family debate these are the conclusions we have come to- -we all see this as an opportunity that won't be repeated, and we always said that if the chance came to go to Oz for a couple of years we would take it. - it will give us a chance to live close to my sister (who married an Australian) and her children. - that we accept that our daughter's education will be different for a couple of years, and if necessary we will somehow find the money to pay for private schooling when we return in order to allow her to have a 2 year run up to GCSE's. In many ways, our daughter is young for 13, so this won't necessarily be a bad thing. The benefits of living somewhere different and experiencing life in another country can't be a bad thing either. With all this in mind, what matters now is finding the right school, with strong pastoral support to ensure she settles, and high standards, so that what she does learn (while it may not be helpful for UK exams) is reasonably challenging and interesting. With all this in mind, we are looking at Queenwood, St Lukes Grammar, Oxford Falls, Stella Maris, and Killarney Heights (a public school). Does anyone have any info they can share about these schools? I am veering towards private rather than public because it then gives us more options about where to live, rather than being limited to a catchment area. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caramac Posted June 14, 2010 Share Posted June 14, 2010 It sounds like you've thought it all through and I'm really glad you've come to a decision, I'm sure you'll all have a great time. Sydney's a good place to live. Have fun! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pinkk8 Posted June 14, 2010 Share Posted June 14, 2010 Hi, I am was a science teacherin the UK and am now in QLD. I would strongly recommend that you enrol your daughter in a school offering the international baccalaureate (IB) which some schools offer in Sydney. This will allow your daughter to return to the UK system with out a gap in her knowledge/ability. If you were going to QLD I would say that there is a huge difference in the challenge of the curriculum here compared to the UK, however I have heard from teachers here that NSW is a much better system. The only thing worth discussing with your daughter's UK school is the coursework she would miss out on in year 10 and if they would arrange for her to do this in year 11. Hope this helps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Katkat Posted June 14, 2010 Author Share Posted June 14, 2010 Thank you both. We have looked into the IB, and can only find one school in any way close to where we will live that offers it as a "middle years" option- we have been in touch with them and are waiting to see what they say. It looks like a very Catholic school though, and we are not! Queenwood do offer the IB but only after age 16 I think. We haven't said yes to the job offer yet- still waiting for some details, but for me the big thing was being happy that our daughter would benefit not suffer because of the move. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caramac Posted June 14, 2010 Share Posted June 14, 2010 Is that Monte? If so, we looked at it for the girls before we decided to come back here. It is catholic, but they're very open to non catholics. The registrar is lovely and the school has a friendly feel to it. Apparently there are prayers every day and there are a lot of religious statues around the campus -The chapel is beautiful. I get the impression that religion is very important, but if you can get over that I think it seems a lovely school and has pretty good facilities. Not much outdoor space though (no playing fields), but it does have netball/tennis courts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Katkat Posted June 14, 2010 Author Share Posted June 14, 2010 Yes, it's Monte. Waiting for a reply from them. Really want to have a shortlist of possibles to visit when / if (!) we get there. The IB option has a lot going for it I think. A lot of the schools we are looking at seem to have a strong religious ethos- think she'll find it a bit of a shock. Although if she ends up at a Catholic school, my mother in law will be delighted! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caramac Posted June 14, 2010 Share Posted June 14, 2010 Nearly all the private schools do relgion in a pretty big way. They're not all that good at teaching about different religions (as RE is taught here) My lot just learned to ignore it!! At least you mil will be happy - always a good thing! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Katkat Posted June 14, 2010 Author Share Posted June 14, 2010 Ok, have just looked at the NAPLAN tests for Y9 online, and now I am concerned! Compared to the end of KS3 tests which my daughter has just done (her school do them a year early) they are very easy. Surely the top performing schools aim for higher than this? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quoll Posted June 14, 2010 Share Posted June 14, 2010 Ok, have just looked at the NAPLAN tests for Y9 online, and now I am concerned! Compared to the end of KS3 tests which my daughter has just done (her school do them a year early) they are very easy. Surely the top performing schools aim for higher than this? Well, you would like to think so wouldnt you but generally the standard is lower at comparable ages here. It all evens out by the end of honours degree but in the interim there is a lag. I am guessing you have seen the myschools website? That tells you how the kids in a particular school perform against the NAPLAN standards and against other schools with similar socio economic profiles. Find a school | ACARA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caramac Posted June 15, 2010 Share Posted June 15, 2010 Ok, have just looked at the NAPLAN tests for Y9 online, and now I am concerned! Compared to the end of KS3 tests which my daughter has just done (her school do them a year early) they are very easy. Surely the top performing schools aim for higher than this? Ours did them last year for yr 9, 7 and 5 and they all had the same questions! You get a print out of the results with your childs report. Looking at ours you'd think they were all geniuses (they're not!!). All schools do the same ones. It is ok if you're staying in that system, it's the swapping which is tricky. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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