16yr old just taken GCSE's here where will he be when we arrive in Melbourne in Aug

[Guest redlee71]

Hi Everyone

 

I have a dilema, I have 3 children but it is my 16yr old that concerns me the most. He is about to take his GCSE's in the UK and we are due to move to Melbourne end of Aug. I have been intouch with the secondary school and have advised me that he will start the end of yr 10 progressing to Yr 11 in Jan 2012. However he will be older than his peers at this stage. I have heard about continual assessment whereby he could use his GCSE as his first Yr of VCE and therefore go into YR 12 in Jan with his age group. Is this possible or did I just dream it somewhere. Any clear advise on this would be greatly recieved, as I am starting to feel a little frazzled by the whole moving lark right now.:wacko:

Thanks

[caramac]

It's very worrying, isn't it? We may well be in the same situation. Our oldest daughter is 16 (Sept birthday) and is taking GCSEs this time too and there is a possibility of us having to move to Melbourne in July.

I have been in touch with several schools and mostly they have given me the same answer. Her GCSE results (as long as they're good enough) will count as completion of year 11, so she can start school there in July and have time to settle and get reaquainted with the way they work there, before starting year 12 next year.

I am told that lots of kids move school at the end of year 11 and year 12 is completely separate - some change the subjects they're studying at that point also!

I'm still very nervous about the idea of moving her, just in case the information I've been given is incorrect. Quoll pointed out that there may be some continual assessment that she would miss out on, so I've emailed VACC to get clarification, but it looks like the school your son goes to would apply for transfer of qualifications which costs around $25 and your son will get a certificate to show that he'd completed the equivalent of year 11. He can then use this for tertiary entrance.

That's the theory anyway. How it works in practice...??

Here's the VACC webpage which shows a list of different countries' year 11 equivalence http://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au/vce/vcerecognition/equiquals/equiv-yr11.html#H3N10249

 

It might be better for him, if he's happy to do it, to start in year 10. That would give him a few months to get used to it all then he can start properly next year. My daughter is very anti that idea though.

 

Good luck!

[RockDr]

To be honest,if he's doing well in his GCSEs, he's probably OK to go into the second half of year 11, as much of the stuff will be the same level as GSCE, so it gives hima few months to make sure he's filled the gaps/differences between the UK GCSE curriculum and the yr 11 Australian curriculum, before he start yr12 in jan.

If he's struggling at GCSE level, maybe hold him back and put him into yr 11 next jan so he's got plenty of time to get to grips with the new curriculum and maybe do better at the end of it. it just means he's a year older than his peers when he finishes school, so he can drink legally if/when he starts uni... (in case he needs persuading!)

[Guest redlee71]

Thanks everyone, I think I will go back and speak to the school again and see if we can transfer his qualifications. That would mean him going into Yr 11 when we get there in August, to settle in and make some friends. Then move into Yr 12 in Jan. Caramac, whereabouts in Melbourne are you going? What school is your daughter hoping to attend?

Thanks again for all your help I feel much better now even if it may only be with this aspect of the move :err:

[caramac]

Thanks everyone, I think I will go back and speak to the school again and see if we can transfer his qualifications. That would mean him going into Yr 11 when we get there in August, to settle in and make some friends. Then move into Yr 12 in Jan. Caramac, whereabouts in Melbourne are you going? What school is your daughter hoping to attend?

Thanks again for all your help I feel much better now even if it may only be with this aspect of the move :err:

 

 

I'm not completely certain that we are going yet. I'd rather let the girls finish their education here if at all possible, but my husband is working in Melbourne and we've been apart for 17 months now. We're all getting a bit fed up with it, so we're looking at all the options.

If we do go, I'd like to live somewhere with space around me. Melbourne's a lovely city, but I prefer being in/near the countryside, so not too sure about that yet!

I'm looking at all options for school. We need one which offers German as all my girls have chosen it as 'their' language and the eldest wants to take it, with something else, at uni. They also want to stay in an all girls school. There's plenty of choice, so we're looking at everything and won't make up our minds until we've visited them and spoken to the Principals.

It wouldn't be our first time in Australia, so not quite as daunting, but it's the timing which worries me the most. It's a horrible time to move them, but even if we move within this country there will be problems (with my middle one, who is halfway through GCSEs!).

Where are you going? Which schools are you looking at?

[Guest redlee71]

Wow and i thought being away from my hubby for 5 months was bad!! I would be going stir crazy by now if I were you. But I see your point with timing of moving especially with having one in the middle of GCSE's, its all a worry.

We are moving to Berwick, like you dont fancy being in the city, hopefully hubby would have secured a property today! My children, 12, 14 and 16 will all be attending Berwick Secondary school, they have been extremely helpful so far. The assistant principal emigrated from the UK so has been able to shed a lot of light on the similarities differences of UK/OZ education. And as a bonus our 18yr old has also decided to join us albeit a long deliberating road to come to his decision he has finally and we are all delighted.

I hope things work out for you and that your family can be reunited soon, things tend to have a way of working out for the best in the end. Good luck with your ventures whatever they may be.:smile:

[caramac]

Thank you:smile:.

Your younger three are the same ages as mine! I'm pleased that your eldest has decided to join you - I think it'll make it much easier for you to settle if you're not worrying about him back here!

It's great that the deputy principal is from the UK. We lived in Sydney before and it was a great help to the girls that some of the teachers understood how they were used to working.

I hope you'll al be very happy in Berwick - it sounds lovely.

 

Good luck!