Lady Tottington Posted May 9, 2011 Share Posted May 9, 2011 I was wondering if anyone could advise us. We are wanting to return to the UK, after being out here in Oz for only 18 months. Although Oz is a lovely place it is also a very lonely part of the world. The dilemma we are facing is our daughter is 14, turning 15 in August she is currently in year 10 at a private school here on the coast. The question is how will this affect her going back to school in the UK and here GCSE’s. We cannot return till next Easter which means she will be in year 11 here and not done any of her GCSE’s has anyone returned during this time and their child been able to study GCSE’s. Would she be able to resit the whole of year 11 and still pass here exams. I hate the fact that we have to do this, and we feel trapped but as it stands our family is being torn apart as we so desperately want to return. I don’t want to ruin our daughter’s education but I feel sick everyday with upset and I feel that I have failed her as a mother. Any advice would be most welcomed Thanks for listening :confused: Sam Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RockDr Posted May 9, 2011 Share Posted May 9, 2011 By Summer term of Yr 11 it's a bit late to be thinking about GCSEs, as this term is just revision and exams. Talk to the schools involved. If she wants to go on to do A-levels, then the importance of GCSEs isn't such a huge issue. It may be they'll let her into the A-levels she wants to do based on her australian work, and she can concentrate on a more limited number of GCSEs (English and Maths are sometimes listed as uni entrance requirements, regardless, it is always good to have some form of english and maths qualifications on a CV). With some extra work this year to make sure she's covering the syllabus and does practise papers, she could maybe take these exams just after you move, ready to go into A-levels in sept with the rest of her year group. Otherwise she'd probably have to drop a year and go into summer term of yr 10, play a bit of catch-up (some of which could be started now while she's in Australia) to make sure she's covered the whole syllabus, and go on to take the full complement of GCSEs at the end of yr11. It's basically going to depend on how well she's doing at school, where she wants to end up, and what the school will let her do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quoll Posted May 9, 2011 Share Posted May 9, 2011 Any chance you could send her back to stay with rellies in September of this year and to maybe start her GCSE course then? She'd be a bit older than her cohort I assume but it wouldnt muck her about quite so much. Good luck, it sounds a very difficult situation to be in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lady Tottington Posted May 9, 2011 Author Share Posted May 9, 2011 Any chance you could send her back to stay with rellies in September of this year and to maybe start her GCSE course then? She'd be a bit older than her cohort I assume but it wouldnt muck her about quite so much. Good luck, it sounds a very difficult situation to be in. Thanks Quoll, yes that is an option my mum has said that she could go home and start year 10 again in her old school but I am waiting on my mum visiting the head master to see if it is allowed as it is to the schools discretion to accept a pupil to resit whole year. That sounds good but I would hate to be seperate from her for so long but we are considering it. Sam Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lynne S Posted May 9, 2011 Share Posted May 9, 2011 I was wondering if anyone could advise us. We are wanting to return to the UK, after being out here in Oz for only 18 months. Although Oz is a lovely place it is also a very lonely part of the world. The dilemma we are facing is our daughter is 14, turning 15 in August she is currently in year 10 at a private school here on the coast. The question is how will this affect her going back to school in the UK and here GCSE’s. We cannot return till next Easter which means she will be in year 11 here and not done any of her GCSE’s has anyone returned during this time and their child been able to study GCSE’s. Would she be able to resit the whole of year 11 and still pass here exams.I hate the fact that we have to do this, and we feel trapped but as it stands our family is being torn apart as we so desperately want to return. I don’t want to ruin our daughter’s education but I feel sick everyday with upset and I feel that I have failed her as a mother. Any advice would be most welcomed Thanks for listening :confused: Sam Hello, I can really empathise with how you are feeling, we are returning in the next couple of months with a 14 yr old son who is at present in year 9 and is to at private school. We have been here almost 4 yrs in Dec and were going to string it out until we got citizenship, but just can't do it - we know Australia is not for us, so are going to try and now get back before the start of the new UK year in Sept? It is killing me to think we are messing around with his education at this stage in his life, I am so up & down with knowing what to do for the best. we moved to Perth in Dec 10 to see if we felt different in another state, but we don't and everyday I feel a ton of guilt that he will be ok? But I'm focusing on the positives and feel this has been an amazing life learning experience for him and hope this will stand him in good sted! We were told by different people that he would be able to re-sit year 10 as it was the start of Keystage 4 - not sure if this helps or not? could it be an option for your daughter to go into the remainder of year 10 in Uk when you get back and start Year 11 fresh in Sept? I rang the school we are hoping to get my son into and had a chat with the head of year, they were really helpful, might be a good to give that ago? All the very best with your plans Lady Tottington - try and stay positive. Lynne :rolleyes: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caramac Posted May 9, 2011 Share Posted May 9, 2011 With her birthday being in August she wouldn't be much older than the rest of the cohort if she started in Year 10 this September. Starting in year 11 would be difficult, I think. My eldest came back one term into year 10 and had quite a bit of catching up to do (we'd been away a year this time). It's not so much the level of work, but that so much of the courses are done in modules which would mean that your daughter will have missed a whole year of that. I've just had a weekend where I had to send my middle one off on a geography field trip weekend (her birthday weekend) instead of taking her with the rest of us to see her Dad who was over from Aus because the work done on the trip counts as 15% of her GCSE mark. As Quoll says, if you can get her back in time for the start of the school year this year it would be best for her (many schools now start their GCSE courses in the summer term of Year 9, but not so much that she wouldn't be able to catch up). You haven't failed her, you've given her the opportunity to experience something different and she will adapt back. I do understand what you mean though - I have three daughters who have been backwards and forwards to Aus and are facing yet another move now, at the end of years 11, 10 and 8 and it's horrible. If we move within the UK, our middle one will have the most adapting to do. If we move back to Aus, the oldest one will be disadvantaged, but life throws these things at you and, whist it's not something to recommend, it has made our girls adaptable and much more aware of the wider world than most of their friends. One thing I have learned over the last 18 months, or so, is that there is always a way forward; it takes a bit of research and work to find it sometimes, but you will get there. It won't stop you worrying though! Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ggardemma Posted May 9, 2011 Share Posted May 9, 2011 I was wondering if anyone could advise us. We are wanting to return to the UK, after being out here in Oz for only 18 months. Although Oz is a lovely place it is also a very lonely part of the world. The dilemma we are facing is our daughter is 14, turning 15 in August she is currently in year 10 at a private school here on the coast. The question is how will this affect her going back to school in the UK and here GCSE’s. We cannot return till next Easter which means she will be in year 11 here and not done any of her GCSE’s has anyone returned during this time and their child been able to study GCSE’s. Would she be able to resit the whole of year 11 and still pass here exams.I hate the fact that we have to do this, and we feel trapped but as it stands our family is being torn apart as we so desperately want to return. I don’t want to ruin our daughter’s education but I feel sick everyday with upset and I feel that I have failed her as a mother. Any advice would be most welcomed Thanks for listening :confused: Sam We returned and our daughter went into Year 10 at her old school at the beginning of February so hadn't missed too much but enough to have to play catch up and the teachers have been very happy to help her through it. It did require after school studies for an hour here and there but she is all caught up now. I would suggest that to go into year 11 would disadvantage her and she would have missed too much. I would have thought that going into Year 10 as soon as possible is the best option. I must admit I felt upset that I had done this to her but she has taken it in her stride and sitting her first mocks today and some GCSE modules this week and seems quite confident. You haven't failed her because you are supporting what she needs and all will fall into place. Speaking to the school you are hoping to return to will give you lots of advice on the best options for you. If she could come home a bit earlier than you and get her back in the swing of it that would be ideal. I know though as a mother that would be so hard but she would be coming back to family and you know she is safe. I hope all goes well for you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lady Tottington Posted May 9, 2011 Author Share Posted May 9, 2011 Thankyou so much for your replies, Unfortunately the school that we wanted her to go back to (her old school) has no year 10 places and has a waiting list so that is a defo no go. I have contacted another school near the inlaws and same problem year 10 full. So looks like we are stuck here till Dec 12 when she finishes year 11. Does anyone know if she can sit A levels with Oz qualifications? Thanks again Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RockDr Posted May 10, 2011 Share Posted May 10, 2011 As I said in my other post, talk to the schools, if she is doing OK in school in australia, they might be happy for her to start yr 12 next sept based on her work over here and possibly a bit of syllabus catch-up. (I would not recommend waiting until she's finished yr 11 over here, as that would involve her missing the first term of a-levels.) Once she's done A-levels, GCSEs don't count for much (especially since she'll have AS-levels by the time it comes to applying for uni if that's what she wants to do). The only GCSEs that might come in handy in the future would be english and maths if she's not wanting to do these at A-level. She could either work towards these from australia this year, or do them in parallel to her A-levels. This would mean that she can stay with her year-group rather than repeat years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caramac Posted May 10, 2011 Share Posted May 10, 2011 We've looked at doing it the other way round - GCSE conversion to Aus and found that our daughter's results could be converted to 'satisfactory completion of year 11'. It may be worth getting in touch with the local LEA (or the dept of education) and asking if something similar happens here? I'm sure your daughter isn't the first to be in this situation. Another thing that may be worth looking at is the state boarding schools? I don't know what the rules are regarding coming from overseas, but it might be worth looking at? The tuition is free, you only pay for the boarding which, at our local school, are just over 8k per annum. I'd keep in touch with the two schools you've already contacted. The years might be full at the moment, but a lot can happen in 3 or 4 months. A friend told me yesterday that state schools are supposed to keep a few places for children moving into the area. I don't know how true that is, but she's usually a reliable source! Good luck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcmillsa Posted May 15, 2011 Share Posted May 15, 2011 We are in a similar sort of situation, my daughter is currently in year 11 we are looking to go back at the end of this year. I enquired whilst I was in the UK early this year into colleges for her to go and to her GCSE's there and got her a place for September to do 5 GCSEs. Not ideal by any means and I to have felt very guilty about messing her education around. We have been waiting to sell our house for months so alot of our plans have to wait to see if we sell. My mum has offered to have my daughter in Sept until we go home so that also is an option. Good luck its difficult decisions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrsindecision Posted May 15, 2011 Share Posted May 15, 2011 We've looked at doing it the other way round - GCSE conversion to Aus and found that our daughter's results could be converted to 'satisfactory completion of year 11'. It may be worth getting in touch with the local LEA (or the dept of education) and asking if something similar happens here? I'm sure your daughter isn't the first to be in this situation.Another thing that may be worth looking at is the state boarding schools? I don't know what the rules are regarding coming from overseas, but it might be worth looking at? The tuition is free, you only pay for the boarding which, at our local school, are just over 8k per annum. I'd keep in touch with the two schools you've already contacted. The years might be full at the moment, but a lot can happen in 3 or 4 months. A friend told me yesterday that state schools are supposed to keep a few places for children moving into the area. I don't know how true that is, but she's usually a reliable source! Good luck I agree with caramac it's definitely worth talking to the LEA as they should also know the schools where there are spaces and also keep in touch with the other schools and ask to go on their waiting list. My daughter moved back mid yr 10 (aus) and started Yr 10 here - I searched high and low for school places including in the private sector ( I felt that with all the costs of moving if we had to factor this in as an extra expense to keep her on track it would be worth it - even if it meant a smaller house etc). As it happens we secured a space at the state school we wanted but we had to do a lot of running around to get it. Don't give up!!! Also I do feel the core components of the GCSE programme are very good and my daughter has improved enormously. She is settled and happy now (although still misses the lovely bits of her life in Oz - as we all do). Keep focussed you will get there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lady Tottington Posted May 15, 2011 Author Share Posted May 15, 2011 I agree with caramac it's definitely worth talking to the LEA as they should also know the schools where there are spaces and also keep in touch with the other schools and ask to go on their waiting list. My daughter moved back mid yr 10 (aus) and started Yr 10 here - I searched high and low for school places including in the private sector ( I felt that with all the costs of moving if we had to factor this in as an extra expense to keep her on track it would be worth it - even if it meant a smaller house etc). As it happens we secured a space at the state school we wanted but we had to do a lot of running around to get it. Don't give up!!! Also I do feel the core components of the GCSE programme are very good and my daughter has improved enormously. She is settled and happy now (although still misses the lovely bits of her life in Oz - as we all do). Keep focussed you will get there. Thanks for your information, I have now contacted LEA and basically they told us to let her finish year 11 here in Oz then return for her to start 'A' levels at college. I am so confused, I have contacted a few schools back home and they seem to just say the same that they are full for year 10. What I don't understand is at the end of year 11 will she gain an equivalant qualification to GCSE or not. I don't want to have to wait then return, to be told they are useless in the UK. This whole Queensland education system is confusing. But I will keep muddling on :confused: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RockDr Posted May 15, 2011 Share Posted May 15, 2011 She won't get an official qualification at the end of yr 11 in australia. But if she's going on to do a-levels, she doesn't necessarily need one. The ultimate aim here is to get her into yr 12 by whatever means so that she can get her a-levels. So if the schools are happy to let her into yr 12 based on her australian work, then she's fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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