THORPES Posted October 20, 2011 Share Posted October 20, 2011 Hi, I hope you can offer some advice. We have been back and forth from UK to Oz twice now. Well we have decided we want to come back to Australia for good this time. We gave up too quickly. The problem we have is our 16 year old son. He will finish his GCSE's next year. He wants to go back but has said he doesnt want to go to school in Australia. He has never been academic and his more hands on. He will be in year 11. What other things can he do to learn a trade, can he go to TAFE etc... We would like him to mix with kids his own age, rather than get a job. Or can he try and get an apprenticeship and go to day release where he will gain qualifications and also be with others same age, interests to him. Thanks in advance x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest miss kittyboo Posted October 21, 2011 Share Posted October 21, 2011 Hi,We are abit like you we are here in Perth again for the second time.We arrived last Nov with a 16 year old and 13 year old.The eldest had just finished his GCSE's and he started year 11 here in feb this year in a private school.He did make friends but he was age wise a year behind should have been in year 12.The school was very very strict and even though he was at the senior end of the school the rules could never be relaxed and in the uk he was used to the rules been relaxed alittle as he came to the end of his school life.He turned 17 this Aug but alot of his school friends were still 15.He left school last month.We went to see a careeer adviser here in Perth and he was excellent,spent a long time with us going through our options and my son has applied for tafe to start in feb 12.At the moment he is working part time with his dad.We had his GCSE's converted over to WA results and they said it was year 11.He needed year 11 to apply for his TAFe course.I am not sure if you can go to Tafe at 16 but would think you could,you can always ring them we did and they were very helpful.I would also recommend the career adviser he knew everything there is to know about education.My 13 year old has had no problems with school and settled very well and made lots of friends but he is in the correct year with his age kids and although its strict he is used to this from his uk school and has not experianced any relaxing of rules. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
THORPES Posted October 21, 2011 Author Share Posted October 21, 2011 Thanks Kittyboo, have you all settled in Perth? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest pigfrogs Posted October 21, 2011 Share Posted October 21, 2011 My then 16 yr old came to Queensland last year to live with me. He is waiting for his permanent residency visa so can only study for twelve weeks or work for me. He came in on a tourist visa as that was the quickest way to get him out of his situation in the UK. You can go to Tafe at 16. Like Kittyboo my son is now 17 but most of his friends are 15 so we need his visa to come through pretty quickly now as he is getting depressed and talking about returning home. I am hoping that once he gets a job or goes to TAFE then he will make more friends of his age and settle down. The problem we have is that his mother will not send his gcse results from the UK so have no proof of education level. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest miss kittyboo Posted October 22, 2011 Share Posted October 22, 2011 Hi thorpes,It is easier this time but one of the main reasons we came back this time was work as my hubby could not find any perm work in the uk and we still had the visa so thought why not try as we knew there was more work here for my hubby.I am not sure we will stay forever but we will stay until my middle son finishes high school here as not fair to keep moving him.Pigfrogs my eldest is also talking about returning home as all his friends are 15 and in the uk they are all 17 or 18 and go out all the time where here they don't really do very much.He has agreed to give tafe ago and like you we hope he will make some friends his own age and start having a social life.I really worry about him he spends all his free time on the xbox talking to his uk friends.I have even offered to see if anyone on here has any kids his age who would like to meet up but he says not to do that.Also could you not phone or email his school and ask them to send his exam results to you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
THE DUNSCOMBE FAMILY Posted October 24, 2011 Share Posted October 24, 2011 HI JILL, Ashley is hoping to go to Trade school up in Yataila , he will go for 2 semesters and providing he keeps his grades for Maths and english he will will pass his yr 11 aand go on for a perminant apprentiship, doing it this way hiss gets his apprentiship in 2 yrs instead of 4, if you get and school based Apprentiship too it is all free , how ever if you get your own (outside school) you must Pay for both the apprentiship and sending him to Tafe to finish his school work, doing it the way Ashley is doing it its all FREE and he will be gaurenteed a full time APPRENTISHIP at the end so its a win win way to it , he would only be at school 2 days a week the rest he would be in trade school hope this helps u take care . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xTINKSx Posted October 24, 2011 Share Posted October 24, 2011 Hey Thorpes. For your son socially I would say join the local footy team. Best thing we ever did for our children (and us too). Great for socialising and meeting friends / parents too, they always have social events going on post season. Good luck with your return to Oz. Where are you heading btw x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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