Moving from US to Uk - Year 9 or Year 10?
Posted: Tue Apr 02, 2019 2:29 pm
I'm struggling over what would be best for my 14 year old and would be grateful for any thoughts/experience any of you can share with me.
We are moving from the US to the UK, we will be moved at the latest by August of this year and possibly a bit before then - so tale end of this school year.
There is currently a place available for my dd at a good GS however the place is in the current Year 9, which is the correct year for dd, but I'm concerned that switching from the US system to the UK at this point is going to be a challenge for her. She is academically strong so had she been moving in Year 7 or 8 I think she would have been fine as there would be plenty of time for her to adjust and catch up in any areas where it might be needed and prior to choosing GCSE subjects.
However, at this point (if she stays in the correct year) she will be moving into the either the last few weeks of Yr 9 or starting in Yr 10 in September. I "know" (via an expat forum) of a family who facing the same situation chose, with the schools support, to have their DC start in Yr 8 instead of Yr 9 and that is what got me thinking.
My dd was initially resistant to the idea, first because she would loath being "held back" a year in her current school and having to repeat work she has already done (and she is right there would be absolutely no reason for it here) and also because she views the students in the year below her here as being much younger/less mature than her year. She definitely doesn't like the idea of being the oldest in a class. I explained why I thought it might be good and that at a new school no-one would see it as her being held back a year and she is now okay with joining Yr 9 or Yr 10 in September.
I'm going to ask the school if they think there is any likely hood of a current Yr 8 place opening up. They had no objection to my dd starting in Yr 8 just didn't have any space.
I'm also going to speak to two other GS schools in the area to ask whether they have any space in Yr 8.
Am I correct in thinking that even if there is no space in Yr 8 I can put in an appeal?
If you were in this situation would you try to find/appeal for a place in current Yr 8 or go the path of least resistance and take the current Yr 9 place? For which I should say I know we're lucky to even have available!
Not sure how well I've explained any of this but I'd be grateful for input.
We are moving from the US to the UK, we will be moved at the latest by August of this year and possibly a bit before then - so tale end of this school year.
There is currently a place available for my dd at a good GS however the place is in the current Year 9, which is the correct year for dd, but I'm concerned that switching from the US system to the UK at this point is going to be a challenge for her. She is academically strong so had she been moving in Year 7 or 8 I think she would have been fine as there would be plenty of time for her to adjust and catch up in any areas where it might be needed and prior to choosing GCSE subjects.
However, at this point (if she stays in the correct year) she will be moving into the either the last few weeks of Yr 9 or starting in Yr 10 in September. I "know" (via an expat forum) of a family who facing the same situation chose, with the schools support, to have their DC start in Yr 8 instead of Yr 9 and that is what got me thinking.
My dd was initially resistant to the idea, first because she would loath being "held back" a year in her current school and having to repeat work she has already done (and she is right there would be absolutely no reason for it here) and also because she views the students in the year below her here as being much younger/less mature than her year. She definitely doesn't like the idea of being the oldest in a class. I explained why I thought it might be good and that at a new school no-one would see it as her being held back a year and she is now okay with joining Yr 9 or Yr 10 in September.
I'm going to ask the school if they think there is any likely hood of a current Yr 8 place opening up. They had no objection to my dd starting in Yr 8 just didn't have any space.
I'm also going to speak to two other GS schools in the area to ask whether they have any space in Yr 8.
Am I correct in thinking that even if there is no space in Yr 8 I can put in an appeal?
If you were in this situation would you try to find/appeal for a place in current Yr 8 or go the path of least resistance and take the current Yr 9 place? For which I should say I know we're lucky to even have available!
Not sure how well I've explained any of this but I'd be grateful for input.