Advice on assessment

[kub13]

(I had already written a post today but it looks like it got lost)

My question is a bit off topic: we are Austrian based and will live in Leeds
for 6 months (Sep 2017-Feb 2018). We have started the application process
for the Grammar School at Leeds, for the three school-aged kids we are
bringing (currently y2, y6, y8).
The older two are in an international bilingual school, so we worry a bit less
about there assessments.
But the youngest is in primary school in Austria and does not know much English.
We were told that her assessment/exam will be in English and of course, this is
worrying her (and us). She is very strong academically (especially in Maths),
but all this won't help her.

Does anyone know what to expect? How to prepare?

Any hints would be helpful.

Best
Karin

[PettswoodFiona]

I am not familiar with The Grammar school Leeds. If they are a popular school will they have places for what is only a term and a half?. Also isn't it a bit of an upheaval for such a short space of time? Is there a way you can keep them on their current curriculum? I doubt many independent schools that are worth getting a place at would be happy to give a place for just a term and a half when they could have pupils for many years instead. Every school is different in how they select pupils, not all select on ability so it is best to liaise with the admissions officer to find out what support they could give your child who doesn't know much English. Are there reasons you are not looking at state schools? Many are very good. Good luck with the move.

[hermanmunster]

I agree with Fiona re GSAL maybe not wanting to take children for only 6 months - complicated assessment process and they will have hardly settled in before moving on again. Also suspect wherever you go you may end up paying fees for the whole year - though not sure how this works. Most of the private schools have relatively expensive uniforms which would be quite a cost for 6 months.

If you are keen on private schools is it worth looking at other schools in the area? Moorfield at Ilkley goes up to year 6 and has pupils whose parents are visiting from abroad - there is also Westville in Ilkley - for girls there is Gateways for years 7-13.

Whereabouts are you planning to be living ? There may be state school they can attend for 6 months in the area?

[ToadMum]

I agree with Fiona re GSAL maybe not wanting to take children for only 6 months - complicated assessment process and they will have hardly settled in before moving on again. Also suspect wherever you go you may end up paying fees for the whole year - though not sure how this works. Most of the private schools have relatively expensive uniforms which would be quite a cost for 6 months.

If you are keen on private schools is it worth looking at other schools in the area? Moorfield at Ilkley goes up to year 6 and has pupils whose parents are visiting from abroad - there is also Westville in Ilkley - for girls there is Gateways for years 7-13.

Whereabouts are you planning to be living ? There may be state school they can attend for 6 months in the area?

The state school option might be a better idea, at least for the youngest -I'm not sure about native German speaking children in particular, but the local state schools will no doubt have other children for whom English is not their first language (sorry, I am making the assumption here that you are actually Austrian and not that the problem is just that your DC have been educated in German?). Also, assistance (in the form of teaching assistants) in state schools is 'free', so to speak, whereas fee-paying schools are possibly unwilling to provide extra help in the classroom. You are entitled to apply for places at state schools here.


Schools often have children who speak little or no English and , in my opinion, do a lot to help them access the curriculum. Indeed, Sir Mo Farrah came to England unable to speak English,

[Guest55]

I would seriously consider whether it is worth uprooting your family for six months. It is posible for you to stay in Austria with the children? I know living apart isn't fun but nor is moving for such a short time.

[kenyancowgirl]

Agreed - we have friends who are doing just that - they get together as a family at least every 3rd weekend as it is a relatively easy drive or short (cheap) flight - they calculated that with the busy lives they lead during the week, they generally only spend weekends together as family time anyway do this worked out better than uprooting and distrubing the childrens education for the short term contract.

[Bigbirdcw]

Agree with other peoples comments with GSAL.

State School Primaries in North Leeds (not sure where you are going to be living) are all heavily over subscribed so you may even have a problem finding a place if you were to go down this route for a 6 month stay.

[Tinkers]

I suspect it's all to do with assignment conditions and whether the OPs company has someone dealing with the assignment relocation etc. Part of the assignment conditions may include school fees and the person (either in the company or an agent) dealing with sorting out all the particulars may just focus on independent schools without looking at the bigger picture. There might also be issues with that person approaching LAs to see if there are places.

I've seen it within my own company when clients are posted to the UK for the duration of a project. Any American citizens usually rent in London so their children can go to the American school there and they commute to us. However I do remember a client from India bringing over his primary school aged children. It was a bit chicken and egg. He had no address yet in the area, so neither Reading LA or Wokingham LA would really help, but he didn't want to sort out a house to rent until he knew where they could go to school. This might be an issue for the OP.
Unfortunately because the English of both girls was not great, two out of the three independent schools he contacted gave him the run around as well. Thankfully he did manage to get them places at the third.

[kub13]

thanks a lot for all the answers!

Re: private schools vs public: we are also trying the public schools, but as someone mentioned, they are oversubscribed (the kids are on the waiting lists) and since we do not have an address yet (and will not have one before end of August), nor a current school in the UK, things are more complicated. So we are trying to spread out. And one of the admissions people at the grammar school at Leeds was quite positive about having the kids, she said that there are other international families.
(And yes, the kids are not British. Nor Austrian Swiss - we have moved around quite a bit.)

Re: moving them around: well, that is a bit more difficult to answer. You can see above, we have moved around, and we had the experience that from German to English, the learning curve is very fast. (It took them 6 weeks to be able to speak!) So we do expect they benefit from it. But of course, it is hard to predict. (plus the youngest watches English cartoons on youtube, so does have a bit of exposure).

If we do find it too difficult to find schools, the kids will stay in Austria with my husband and I will commute (my job is the reason to go to Leeds).

[doodles]

Just another thing to think of, if your children will be here for only 6 months a good part of that time will be vacation anyway. Say 6 months is 24 or 25 weeks then at a private school the October half term is typically two weeks, the Xmas holiday is between three and four weeks and then the February half term is another week so approximately 7 of those 24 or 25 weeks will be vacation. I would seriously consider whether it was worth the expense and upheaval.