Anonymous
10/09/2017 16:57
Subject: Re:Year abroad in London: schools for 13 year olds
Anonymous wrote:I realized I should change the topic, since my kids are not in elementary school. They are currently in 8th grade and could do the equivalent of 8th or 9th grade in London.
Does anyone have any advice about ASL, or TASIS London?
Start a new thread.
Anonymous
10/09/2017 16:23
Subject: Re:Year abroad in London: schools for 13 year olds
I realized I should change the topic, since my kids are not in elementary school. They are currently in 8th grade and could do the equivalent of 8th or 9th grade in London.
Does anyone have any advice about ASL, or TASIS London?
Does anyone have any advice about ASL, or TASIS London?
Anonymous
10/09/2017 15:40
Subject: Re:Year abroad in London: Elementary Schools
If the OP is still reading, I would love to know how it is going in London.
Thinking about taking my twin 13 year olds next year--open to any advice, thanks
Thinking about taking my twin 13 year olds next year--open to any advice, thanks
Anonymous
05/15/2016 09:51
Subject: Year abroad in London: Elementary Schools
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:It wouldn't be traditional and ideally you'd need a SAHP, but have you considered homeschooling for the one year? You could do a bunch of history and literature and enroll in one of the on-line learning curriculum for math, etc.
There are very strict laws about homeschooling in the UK. You have to present all your materials (curriculum) and it has to match up with national standards, and get approved. Then they can come and "inspect" you at short notice to see how its working and they can, if they think you're not doing a good enough job of it, force you to put your child in an actual school.
So if you do want to try this route, be sure to investigate it fully. Its not like in the US where you sign up online to say you're doing homeschooling and - whoosh, you're done.
This is just not true. In fact, if you were to move to London and homeschool you would never be know to the local authority at all. It's pretty easy.
Unfortunately it is true. And British people are quite nosy about spotting kids who aren't attending schools and will report you to the local police / social services. That happens all the time.
Sorry, this made me lol! You are just dead wrong. Please take a moment to educate yourself.
http://www.hslda.org/hs/international/UnitedKingdom/default.asp
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/education-news/nicky-morgan-orders-review-on-home-schooling-amid-fears-children-having-minds-poisoned-by-a6779886.html
https://www.gov.uk/home-education
Every year I have flown to England from LA with my kids and been walking around during the day before the end of July when schools break for summer, I have been approached and quizzed suspiciously by total strangers about why my children are not in school.
I think if anyone were to live there full time now and have to put up with this, it would be intolerable.
I'm so glad we don't live in England anymore, I'm so sick of English people.
You sound...like a pill. Homeschooling is perfectly legal and easy for American expats. You literally have no dealings with the local council at all. It was recommended to us for our short term stint in England. Thank you pp for the links. As it says right here:
"There are no requirements to inform the authorities when one is home educating, unless the student was previously enrolled in the government school system. At that time, the parent must let the school official know they are withdrawing their student to home educate him. No other requirements for home education exist."
What? Everyone is here to impart what they hope is helpful information, from varied experiences. Don't be an asshole and go around insulting people just because their on-the-ground experiences may not chime with your own. Really, you need to grow up and behave yourself.
Anonymous
05/14/2016 18:41
Subject: Year abroad in London: Elementary Schools
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I thought all the schools in England/western Europe were good?
What makes some of the schools undesirable?
Is it money? If so, why doesn't a rich country like England fix the problem?
See 18:32 - same issues with poverty, SES, ELLs as in the US
But I thought socialism was suppose to fix all that? AL least that's what Bernie says/
Britain isn't socialist.
Anonymous
05/14/2016 18:22
Subject: Year abroad in London: Elementary Schools
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:It wouldn't be traditional and ideally you'd need a SAHP, but have you considered homeschooling for the one year? You could do a bunch of history and literature and enroll in one of the on-line learning curriculum for math, etc.
There are very strict laws about homeschooling in the UK. You have to present all your materials (curriculum) and it has to match up with national standards, and get approved. Then they can come and "inspect" you at short notice to see how its working and they can, if they think you're not doing a good enough job of it, force you to put your child in an actual school.
So if you do want to try this route, be sure to investigate it fully. Its not like in the US where you sign up online to say you're doing homeschooling and - whoosh, you're done.
This is just not true. In fact, if you were to move to London and homeschool you would never be know to the local authority at all. It's pretty easy.
Unfortunately it is true. And British people are quite nosy about spotting kids who aren't attending schools and will report you to the local police / social services. That happens all the time.
Sorry, this made me lol! You are just dead wrong. Please take a moment to educate yourself.
http://www.hslda.org/hs/international/UnitedKingdom/default.asp
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/education-news/nicky-morgan-orders-review-on-home-schooling-amid-fears-children-having-minds-poisoned-by-a6779886.html
https://www.gov.uk/home-education
Every year I have flown to England from LA with my kids and been walking around during the day before the end of July when schools break for summer, I have been approached and quizzed suspiciously by total strangers about why my children are not in school.
I think if anyone were to live there full time now and have to put up with this, it would be intolerable.
I'm so glad we don't live in England anymore, I'm so sick of English people.
You sound...like a pill. Homeschooling is perfectly legal and easy for American expats. You literally have no dealings with the local council at all. It was recommended to us for our short term stint in England. Thank you pp for the links. As it says right here:
"There are no requirements to inform the authorities when one is home educating, unless the student was previously enrolled in the government school system. At that time, the parent must let the school official know they are withdrawing their student to home educate him. No other requirements for home education exist."
Anonymous
05/14/2016 14:54
Subject: Year abroad in London: Elementary Schools
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I thought all the schools in England/western Europe were good?
What makes some of the schools undesirable?
Is it money? If so, why doesn't a rich country like England fix the problem?
See 18:32 - same issues with poverty, SES, ELLs as in the US
But I thought socialism was suppose to fix all that? AL least that's what Bernie says/
Anonymous
05/13/2016 22:48
Subject: Year abroad in London: Elementary Schools
Anonymous wrote:I thought all the schools in England/western Europe were good?
What makes some of the schools undesirable?
Is it money? If so, why doesn't a rich country like England fix the problem?
See 18:32 - same issues with poverty, SES, ELLs as in the US
Anonymous
05/12/2016 16:55
Subject: Year abroad in London: Elementary Schools
Anonymous wrote:I thought all the schools in England/western Europe were good?
What makes some of the schools undesirable?
Is it money? If so, why doesn't a rich country like England fix the problem?
They have an inspection body called OFSTED in the UK. They actively inspect an report on schools every couple of years. They get ranked, roughly as follows
1. Excellent
2. Good
3. Reasonable
4. Needing improvement
5. Disaster
And they are given improvement plans in order to get a higher ranking / status and are expected to fulfill those plans, or they can in worst cases, be closed down.
Cannot speak to the rest of Europe. I do know the French schools, the lycées are very tightly run by the French Gov't.
Anonymous
05/12/2016 15:35
Subject: Year abroad in London: Elementary Schools
I thought all the schools in England/western Europe were good?
What makes some of the schools undesirable?
Is it money? If so, why doesn't a rich country like England fix the problem?
What makes some of the schools undesirable?
Is it money? If so, why doesn't a rich country like England fix the problem?
Anonymous
05/08/2016 19:10
Subject: Year abroad in London: Elementary Schools
I am assuming this is not embassy related or you would have advice and assistance from them. We had friends who went to London (to work at the embassy) and even with a year's notice had difficulty getting their kids into their top choice schools. I would definitely lean on your employer (if you are going for work) to use whatever advice or connections they can offer, or at least put you in touch with other families who can offer practical advice.
Anonymous
05/06/2016 18:32
Subject: Re:Year abroad in London: Elementary Schools
Anonymous wrote:I live in London. My elementary aged children are in a private british prep school. If you are coming for a year I would recommend you consider other options than the ASL. It is a nice school but your kids will be surrounded by Americans and more than likely so will you! Also if you go that route you are somewhat limited to St. John's Wood and other north london areas which are ok, but not wonderful.
As with any city the best public schools are oversubscribed and here you often need to live on the doorstep to get a spot since spot allocation is often based on proximity. But I do think it's worth researching, as are public schools affiliated with Church of England which tend to rank better. I would narrow down a list of family friendly areas (Clapham, Chiswick, Richmond, Ealing, etc) where there is a good concentration of publics and privates so you have many choices. Transient/expat areas like Kensington, Chelsea, Holland Park, will also give you options but at a higher living cost.
I lived for many years in Kensington and Chelsea, as well as Holland Park / Notting Hill. The only schools there which are acceptable are the privates. In Holland Park - near Royal Crescent the local state school (I researched when pregnant) had a 95% non-English speaking student body. Literally non-English speaking. Now it doesn't mean those kids won't become fluent in English but its not the right learning environment for a native English speaker.
Anonymous
05/06/2016 18:24
Subject: Re:Year abroad in London: Elementary Schools
Hampstead is a great place to live right near the Heath and ASL is a nice school. I'm sure there are other great choices and a British school would be more authentic of an experience. But you're kids will do fine at the American school as well.
Anonymous
05/06/2016 17:22
Subject: Re:Year abroad in London: Elementary Schools
I live in London. My elementary aged children are in a private british prep school. If you are coming for a year I would recommend you consider other options than the ASL. It is a nice school but your kids will be surrounded by Americans and more than likely so will you! Also if you go that route you are somewhat limited to St. John's Wood and other north london areas which are ok, but not wonderful.
As with any city the best public schools are oversubscribed and here you often need to live on the doorstep to get a spot since spot allocation is often based on proximity. But I do think it's worth researching, as are public schools affiliated with Church of England which tend to rank better. I would narrow down a list of family friendly areas (Clapham, Chiswick, Richmond, Ealing, etc) where there is a good concentration of publics and privates so you have many choices. Transient/expat areas like Kensington, Chelsea, Holland Park, will also give you options but at a higher living cost.
As with any city the best public schools are oversubscribed and here you often need to live on the doorstep to get a spot since spot allocation is often based on proximity. But I do think it's worth researching, as are public schools affiliated with Church of England which tend to rank better. I would narrow down a list of family friendly areas (Clapham, Chiswick, Richmond, Ealing, etc) where there is a good concentration of publics and privates so you have many choices. Transient/expat areas like Kensington, Chelsea, Holland Park, will also give you options but at a higher living cost.
Anonymous
04/30/2016 13:38
Subject: Year abroad in London: Elementary Schools
Op here: thanks for the helpful replies, especially those that made sense of the state school system and from those who've lived both in DC and England.