Question for Americans living in UK

[HookdonWDW]

Hi,

We just learned last week, that there is a chance that dh may be transferred to the UK within the 18 months or so. We're in the military, but he would be assigned to a British base, not an American base, so ds would have to attend British schools. He would be there from around grade 5 until about grade 8. Have any of you dealt with this type of situation? How did you children adjust in both directions? DS is a "gifted" student now, and I worry about whether or not the move would cause problems for him when he enters high school.

Thanks for your insights.

 

[tiggerlover]

Hi there. I don't live in the UK, but I am a military family used to living overseas. I have an aquaintance who was stationed in the UK and I believe she sent her children to the British schools and if I am not mistaken she liked the schools. If you want to PM me with your email, I will be happy to email her and ask her if she would contact you.

Debbi

 

[catherine]

Hi,

When we moved here my DD was only 2 so we didn't have a problem with schools when we came here. However we are planning on moving back to CA in 2005, so we have the same problem only the opposite way around. We are hoping the schools in CA will work with us in deciding which grade our DD's need to go into.

I guess both the US and UK schools will need to take in account that children in the UK start school earlier than children in the US. From what I can gather from friends over in CA with children the same age as our DD's. Children in the UK are farther ahead in their studies. As your DS is a "gifted" student he shouldn't have any problems doing the work, if the children his age are ahead of him in their studies.

Hopefully everything will work out well for you. It seems that children adapt to their new surroundings pretty quickly.

Good luck and best wishes.

 

[profdsny]

Can't give first hand info, but my brother, when they were assigned to the Embassy in London, sent their kids to the American School of London. We went there once, and it was exactly walking into any school in the US. Even the teachers were American. However, saying that, were we in the same situation, I think I'd like my kids to have the experience of different cultures, if you will, and send them to the British schools.

 

[HookdonWDW]

Thanks for all of the replies. I'm really excited about the chance to live in England, and I love the idea of living on the local economy (instead of on a US Base as we did in Germany). I just wanted to see how successfully children had integrated into British schools, and then back to American High Schools. I have my degree in education, so I think we may put him in British Schools, and then work on American History and such at home.

I read about the American School in London, but I believe that it is only for grades 9 - 12, so that won't work for us... but perhaps the fact that it only covers those grades means that children in lower grades have fewer transitional issues.

 

[profdsny]

At the time two of the three kids were in primary grades. This was about ten years ago, so they may have changed. One was in 4th or 5th grade, and one a year ahead. But I think I recall my sil talking about pre-school there at the time also.

 

[Olaf]

Where exactly are you going? I had a friend who was stationed at RAF Fairford and her son was in the local school.

Noticed that you are coming from Alabama. Are your children in private or public schools? Not trying to restart the civil war here, but most of the people I've known who were stationed in Alabama, found that their kids were behind when moving to other states.