[andy popp]

A long shot, but anyone got experience of Scottish secondary education, specifically moving a child from the English to the Scottish system? The timing of GCSEs/A levels doesn't marry up with Ordinaries/Highgers I think?

[fatboySlimfast]

Hi Andy,
 pm Marty, he moved up from darn sarf few years back, should have an interesting take on it all if thats what ur considering.
L.

[andy popp]

Cheers Lucien. Marty who? Yes, just applied for a job up there, probably won't get shortlisted but probably need to consider the logistics just in case.

[aLICErOBERTSfANkLUB]

A long shot, but anyone got experience of Scottish secondary education, specifically moving a child from the English to the Scottish system? The timing of GCSEs/A levels doesn't marry up with Ordinaries/Highgers I think?

My brother moved up from England to Scotland a year or so ago.


How old are your children, and in what month are their birthdays - as the "cutoff" date in summer for which year kids go into differs [by about a month, IIRC]?

 - I can ask him to get in touch if you want [no promises tho']

[fatdoc]

Ask Marty.. Sound advice will follow

[andy popp]

Who is Marty? Am I being dumb?

[JamieG]

Hi Andy, I went through the Scottish education system about ten years ago. Did Standard Grades (GCSEs), Highers  (AS levels) and Advanced Highers (A-levels). Then went to uni in Sheffield. Also my brother went the other way, i.e. changed from the Scottish system to the English system when he was about 16ish, so I can ask him about his experience.

I can try answering any questions you may have. Don't know how helpful I'll be.

Cheers Jamie

[fatdoc]

It's his name on here... Brother of "Geordie Si", who is a a good mate of mine and FBSF. I've known him forever, he relinquished a career in the city with a very young family and moved to Scotland. Hence my suggestion, I would rate his thoughts on the matter.

[andy popp]

Cheers folks. I'll pm Marty. Jamie, can you remember at what ages the highers and advanced highers are sat? ARFC, yeah if you could ask your brother how it went that would be cool. She's 14, born in Feb, and is sitting GCSEs seemingly continuously over the next two years.

[JamieG]

Hi Andy, I was 17 when I sat my highers and 18 when I sat my advanced highers. I have a February birthday, and was one of the oldest in my year group. If I remember correctly I was could have been in the year above, since I was near the cut-off date. When I sat my standard grades, we did them all in one batch at the end of my fourth year of high school (16 I think), rather than over the course of the two years. I think my Brother had done Scottish Highers, but when he went to England they put him back to go through AS levels as well, before he could do A levels. As far as I know, it all went well. I'll alert him to this thread since he occasionally posts on here. He has also done teacher training in England to be a music teachers so is probably much more aware of the current situation than I am.

[gardinrm]

Hey Andy, my brother (Jamie) just sent me a message to try and help out. I think there will be no problems going up to Scotland at that age. If she is 14, then was/is she due to begin GCSE's this coming september? If I've got that right, then it is probably the perfect time to move. Standard grades are very similar to GCSE's in terms of difficulty and your daughter will have no problems with the transition. In Scotland we choose normally 8 subjects (instead of the english 13 or more, which in my experience means you have qualifications in things of no worth at all - like general studies) and are required to pick Maths, English, a modern foreign language (french or german normally, also spanish in some schools), an humanity (history or geog), a science, an art subject (music, art, graphic communication, design and technology etc) and i think also a computer based subject (this is flexible tho, i didn't do a computer subject because i wanted to do 2 languages and just had to show competency in using a computer = very easy). Then you have a free choice where you might like to take 2 sciences, or 2 languages, or history and geog etc etc.
Another slight distinction is that the scottish system is not modular, in that the exams of a subject can be sat over the 2 years. With the exception of course-work, all exams fall at the end of the 2 years. You will have practice exams about 6 months before these which are sat in strict exam conditions and can actually serve as your mark if there is a problem with the final exam (illness or total mess up etc) with an appeal process. However, i will say that this is all very similar to GCSE's really, both in requirements and style of teaching.
Following this, we take highers which are supposed to be equivalent of AS level, and we take 5 of these normally. This is where the main differences in the education system lie. Highers are a one year course and are worth more that AS levels in terms of application for university (UCAS). This is because they are harder, i know because i sat both. In fact you can enter Scottish universities (which are free remember, good incentive to move ) on just highers if you do well enough. Following highers we do advanced highers (usually 3) which are again harder that A-levels (in most subjects) but which you need to take in order to go to an English university. However, don't be worried about the difficulty, because A-Levels are too easy as shown by everyone in England getting a million As and not getting into university. Scottish system tends to allow for distinctions to be shown more clearly.
All in all, i would say that the Scottish system is a little more traditional. Instead of sitting as many exams as possible in subjects of little worth just to get your points up, you are asked to take fewer subjects and work harder in them. This is only my opinion of course, but i think the Scottish system is slightly better and fairer. For example, in Scotland there is only one exam board so everyone taking, say, Higher Maths in 2013 will sit the same paper. In England, with different exam boards, children might be sitting 2 different papers but receiving the same over all qualification. How can that be fair?
Sorry this turned into a bit of an epic. Please get back if you have further questions.
Robbie

[andy popp]

Robbie, that's absolutely brilliant - and reassuring. Someone had told me the break points were not at the same ages across the systems. But seems they are - though I probably wouldn't move her till she was 16, if the job comes off (very big if) it won't start till some point next year, at which point she'd be fully enmeshed in GCSE's.

Its all a long shot but I need to work out if its feasible just in case. Yes, the no University fees is very attractive!

UKB comes throughagain.

[JamieG]

Glad my brother was of help. You'll have to believe when I tell you that is a rare occurrence. An opinionated response, however isn't. :-)