Wait for GCSE Results Before Moving to Sydney?
This post is straight from an email I got from an SMG reader and was a difficult one for me to answer, being from the States, I had no idea what GCSE was.
After questioning several of my UK expat friends, I finally sorted it out, but then the difficulty was understanding high schools in NSW and how they compared to the UK.
In my reply, I listed all the resources I came across online about secondary schools in NSW.
Should You Wait Until Your Teen Takes the GCSE?
We will be moving to Sydney soon. I have two boys, one is 15 years old and in year 10 and the youngest is 11 and in year 6.
Would it be appropriate to take them to Australia now or should I wait until my oldest finishes his GCSE?
We will be moving to Sydney on a TSS 482 visa.
Attending University in Australia vs the UK
In a nutshell, don't wait for your son to finish the GCSE because it doesn't mean a thing here in Australia.
Now, if you end up moving back to the UK BEFORE your son completes his secondary schooling in Australia, BEFORE he gets his Higher School Certificate (HSC) here, then the GCSE counts for something back in the UK. If you are certain that you will be in Australia for the next few years and he will be able to complete his HSC here then don't wait around for the GCSE.
In fact, the sooner your son can get registered in a school here in Australia the better since he is in year 10. In NSW, Years 11 and 12 are similar to the A levels in the UK, but a broader range of subjects are studied in years 11 and 12 than A levels.
Year 10 is when students select subjects for the next two years.
Many universities in NSW hold information days (or nights) for Year 10 students and their parents, and discuss which HSC subjects. If your son is planning on going to uni in Australia then he might want to be here to participate.
Since you have a 482 visa you will have to apply for school through the NSW Department of Education and Communities (DEC).
On the DEC site you will notice that it states:
Entry Requirement for Senior Secondary School (Year 11 and Year 12) in NSW, a NSW School Certificate (study up to Year 10) or its equivalent in Australia or overseas, with good passing grades in the main academic subjects.
The GCSE is equivalent but even so, what will happen is your son will finish his Year 10 in the UK (I'm guessing finishing up around July), take the GCSE, move to Australia then start up school again in Year 10 until December.
Waiting for the GCSE having no effect on what year he ends up in or his course of study.
Remember that the school year in NSW starts in January and ends in December.
Here is a good website for more info on HSC.
Below are a few of the forms from the DEC website that you will need to look at for applying for school.
Forms from DEC website:
1. Application Form for Temporary Residents
2. Enrolment Procedures for Temporary Residents & Bridging Visa
3. Fees and Payment Information for Temporary Visa Holders
