Moving mid year for kids to start Term 3 in OZ?

[Anusha]

Hi. Will appreciate your suggestions on when is the best time to make the move.  We originally thought Dec/Jan but I am sure recruitment opportunities are fairly slow that time of year but it was appropriate cos kids could finish the school year in SA (Gr7&9)

We are open to suggestions, what worked well for you guys?

Thx !

[AFreshStart]

@Anusha

 

Schooling is generally at a much higher level here in Australia, much higher. We'be had several friends move with older children and they have struggled and required additional coaching for subjects like math and science, even from some

of the top private schools in SA.

 

While employment opportunities might be better for you, it could potentially damage your children's self esteem coming into T3 and failing behind, it could demotivate them and often it shuts them down, slipping into depression, there have been several families who have shared their personal stories here of late.

 

Cheers

 

Matt 

Edited September 28, 2017 by AFreshStart

[Anusha]

Thx Matt. Appreciate your honesty. 

[Rubie]

1 hour ago, AFreshStart said:

@Anusha

 

Schooling is generally at a much higher level here in Australia, much higher. We'be had several friends move with older children and they have struggled and required additional coaching for subjects like math and science, even from some

of the top private schools in SA.

 

While employment opportunities might be better for you, it could potentially damage your children's self esteem coming into T3 and failing behind, it could demotivate them and often it shuts them down, slipping into depression, there have been several families who have shared their personal stories here of late.

 

Cheers

 

Matt 

Also looking for suggestions. We have 2 kids aged 10 years and 17 years. Grade 5 and grade 11 in South Africa right now. We moving mid November to Melbourne. Would they need to repeat a grade or not? We a little lost on what to do? Thanks in advance.

[RYLC]

1 hour ago, Rubie said:

Also looking for suggestions. We have 2 kids aged 10 years and 17 years. Grade 5 and grade 11 in South Africa right now. We moving mid November to Melbourne. Would they need to repeat a grade or not? We a little lost on what to do? Thanks in advance.

Knowing what I know now, I would put the 17 year old into Year 11 in 2018. I KNOW that it feels like a step back but here is my thinking... School culture here is very different to RSA. Less formal, more willing to allow kids to express themselves etc. Your child will have enough to deal with with everything being new, making new friends etc without having to worry about academic achievements. Also the Year 12 program is a 2 year program starting in year 11 so they will have missed half the course by starting with year 12 straight away. 

 

Your younger child could probably go into Grade 6 as primary school is an easier stage to move. Perhaps ask for an assessment from the school you choose and then decide with them?

Edited September 28, 2017 by RYLC

[Rubie]

38 minutes ago, RYLC said:

Knowing what I know now, I would put the 17 year old into Year 11 in 2018. I KNOW that it feels like a step back but here is my thinking... School culture here is very different to RSA. Less formal, more willing to allow kids to express themselves etc. Your child will have enough to deal with with everything being new, making new friends etc without having to worry about academic achievements. Also the Year 12 program is a 2 year program starting in year 11 so they will have missed half the course by starting with year 12 straight away. 

 

Your younger child could probably go into Grade 6 as primary school is an easier stage to move. Perhaps ask for an assessment from the school you choose and then decide with them?

Great advise thank you. Will consider doing the assessment.

[JackoFam]

We moved with our kids in Jan this year into grade 5 and 8 and interestingly we found that generally they were ahead in maths and science (not by much and a few maths modules were missed - so I think concepts were just taught in a different order) but they were pretty far behind in writing - a more formal style is expected of kids here which is good but my kids are having to catch up. Teachers are willing to help them out. Also both of them have much much less homework than they had in South Africa - which is a good thing. Work is much more project based rather than rote learning. In state high school the teachers don't push the kids to excel or constantly remind them of what work is due. Assignments get handed out and its up to the child to get it done. If your child needs pushing to complete work or excel I would recommend a private school. Our kids are doing well though.

 

FYI kids were in private in SA and are in state schools here

[SimpleSimon]

Enjoy your Xmas and New Year holidays in South Africa. Recruiting is dead in Oz at that stage. Schools start a bit late in the New Year so you have time to settle them in after you arrive in mid-Jan.

[Riekie]

We moved on the 1st of November.  Our 18 year old finished his matric in RSA that same year and the school principal (in Aus) told our 11 year old to have a nice long holiday and come back to school the next year in the next grade.  Apart from initially not understanding all the technical terminology in subjects like math & science, she caught up within the 1st term and did very well, ending up in the gifted and talented class the following year.  We got her match & science dictionaries and other aids and we immediately started speaking only English where homework was concerned (I wrote a long post about this and how to assist your kids in adjusting to school in Australia in their 2nd language).  

 

It really depends on the age of your children, how resilient they are and how they respond to change - more so than their ability to cope with the actual academics. Younger kids tend to fly through it but when they get to their teens, the adjustment in a new country, making new friends, missing their old friends, hormones, peer pressure and all those things make it harder to adjust and it will most definitely impact on their academics, regardless of what time of year they changes schools.  If they're already struggling academically, then yes, moving halfway through a school year will have a larger impact but generally, it takes only a few weeks and quite a bit of effort, input and assistance from parents, to get them back on track.