Help with school for 6 & 16yr old & other questions :) | ExpatWoman.com
 

Help with school for 6 & 16yr old & other questions :)

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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 21 May 2014 - 07:14

Hello,
My husband is on the cusp of accepting a position in AD.
Coming from Australia, we have a lot to organise.
I'm currently looking at schools, my children would more than likely be starting in term 2(jan 15), going into grades 2 & 11.
I have been looking at Al Yasmina. It is important the school has a large expat community, facilities, positive experiences from other parents & of course experienced teachers.Does anybody have any feedback about this school?
As we would be based out of the Airport, I am also looking at the area of Al Raya Beach, is this a good choice for Australian expats?
I would like to live in a cosmopolitan, beach area with lots of expats to keep us all company.........
We will be in AUH in the coming weeks to look around & tour schools, any advice would be appreciated, thanks ladies.

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EW MASTER
Latest post on 23 May 2014 - 20:15
Flying mum if I were you I would start researching right now, decide then apply as soon as you can. We arrived here five years ago from Jordan and arrived in the summer, my husband applied for the kids late May, June and we got two into the school of our choice for the following september even though new admissions had been 'closed' since the preceding april. We werent so lucky with the younger two and they really were closed and they suffered for a year in a difficult school before being moved over. (it seems to be easier the older they are as parents grow more discontent grade by grade and start moving their kids about; I dont know if others here feel the same way). One factor that definitely got the older two kids into our favoured school is the fact that we had their previous school in Jordan write personal recommendations for each child. That went a long way to squeezing them in. edited by ummmuhammad123 on 23/05/2014 people dont move them around because they are discontent... in the brit schools, some will send them back to school in the uk,, boarding school etc or the like, also they may well go anytime up to gcse or alevels, a lot will disappear after year 11 to go back to uk for sixth form, one to be domiciled in the uk for uni and also to get back into the flow of the system etc. not because they have any probs as such.
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EW MASTER
Latest post on 23 May 2014 - 20:14
yasmina is a good school, but if you are coming into year 11 2nd term they may not accept you as the 3rd term they have exams after studying for 2/3 years.....even if you were coming from brit curriculum... definately not if you have studied gcse at all etc. ring up and ask them the question then you will know.
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 23 May 2014 - 07:52
Wow! Maybe I'm naive but I never thought about these issues. Hmmm ok well I may have to start applying even though we haven't formally accepted a position. Thankyou for your help. Well you never know! There might just happen to be a place at the right time at the right school for flyingmum! I would apply to whatever school you are interested and who knows there may just happen to be a place for both your kids at the school you want! yes exactly as i have mentioned before and on other threads on the same.. you must always ring up and get the most upto date advice as it will change all the time..... yes you never know? also places can become available once the term starts. the issue with coming part way thru the gcse or alevels schools do not like it, because every school may use different exam boards so if you are doing a maths gcse from one exam board you may not be able to slot into the curriculum etc... if you are coming from different country that does different curriculum part way thru a yeargroup then i think they will refuse. even if you are within the same exam boards the english schools do different modules than the international ones so again the sch will be the one to tell you if its possible but i wouldnt think its hopeful. best to be informed than move over and find that you cannot find a school place at all because of it etc.
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EW MASTER
Latest post on 22 May 2014 - 12:23
Well you never know! There might just happen to be a place at the right time at the right school for flyingmum! I would apply to whatever school you are interested and who knows there may just happen to be a place for both your kids at the school you want! yes exactly as i have mentioned before and on other threads on the same.. you must always ring up and get the most upto date advice as it will change all the time..... yes you never know? also places can become available once the term starts. the issue with coming part way thru the gcse or alevels schools do not like it, because every school may use different exam boards so if you are doing a maths gcse from one exam board you may not be able to slot into the curriculum etc... if you are coming from different country that does different curriculum part way thru a yeargroup then i think they will refuse. even if you are within the same exam boards the english schools do different modules than the international ones so again the sch will be the one to tell you if its possible but i wouldnt think its hopeful. best to be informed than move over and find that you cannot find a school place at all because of it etc.
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EW MASTER
Latest post on 22 May 2014 - 11:50
what are the ages.... if you are part way thru the year10/11 gcse they will not allow you to join british curriculum unless you are in the system already and even then they often dont because of many reasons.
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 21 May 2014 - 11:16
If grade 11 is the same as year 11, I agree with March. We tried to move our son in year 10 (near the start of his GCSEs) and it was completely impossible - non-negotiable (because of the difference in boards and modules).
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 21 May 2014 - 10:51
It will be difficult, maybe impossible to get a British school to accept a child into term 2 of year 11 because one term later they will be taking their GCSE's. Maybe look at Raha International school.