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need some information

hi, my name is alek and i live in the united states at the moment.im 16 years old and a junior in highschool. im moving to england in december and was wondering on what i would do school wise. im not sure how the school system really works there and if i would go to a sixth form or straight to college. i just wanted to know if anyone could help me to figure this stuff out. also i was wondering is it possible to start school january, 2007 or would i have to wait for a whole new year to start, if anyone could help me that would be great.

Reply 1

Banana Blossom

i'd assume you would start your new school as soon as you enroll etc, thats what most people do when they move. I don't know about what qualification you have though so im not sure about going to school/college (also i don't know the english system well :blush:

) anyways hope that helped a little!

Reply 2

alek

thank you, that did help a little if anyone knows anything else please tell me

Reply 3

XxJaninexX

When is your birthday?

Reply 4

kesso12

XxJaninexX

When is your birthday?

up to you? compulsory education finishes at 16, so you could just decide to get a job. Or go to college, i think our colleges are different to yours, we do A levels, before going to university. If you decide to go college, you would have to wait until the following september, because that's when the college year begins

kes

Reply 5

XxJaninexX

His birthday is up to me? Lol what?

If you were 16 during or after september, you must join a high school straight away. If you were 16 before, you can join sixth forms OR colleges, they are the same level here. Most people do A levels. You then go onto uni, if you wish.

As for joining in January, it depends on the place. You may find your self very behind as people will have already done modules and stuff. If i was you, i would wait, get settled into the area, have a look at the local colleges and schools maybe get a job? Learn more about the A levels and subjects you want to take and apply to join in september. That way you will be at the same level as everyone else.

Reply 6

Purple

kesso12

What?

If he has just turned 16 since September he will be in his last year of GCSEs, if he turned 16 before September it will be much easier for him as he should be able to go straight to A levels but starting in December will be hard because you will have missed a full unit.

Missed a full unit^

Happy?

Are you studying the IB? As it dosen't matter when you join as it is the same for everyone and will be at the pace but you need to make sure the school you intend go are running the same courses. Just out of coursity where abouts are you moving to in England?

Reply 10

XxJaninexX

kirstinx

Happy?

Very. I just didnt want to confuse the OP because i had mentioned uni before.

Reply 11

Zinc11

I left the US after my freshman year and joined in year 10 so I have some experience.

i think it will be best if you triy to start A Levels in january. You've missed one term which you can catch up easily if you put in effort. It will be alot easier if you are taking subjects that you've already taken.

Eg. You probably have a year of biology, US History(freshman year), a year of physics and geography(sophomore year) and 2 years maths. If you're an honours student it will be easy for maths coz you would have taken some Pre-Cal by now.

so if you take a level in Maths, Biology, Physics and Geography for example it should be okay.

those are just examples.

as for whether its possible. not likely at selective grammar schools/public schools but at a school like mine (not good comprehensive) they will let you in.

hope it helps.

Reply 12

alek

i turned 16 in march, and im moving to a town called hitchin i believe. i was also wondering, if i go to a 6th form school could i only go until im 18 which will be march 25 2008, and then go off to a college or university or do i have to do a specific amount of time there. and would i only take the courses i know or could i take something that i know nothing about? and if anyone knows of which school i will most likely be going to please tell me so i can look up the schools courses and figure out what to do thanks

Reply 13

alek

i was looking up schools and was wondering is there a difference between a 6th form school and a 6th form college because i would much rather go to the 6th form college then a little school.

Reply 14

PaulaTwouble

You were sixteen in March? So you're of college age, your best bet would be to go to a sixth form college or a sixth form school. They're pretty much the same in course wise but at college you're looking at mostly 16-18 year olds whereas at school you've got 11-18 year olds.
As for when you leave, you're the age of a first year now so if they let you start in January (you'd have to be able to catch up on modules) you'd leave July 2008 officially, when the school year ends. I'd apply to your local college/sixth form school and if they won't let you start in January wait until the new school year in September and start then. You'll be able to stay on until you finish your a levels which'll be...July 2009 if you wait to start in September, it'll depend on whether the college is happy for you to start late, I'd email the admissions secretary of local sixth forms/sixth form colleges and find out, that's probably going to be your best bet rather than applying in January and getting told to wait to September, if you know you're going to have to wait you can get a job or something until September.
Hitchin's in Hertfordshire, I think, I've just looked, there's two schools, Hitchin Boys' School and Priory School...websites are here;

http://www.hbs.herts.sch.uk/
http://www.priory.herts.sch.uk/

Take a look and see what their sixth form says...

Reply 15

FoeGeddaBowDeet

alek

i was looking up schools and was wondering is there a difference between a 6th form school and a 6th form college because i would much rather go to the 6th form college then a little school.

There are advantages to a 6th form school...
You're likely to get better grades. Being smaller, you'll probably have more intensive classes wth less people in them - better for your education.

Better sense of community and closer-knit social groups...

...right, that was all I can think of, makes me wonder why I went to one.

Disadvantages:
A lot of them are likely to have come from the school, and so may be less friendly/welcoming and already have close groups of friends/cliques they won't break from.

Far fewer subject choices.

Inflexible schedules.

May well expect you to do lots of extra work whereas a college would put no such pressure on you.

good luck.

Reply 16

Happy_Holidays

We have a student at my 6th form college who can from the US and he's 19 in still in (I think he's upper 6th now). I think it would probably be better to wait until the next September to join a 6th form. Maybe get a job for the months inbetween? Also you can make friends with local kids.

If you are doing Advanced levels (A levels) you usually do 4 Advanced Subsidary levels for 1 year. You then take 3 of these forward to complete the full A level which takes another year. Some people though take 5 As levels and 4 or 5 A levels (only if your very brainy).

What I would suggest for where to go is to find out about the 6th form schools and colleges in the area you are moving to. You may find you really like the look of a local 6th form school and prefer to go there instead of the local 6th form college.
6th form colleges and schools both have advantages and disadvantages.

6th form colleges are good because everyone is concentrated on the same thing . You are all of the same age and as all the people in your year will be new you'll all be in the same boat. Also you usually have a wider range of subjects to choose from.

6th form schools can be good as they are generally smaller. Problems are though that people in the have normally come up from the main school and so will normally have groups of friends and so it would be harder to intergrate. Also they usually have a smaller range of subjects.

Hope I helped!

Reply 17

alek

thanks, i really like the idea of college becuase i like the thought of having my own age group. i would feel a lot more comfortable with kids my own age and also with a bunch of kids who dont have these groups of friends. i was looking up schools and the closest 6th form college is north hertfordshire 6th form college. it looks nice and it has a lot of differnt studies then the school. i was wondering though everyone keeps saying stuff about making up modules what is that, by the way if i were to join the college which level would i take. theres a level and as level i think and i dont know how much tougher it will be then my school now. i know i could do alot better than i am now i just dont like how my classes are,and would i need to take a test before i could go into the school. i will ask more questions when i come up with them but thanks again for all the help

Reply 18

PaulaTwouble

You'll take AS Levels, AS Levels are Advanced Subsidary and they're like half an A Level, in your first year you do AS Levels and in your second you do A Levels [A2s]
Each AS is broken into three modules (someone correct me if I'm wrong, but all five of mine were) and most colleges do at least one module in the first term (some take exams in a module in January) so you'll have missed that module. If the college lets you in you'll need to catch up on what they've done so far for the first module, as well as learnig stuff for the other modules. But don't worry, it is do-able, a girl in my college started History in January and she managed fine.