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Moving house/area during A- Levels

23 replies

lou4791 · 19/12/2012 16:29

We are looking to move house to a different area entirely this spring . However our home is not even up for sale yet, and i'm worried that the whole moving thing may drag on for months and my 16 year old son would have already started his A levels at the local sixth form college. He would then need to start again somewhere else. How difficult is it to transfer A-level courses mid year to another school/college?

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gelo · 19/12/2012 17:28

Not that easy as schools offer a wide variety of different syllabuses and structure their teaching in a different order. Not to mention they may not be able to timetable your ds's choices or if they can the sets may be full. Are there any state boarding schools near your new area you could consider and he could transfer to being a day pupil once you have moved?

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trinity0097 · 19/12/2012 19:10

Or do you have friends he could stay with once you have moved during the week to continue his studies?

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lou4791 · 21/12/2012 21:17

Thanks.
My son would definitely need to be living at home, I couldn't bear the thought of him being more than 100 miles away most of the time. Not until he's a bit older anyway.
I guess we'd need to sell up as soon as possible then rent locally untlil GCSEs are finished, then buy in the new area before the autumn term. If this didn't go as planned I suppose we'd just have to stay put for another two years. Do people really never move during their child's A-levels?

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Loshad · 22/12/2012 23:36

It rarely is successful, and happens very rarely indeed. Would really recommend the sell early and rent during end of GCSEs if that is possible.

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EvilTwins · 24/12/2012 20:22

I'm Head of 6th Form in my school. We've just taken on a boy whose family has moved area. He's an absolutely lovely lad and is very willing to work hard BUT one of his three subjects isn't on offer at our school so he's had to pick up another. Also, the stuff we've covered so far in the subjects he was doing is different (different units on same spec) so it's far from ideal.

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boomting · 29/12/2012 02:30

There are so many variables, including

  • subjects offered
  • exam board
  • which units the school has opted to teach
  • timetabling


I found myself faced with trying to find a new sixth form in the summer between AS and A2. It turned out that it was only a typo on the part of the school, but despite living in a large city I had been unable to find another school that did my three subjects, never mind the same syllabus, units and a compatible timetable.

You'll never get an exact match, so it can make it really very difficult to transfer mid A Levels. If you really can't move in time, he is agreeable and you can find the money, then (weekly) boarding might be the best option.
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Numberlock · 29/12/2012 02:35

Can I ask the reasons for moving?

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lou4791 · 30/12/2012 18:24

Oh dear. Not looking promising is it?

Numberlock- We've lived in a place which we didn't intend to stay for long, for 12 years now. We have stayed so that DS's schooling isn't disrupted. Last summer we intended to put our house up for sale and look for jobs in an area where we have always wanted to live. We both have jobs in public services so could be looking for vacencies in most places. We thought this was a good point to move as DS wants to go to a 6th form college rather than stay at his school anyway. However, some building work that we aimed to complete within a month before putting up for sale, is still ongoing and the months are ticking by.

If we wait until after A levels our little chlildren (age 2 and 4) would have started school and we'll feel stuck again. How ever does anyone time moving right with children?

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titchy · 30/12/2012 19:15

It's difficult! We moved when they were pre-schoolers, and I guess most people don't have as large an age gap as you do. I think you'll have to commit to renting in your new area from the summer come what may, and hope you can sell your house quickly in the meantime. You'll need to apply very soon for school and sixth form places though wont you?

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LadyLetch · 30/12/2012 19:31

I work at a large sixth form college, and we have lots of students who move mid A levels. Within my (small) subject, I usually get at least one new student into my second year most years. Personally, I'd look at whether there is a sixth form near to where you're moving and see how flexible they are. If there's a large college you may well find they are more geared up for this sort of thing, and it's a lot easier.

Firstly, they don't have to do the same board for AS that they do for A2, but they do have to be compatible. The examinations officer can tell you this (you may want to find this out first and then work backwards to choose a first year school / college that fits in with the second year iyswim).

Secondly, colleges may allow your son to fast track a subject in the second year. So for example, some of our students may do 4 AS in the first year,
Keep two on to A2, drop two and then to pick up a third A level in a year. This would be done over 10 hours a week (5 hours AS and 5 hours A2). We have lots of students who did this and it is quite successful. This gives students who swap colleges greater choice. However, most schools don't offer this, so it would depend on how geared up the school / college is. But you'll only know by asking the second college directly, so I would recommend you contact them to discuss your options.

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NotGoodNotBad · 30/12/2012 19:32

"If we wait until after A levels our little chlildren (age 2 and 4) would have started school and we'll feel stuck again. How ever does anyone time moving right with children?"

I wouldn't like to move secondary children if possible, but I don't see the problem with moving say a 5 and a 7 year old.

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LadyLetch · 30/12/2012 19:37

The other thing to say, is if he does move, he needs to think flexibly about his choices. It won't work if he has very fixed ideas about what A levels he wants to do, but if he has an open mind, and is prepared to take on new subjects then it can work...

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Loshad · 30/12/2012 19:44

No dilemma there imo, stay until he has finished A2s then move. Your little ones will ove easily with no effect basically on their long term education. For your eldest it seriously may mean the difference between a good uni and no uni place at all.

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Remotecontrolduck · 30/12/2012 19:45

It's really, really not a good idea unless there are exceptional circumstances.

This may sound obvious, but why can't you wait until he's finished his A levels? It's under two years, my youngest started A levels in Sep 2009 and finished May 2011.

You can move your youngest two out of their school when he's finished, they're still very young and should adapt easily to a new school. Your son on the other hand, will certainly not be able to adapt so easily to a new college!!

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PotteringAlong · 30/12/2012 19:47

As a teacher please don't move during his a levels, for all the reasons given above!

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Numberlock · 30/12/2012 19:52

You really can't compare moving an A level student with two under 5s.

If this was unavoidable eg divorce, company relocation, then you would all have to make the best of it. But you're only moving to follow your dreams which can easily wait another year after 12 years already spent there...

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Remotecontrolduck · 30/12/2012 19:56

I think you're underestimating how difficult A Levels are also. There's a hell of a lot of extra reading that needs to go on, the course builds on the work from the year before. Every college is different, does different modules. Coursework will be different. It's not just copy out of a text book and sit an exam!!

Your two infants are not going to be affected by a change of school, other than with friendships. Their eductation will NOT suffer. Your son's chances of a good (or any) university are dramatically reduced by such upheaval

This is an awful idea. Really, do not do it. I cannot stress enough how bad an idea this is!!

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Lilymaid · 30/12/2012 20:10

DH's parents moved between his Y12 and Y13 and DH had to stay in a rented room during the week in order to remain at his old school. Not something I would fancy much, but he says that it meant he could get on with his school work during the week and have the weekends free. If the house sale dragged on a long time, that might be a possibility - perhaps a parent of someone at the school would be prepared to look after DS Monday evening to Friday morning for some rent?

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sashh · 31/12/2012 04:49

Boarding school? State boarding schools exist.

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scissy · 04/01/2013 14:43

DH's parents also moved in the middle of his A-levels. His 'new' school were able to put him in for exams with his old exam board, but as they taught different syllabuses he ended up 1-2 grades down on at least 1 on his A-levels, lost both his uni places and had to go through clearing. In the long run things worked out ok, however he has had some explaining to do as to why his GCSE/degree results are so good, yet his A-levels dip in the middle in interviews...

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pandsy1 · 13/06/2019 17:24

I'm in the same boat, wanting to move house. My son is studying in year 12 but feels now that it's too late to change. He did really well with his GCSEs but is struggling with Phycology. Not sure what to do. It's now too late for him to change subjects or schools.

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NunheadMum · 10/10/2019 15:23

Hi all,

So - my Son is taking GSCE's this coming summer - e.g. it's October 2019 now and his exams will be June 2020.

We want to put the house on the market in March 2020 with a view to selling, and moving after his GCSE's - new area, and so he starts A Levels at a school or college from scratch.

Can the teachers on this thread please tell me if this is possible? Should I phone and speak to some of the schools and colleges in the area we are hoping to move to in order to check if they would take him as a late applicant on that basis? I am confused as we are supposed to go to open days now and have 6th form interviews in March 2020, but obviously can only do that in the area in which we live.

The issue is my younger child starts secondary school in September 2020, so if we don't move in this 'window' we then have to move in two years when she is at the end of year 8 which isn't ideal either.

Such a nightmare, but really do need to move now ASAP for various reasons.

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titchy · 10/10/2019 16:34

Nunhead this thread is YEARS old - you need to start a new one.

But for your older one you need to check colleges and schools for sixth form admission processes. They will all be different - some will have closed applications l now, some remain open till gcse results day.

Your younger one is the bigger problem - they'll be a late applicant as applications close in two weeks and so will end up wherever the local authority has space - you probably won't have much choice.

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