Hi there!

Last week was a big one in our house. It was GCSE results week in the UK, which is way more monumental than I would have assumed before we moved here. Even five years into living here, it still blows my mind that this is how the education system works.

In case you are considering moving to the UK with kids (especially kids over 10) or just want to know what all the fuss is about, here's how it works in terms I understood from American schools.

Imagine you start middle school in 6th grade. Your middle school runs longer than most, and will finish at the end of your 10th grade year. That's the normal range for UK secondary schools.

Now imagine that for every year before your 10th grade year, you won't have a formal grade. Your parents will get reports on your progress in general, but unless you're falling far behind there isn't much to it.

As you get close to the end of your 10th grade year, you take GCSE exams. This usually means 2-4 tests per subject, all essay-based or show your work maths questions. No multiple choice. In total, you'll have 20+ exams over about six weeks. Exams cover everything you learned on the subject in secondary school.

Once you finish exams, your school year is over a bit earlier than it is for the rest of the school. At the end of summer, GCSE results come out. How you did on those exams is the only recorded mark of your education in those subjects... for all 5 years you studied in secondary school.

You'll likely have already planned which school you want to attend for your final two years of high school (here confusingly called college or sixth form). Your preferred school has already offered you a place, with the caveat that your GCSE results have to be over certain marks.

You can see how this gets a little overwhelming? Honestly, this is the one hill I will die on when I say the British school system is not for everyone and there are a few things I prefer the American way.

Thankfully, my kid got good results and has no barriers to continuing education in the way they want. But that is not the case for everyone.

If this all sounds a bit insane to you, there are other education options in the UK that mirror American setups or follow an I.B. curriculum. Those are generally private school options, though, so consider your education budget when deciding whether to move abroad.

UK Fall Travel

As August winds down, we've got one last bank holiday before it's back to school season here and we all move into Autumn mode.

If you've got a trip coming up soon, this early part of the fall is a favorite time of the year.

We've been in a kind of crazy drought this summer, so I'm wishing for rain in a way I haven't experienced for a long time. Luckily, September and October usually aren't too cold, even when the rain does blow in.

If you're looking for some travel planning inspiration or seasonal ideas for travel, check these out:

• My most recommended Autumn destination: Oxford​
• ​Fall in London outfit guide​
• ​Complete UK Autumn packing list​
• American guide to Halloween in the UK​

In the News

If you're researching ways to move abroad, don't overlook your family tree. While the UK doesn't have a great route for Americans with British heritage, there are 18 countries who offer citizenship to people with connected heritage. (Source)

That's all for now, but I'll see you next week!

Victoria

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