Schooling for British Kids

[Natashka]

Hi, I'm hoping to move to LA soon (my husband is beind transferred with work) and wondered how the school system works. I have two children, my son is 5 and will be 6 in September, He currently goes to infant school and I have a daughter who is 3 and at nursery. How do I find a school for my son? What age do kids start school? Will I have to pay? Are there any good schools in Santa Monica? Do you have any websites that can help as I'm completely at a loss and my relocator is based in the UK and has never moved a family with kids before!
any help gratefully received.
thanks

[Bevdeforges]

Hi, and welcome to the forum.

Public (i.e. state) schooling in the US is free. Generally, children go to the school that serves the district in which they live - which is why homes in good school districts command higher prices than those in lesser school districts.

Generally kids must start school at age 6 (Grade 1) and since you son will be 6 in September, he'll probably be eligible for 1st grade this year. The cut-off date for turning 6 is usually October 1st or so, though it's often possible to appeal if you feel your child is socially behind or ahead of his cohort group.

If the district has Kindergarten (and many, if not most, do), the starting age is generally 5. Younger than that, there are a variety of nursery school, day care and other options - usually paying.

Private schools are also available, in a wide range of varieties, options and (of course) prices.

Oddly enough, the Wikipedia article on the Los Angeles school district Los Angeles Unified School District - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia gives a reasonable overview - though in many big cities the public schools are not terribly well regarded. There is also quite a bit of information available simply by googling "schools in Santa Monica" and "private schools in Santa Monica."

When you start looking for accommodation, you'll find that the (real) estate agencies in the area are often good sources of information about schools in the area (because it affects the cost of housing). There are some real estate websites that can direct you to fairly extensive ratings and reviews of area schools.
Cheers,
Bev

[Natashka]

Hi Bev, thank you so much for the information. Will state schools really be free for British people living there? even though we'll be paying taxes?
I'll look on the wikipedia site and see what i can find and also talk to the real estate agents.
thanks again

[twostep]

Check the LA School District Site for information. www.lausd.net/

[emohit]

Yes, the public schools are free. You might want to check the school system ratings and then choose your place to stay. If the school system is good, you will be fine with using Public schools instead of spending on private schools.

All the best,

[Natashka]

sorry to keep asking questions but I'm stuck on what some of the terminology means- what is a charter school, what does the 'K' mean when I see K5 for example.
Should I be looking for an Elemntary school? Imagine I know nothing about American schools and start from there! what should I look for?
thanks for all your advice everyone.

[Bevdeforges]

Originally Posted by Natashka

sorry to keep asking questions but I'm stuck on what some of the terminology means- what is a charter school, what does the 'K' mean when I see K5 for example.
Should I be looking for an Elemntary school? Imagine I know nothing about American schools and start from there! what should I look for?
thanks for all your advice everyone.

Don't be sorry for asking questions! That's what we're here for.

A charter school is a sort of experimental school set up within the public school system to try to provide a special environment for kids who may need a different approach to teaching, or those deemed to be "at risk" (say, in a big city where there are gangs or other bad influences). It's not "special education" (as for handicapped kids), but more a controlled experiment for some particular groups of students. Charter schools have varying degrees of success, depending on the goals they were founded to meet.

K usually means Kindergarten (i.e. the year before Grade 1). K-5 would mean a school that has Kindergarten through grade 5.

Public school in the US consists of 12 or 13 years, grades 1-12 or K-12. The lower grades, K-5 or 6, are usually referred to as elementary school. Grades 6 or 7 through 8 or 9 are middle school or junior high, and grades 8 or 9 through 12 are high school. I hear some districts are going back to the old model, where K-8 are "elementary school", and some districts break out middle school a bit differently or combine junior and senior high schools. You may also see reference to "nursery school" which is anything pre-kindergarten, other than mere babysitting.
Cheers,
Bev

[synthia]

You will also see the term pre-K, which is nursery school for three- and four-year-olds.

As soon as you know what school district your children will be in, go to the school administration to enroll them. If you are moving in the summer, look for some summer camps or activities for them, so they have a chance to meet some other kids. Because so many mothers work, there probably won't be a lot of kids running around playing outside in their neighborhood the way I did as a kid.