Fsd 34 – Education at Post
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FSD 34 – EDUCATION AT POST Country United Kingdom Mission London and Central London Last updated 21 August 2019 Important Information for Parents on Education of Children Under the FSDs An important consideration in preparing for a posting is ensuring that dependent children who will be accompanying an employee on a posting receive primary and secondary education approximating Canadian standards which will enable them to re-enter the Canadian school system with as little disruption as possible. Eligibility to FSD 34 begins when a dependant student meets the age criteria for junior kindergarten in Ontario, 3 years 8 months as of September 1st of the school year. The last year of entitlement consists of the school year where the dependant turns 21 years of age. A list of compatible schools is established by the deputy head, on the recommendation of the appropriate foreign service interdepartmental coordinating committee (Working Group B). These schools are recognized as offering an education which is compatible with education in Canada. This list consists of French language schools and English language schools if available and is included in this document. Representative schools are established from the list of compatible schools to determine the maximum amount which will be paid for an education allowance at the Mission. Up to four schools may be identified as representative schools based on the level of education offered (primary or secondary) and the language of education (English or French). Employees must ensure that the school that their children will attend is on the list of compatible schools for the Mission. Employees should be aware that if the fees and admissible expenses of the chosen school exceed the costs of the representative school, employees will be responsible for the additional costs. A comprehensive list of admissible and inadmissible education expenses can be found in FSD 34 under Definitions. Employees should consult this list in order to ensure that they know what is covered. Certain expenses such as school uniforms, photos, field trips, etc. are the responsibility of the employee. Once a school has been chosen, employees must communicate with Mission administration and the school as soon as possible to make application and registration arrangements. Employees can submit applications to several schools. However, the registration fees will only be reimbursed for one school. Many schools have limited enrolment. It is essential that employees start making inquiries as soon as possible prior to the issuance of the PCF and confirm registration as soon as the PCF is issued. Last updated 21/08/19 1 of 6 Tutoring in the second official language To help ensure that basic instruction in the second official language is provided to dependant students while abroad, 50 hours of second official language tutoring is provided per school year (except for children in junior kindergarten). Such requests must be approved by the employee’s FSD Client Advisor. Tutoring in subjects Requests for tutoring in subjects where the educational level of the dependant is below that of the class or grade must be reviewed and approved by Working Group B. This type of tutoring may only be approved when the need for tutoring is attributable to Foreign Service and only during the first year at the new school. Tutoring which is required due to an academic deficiency is a parental responsibility. To submit a request for tutoring in subjects, employees must prepare a case and send it to their FSD Client Advisor. Special Needs and Other Schooling Requirements (FSD 34.9) Children with technical aptitudes or special needs may not always have access to the same educational opportunities overseas that would be readily available in Canada. Before accepting an assignment overseas, it is vital that employees communicate directly with the chosen school abroad to ensure that the required services and programs will be available for their child. Employees who have children with special needs should communicate directly with the schools at the Mission as soon as possible to ensure that appropriate programs are available and that the school will accept enrolment of a child with special needs. Although some school facilities publicize that special programs are offered, it is often on an as needed basis, and arrangements must be made well in advance. For mentally or physically challenged children, some special needs services qualify under FSD 39 – Health care expenses versus FSD 34 – Education Assistance as these services are either provided free of charge by a hospital (i.e. speech therapy), or reimbursed under a provincial Ministry of Community and Social Services, Family and Children's Services program or the 'Children's Integration Support Services' funded by the municipality of Ottawa Carleton at no cost to the parent. Employees should contact their FSD Client Advisor as soon as possible in order to determine what documentation will be required (a letter from the attending physician/hospital describing the child's requirements and non-fee paying support services being provided, a letter from the provincial Ministry outlining level of financial assistance being provided, etc.) prior to proceeding on posting. This will facilitate an authorization under FSD 39 for financial assistance. Please note that an authorization under FSD 39 will not exceed the provincial limits. Last updated 21/08/19 2 of 6 LIST OF COMPATIBLE SCHOOLS AT THE MISSION Members posted to the greater London Area are entitled to enrol their children in schools based on the September 2018 Working Group B (WG B) approvals: London school attendance As per WG B decision in Sep 2018: "During the last 7 years, dependants starting school in the second or third year at post were still not able to gain admission to local public schools that had an acceptable OFSTED rating (1-3) due to over subscription issues, unreasonable commuting distance and other compelling reasons outside of the employee’s control. Given these challenges, employees are authorized to enroll their children in approved fee-paying schools (British or international curriculum) for London and Greater London only as follows: Students in London at the elementary level in English should apply to approved fee-paying schools, whether the student is entering school in the first year of the posting or a subsequent year. Employees are not required to apply to the public school system in subsequent years. Students entering secondary levels shall continue to apply to approved international schools (non-British curriculum). Students at elementary or secondary levels in French shall continue to apply to an approved French fee-paying school. British curriculum compatibility British curriculum - Elementary level (Kindergarten – grade 8) The public school system in England is considered compatible with the Canadian school system at the elementary level, from Kindergarten to Grade 8 (Reception to Year 9). Employees with children being educated at the elementary level in English should therefore enrol their children in local schools, where appropriate. A public school with an OFSTED rating of 1 – 3 is suitable for public school attendance in England. British curriculum – Secondary level (grades 9 – 12) The British curriculum is deemed non-compatible at the secondary level from grades 9 to 12 (Year 10 to 13). A transition between the Canadian and the British system at the secondary level can cause problems with credit accumulation and integration into either system. Students at the secondary level in English should apply to approved fee-paying schools with international curriculum. Note that students who are continuing from a British curriculum school into the secondary level, or who are able to graduate at post, may find an educational pathway within the British system. For a student to attend a British curriculum school at the secondary level, a request must be made submitted and approved by WG B on an individual basis. For a student to enroll in a fee-paying school which is not listed in this document, a request must submitted and approved by Working Group B prior to enrollment. CAF members with children attending school in London should contact their CEM guidance counsellor to clarify and support educational decisions. Last updated 21/08/19 3 of 6 1) Compatible public schooling is offered in English Yes ☒ No ☐ 2) Compatible public schooling is offered in French Yes ☐ No ☒ 3) Non-fee-paying Schools Link to the website of the https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department- relevant school boards for-education* *Representative School 4) English Language Schools Curriculum School Grades Website London (inside M25) * ACS International Schools JK – grade 12 http://www.acs-england.co.uk (Hillingdon) ACS International Schools International JK – grade 12 http://www.acs-england.co.uk (Cobham) The American School in JK – grade 12 https://www.tasisengland.org/ English Clifton Lodge http://www.cliftonlodgeschool.co. JK – grade 8 (Ealing) uk Durston House JK – grade 8 http://www.durstonhouse.org/ (Ealing) (boys only) King’s House School JK – grade 8 http://www.kinshouseschool.org/ (Richmond) Newland House School JK - grade 8 http://www.newlandhouse.net British (Twickenham) Parkgate House School http://www.parkgate- JK – grade 6 (Clapham) school.co.uk/ Quainton Hall School JK – grade 8 http://www.quaintonhall.org.uk (Harrow) River House Montessori JK – grade 7 http://www.river-house.co.uk Tower House School JK – grade 8 http://www.thsboys.org.uk/