Hello! We just got the word we are going to PCS to Lakenheath this summer and I have a zillion questions and things to do but first wanted to see if anyone had experience with the schools on base vs. British schools. Our kids are 17, 15, 13, and 11 so any high school and middle school intel would be appreciated. The kids are in band and drama/theatre, play tennis and mostly take AP classes. Our 17 year old will be a senior next year so I am hoping this move won't be too hard on him and applying for colleges in the States. Glad to meet you all and thanks for any other advice (educational or otherwise) that you can give! 

I can't really give you info on schools for older kids (mine are young...10 months and 6 years).

As far as the bases/area? Well, we are getting ready to PCS away from here....the only advice I can give for being stationed here is to be open minded and don't expect the best weather....even if the Sun is shining. It'll soon be covered up by a bunch of clouds for the rest of the day.

Where are you PCSing from?

Anyhow, I used the "search" feature and found a few threads where people coming here asked many of the same questions...alot of this has been covered a few times. Have a read through these threads! Hope this helps!

PCSing to RAFL Link 1

PCSing to England Link 2

New Base Housing Rules....READ

Info about VISAs

PCSing with Animals

Internet/Phone thread....

Anything specific? Feel free to ask. this forum has got kinda "dead" ever since the server problem that happened awhile back. I'll try to help answer as much as I can for you....I'm sure O.o or Jeni will chime in (Wifey might too....) if they can offer answers.

I don't want to be "Debbie Downer" so I'll try to remain positive because in all honesty you and your family may enjoy this tour. We came from Georgia and got really used to the extremely warm and Sunny weather 24/7. I suppose in some brain chemistry type of way the lack of Sun and great weather made us more and more depressed. I don't know.

Anyhow, I'll try to answer as much as I can for you that isn't covered in any of the threads about PCSing to this area. Cheers! 

British kids graduate at 16 so I would put them in Lakenheath. I personally think the British schooling for younger kids is amazing and then they lose it around High School. 

I agree with Peace, at the age your kids are, I'd stick to Lakenheath.
You will find that those threads have some very strong & different opinions for against this tour (I'm the fanatical PRO argument), but you just have to consider your temperament and adaptability. Congrats on getting this assignment, you will be arriving at a perfect time to see England at it's best! 

I went through the whole British school system - yes, you can leave school at 16, but few people do. It's then based on what you wish to do and how academic you are. At 16 you can leave and get job, continue onto a vocational course (hairstyling, electronics etc etc) at a 'vocational college' (not 'college' in the US sense of the word!) OR you can do 'A Levels' it's the academic route and more like a follow on to normal school. You pick a handful of subjects that you like, or wish to persue and study those to just below university level. For example I did 'A levels' in Human biology, Psychology and Geography. This was full time. THEN at 18 you can apply for Uni...or get a job. If you have any specific questions regarding schools in the UK I will try and help as not only did I attend a UK school from age 4 years to 23 years I also trained as a primary school teacher. 

I have four of my kids in British schools and think they're getting an excellent education. However, my oldest son came over here already in High School & I think it would have been really hard on him to switch to a British school that late in his education- especially if U.S. universities are in the future. 

I wonder if my oldest son attends his senior year and graduates from a British school (A Levels), would he still be classified as an international student if he chose to attend University in the UK? I'm honor bound to make this process as complicated as possible. I'm very much looking forward to this tour, could be worse (like Minot!). 

I have a friend who has had two kids finish their teen years in UK schools & then go off to Uni. I'll ask her for details & then get back. I kind of remember her having a difficult time with funding & school loans. 

Holligo, just wondering if you checked out any of the links I posted. Specifically did you check the link for the new housing rules?

I'm not sure if you and your husband are Mil2Mil or what rank he is.....but if you were planning on living off base you might want to re-evaluate potential plans.

They are now requiring people to live on base. If you decide that you don't want to live on base then you'll have to pay out of pocket for your rent/utilities.

Rent for a decent place hovers around 1100GBP (give or take a few quid). Get comfy with XE Currency Converter.

Currently if you had to pay 1100 quid a month for just the rent that would equal $1,714.32 a month. To top it off there are quite a few homes that are heated by oil here...and oil isn't cheap. Last time we bought oil (at our old off base home) we only got a few hundred liters and it cost in the ballpark of 500 pounds. Then of course tack on all the other utilities (BT Phone, Anglian Water, electricity etc...)

Understandably you seem pretty focused on schools but you need to consider the roof over you head issue as well. I only mention this because over the years my wife & I have met numerous Military families that refuse to live on base. If you are one of those Military families then PCSing here may pose an expensive dilemma.

My oldest Son went to British School for a few years....we've since switched him to the American school on base. His education wasn't any better than an American one...they just structure their teaching differently. For example, when I was in school learning to read as a youngster they taught us the alphabet, vowels, etc..etc..

Here they started him off learning the Phonetic Alphabet (which I didn't first learn until I was in the US Army!). It is very different, but isn't any better or worse.

I was thinking about you bringing over teens. I told my wife "It would be hard for a teen to be thrust into a British school immediately coming from the states....they wouldn't even have time to get used to the accent!". This would no doubt make for quite a few "lost in translation" moments. When we first got here a British man at a car dealership asked me "Do you need any help?". I asked him to repeat himself three times. Finally he just said each word individually...albeit with some attitude (Lol, I can't blame him). I'm from the North and speak very clearly....early on the British accent from many Brits was VERY hard to untangle in my mind. Some speak just fine, others have an accent on top of an accent. That is the only way I can describe it. I guess they must have their own version of "Southern" accent as well as "Northern"? Something to think about. I would just think for an older student, a Senior, that it would be better to send the kid to the US school. It's already going to be a crazy transition. 

I think most Americans think there is an 'English accent' either like Cockney London accent or like the Queen, in reality there are hundreds of accents and regional words across the country 

Hi SSDD - thank you very much for posting those links, they have been very informative! I have actually passed a lot of it on to my husband, as we have an unspoken division of labor -- I take care of school, kids' activities, groceries and unpacking. Most everything else falls under his responsibility, makes him feel important. :)

We live on base currently but have been spoiled because these houses were just built and we were the first tenants. If we are lucky and get into Liberty Village (do you know rank those are available to?), I think that would work best for all of us. If we end up in LW (again, not sure what rank those are for?), I suppose there isn't much we can do about it right now. Anything can happen in the next six months, maybe the mandate will change? I'm a little nervous about having the older kids learn to drive out there anyway, so the closer the high school the better.

Oh, the accents! Being from the northeast and coming to Texas has been a real adjustment. People speak MUCH slower here. One of our kids has picked up the "y'all" and "fixing to...", hopefully being in England will cure it.

Jeni - thank you for checking with your friend. I noticed that some UK university websites encourage US students to use FAFSA but I think it's mostly for student loans and they do not accept Pell Grants and scholarships from the US, obviously. That would be an issue. 

I think most Americans think there is an 'English accent' either like Cockney London accent or like the Queen, in reality there are hundreds of accents and regional words across the country

My kids have picked up the Norfolk accent. I have to remind them all of the time that there are "T"s in those words! ;) 

My son is picking up some Norfolk words...my family thinks its hilarious as they like to think they're quite 'well spoken' lol. My poor husband said 'I have NO idea what he is saying anymore' haha 

I know this is "off-topic" but I just want to point out that in the states we have more than just a "Northern" and "Southern" accent. I'm not going to generalize and say most Brits think us Americans think that Brits only have a couple accents. That's absurd.

We have 50 states as many people have known for a number of years. In these states we have many different dialects in any given state. For example, I'm from Northwestern Pennsylvania. It is known as "Pennsylvania Dutch" where I am from. We have Amish and a stout German/Austrian population. When my father was a little boy in the very early 50s he spoke fluent German. This ability to speak German has since waned throughout the generations and among the older population has simply turned into an accent with hints of German....not so much fluent German speaking, just pronunciation of things.

In my particular area we often say things such as "Reckon", or "Ya'll"....but words that are more specific to the area are "Crick" (for a Creek) or "You'ns" (when addressing a group of people).

Now, the Monroeville/Pittsburgh people often say things such as "Pellow" for Pillow, "Melk" for Milk and "Warsh" for Wash (i.e. "Warshing Machine"). These are just a small portion of the different pronunciations.

We have different versions of Southern accents, Texans do not sound like Georgians. Georgians sound similar to South Carolinians but don't sound much like someone from Alabama. Up closer to the North you have Maryland (what the Brits often call "Mary-Land"....as to where I would simply say "Mare-uh-lind"....and my wife's name is "Care-uh" not "Car-uh"...Lol!) and West Virginia where the Southern accent differs greatly when you get closer to the Appalachian Mountains.

People from Wisconsin (I pronounce it like it is written) say "Wiz-CON-zin". Then of course there are the "Yoopers". If you've ever listened to "Da Turdy Point Buck!" You'll know what I mean.

Bananas at large

So, as you can see we probably have quite a few different accents....it's not just two!

Holligo! You asked about what ranks are able to live on base. We've got neighbors here on Liberty Village that are Senior Airmen. 

Now, the Monroeville/Pittsburgh people often say things such as "Pellow" for Pillow, "Melk" for Milk and "Warsh" for Wash (i.e. "Warshing Machine"). These are just a small portion of the different pronunciations.

FYI: I grew up in a town 20 minutes from Pittsburgh. I do NOT say "Pellow" "Melk" "Warsh" etc.
And...Monroeville should never be lumped into the Pittsburgh area. That's like saying someone from Indiana, PA is "from Pittsburgh". That shows what kind of jagoff that person is. 

I grew up in a town 20 minutes from Pittsburgh.

Excuse me? 20 Minutes from Pittsburgh? Where? I'm pretty familiar with that area and know a few people down that way currently and quite a few that used to live there. Monroeville IS close to Pittsburgh. My former boss is from Monroeville and even he exhibited the tell tale "Monroeville slang" that many Pennsylvanian's from the side of the state are aware of.

Personally I grew up in Titusville PA, we are about 1 1/2 hours or so NORTH of Pittsburgh...towards Erie PA. My Boss wasn't a "jagoff" (whatever that is....is it related to a Jabberwocky?) he was actually one of the coolest guys I've known and was once an NCO in the USAF and was actually stationed over here at one point. He laid the runway over at RAFM.

Monroeville is basically Pittsburgh. Everyone knows that.

Check it: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monroeville,_Pennsylvania

"A suburb of Pittsburgh" - Straight from Wiki. 

Topic switch, perhaps?

Anyone have children with braces in the US then PCS to Lakenheath/Mildenhall? Any tips? 

Back on topic...
There are a handful of colleges around here that are European divisions of American colleges like UMUC. They have online classes and face to face classes on base.
As far as the braces they have full service dental here. I'm not positive but I think they have an orthodontist on base too. 

Did anyone suggest that there were only two accents in America?! I have lived in the States for several years, my husbands family is Pennsylvania Dutch in heritage - im well aware of the different US accents. MOST Americans I meet think that there is an 'English accent' and that's it. No variation. I dont know, maybe the people my husband works with are uninformed?! 

I just came from another briefing where we were told that the new housing policy will be for all ranks- even above E5s until the houses are filled to 98%. People pcsibg here will go straight into houses, people on waiting lists will go into houses only if there is not an inbound requiring that house.
It makes sense considering what it costs the military to move us from one place to another. 

I do believe your teens need to get thier licence for driving while in the states to be able to drive in the UK. I am not aware of any driving programs in the UK for the teens unless you put them through a british driving school and that can be VERY expensive. I know several people that flew back to the states with thier teens at that time to get them thier licence.

I would also suggest putting the kids in the Dodd schools on base. At thier age I think they would transition better. I had little ones and did both british and Dodd and at thier age they didn't know much different and it was much easier to adjust for them. Again I dont have teens but I have heard that the older the kids are the harder time they have in british schools socially.

Liberty Village has housing for all ranks. We lived there and were in the situation you are. Brand new house, and the 1st people to live in it. We loved it. As far as LW I'm not sure if there are any officers living in there.

Remember to stay open minded about England and DO NOT stay local. Travel!!! 

"I know several people that flew back to the states with thier teens at that time to get them thier licence."

Please don't 'penny pinch' when it comes to your childs safety behind the wheel! It really would seem to make more sense for your child to learn to drive in the country they are going to be doing their driving in. After all you can't put a price on your childs life. 

We have made a final decision to have the teens not get their licenses in England at all. The cost of insurance is more than a car so with luck we are hoping a four bedroom house will be available in Liberty Village in June so the kids can just walk everywhere.

Our only "problem" now is choosing which places and countries to visit first -- too many cool options and things I want to see & accomplish when we arrive.

What were the best things you have done during your time in England? What are some overrated activities or attractions to skip? 

What are some overrated activities or attractions to skip?

4th of July at RAF Feltwell. Completely overrated and too expensive. It's cool to check it out once but honestly it is a pain...they open up the base for non-ID holders and then the base is PACKED and parking is atrocious. Looking back on it we probably would have been better off to skip it altogether. 

Ireland and the Canary Islands!!

We went to the 4th of July celebrations last year and they were the best fireworks I have ever seen! They have a bunch of rides and such, but if you go the day before they are half price and only military can get in! That is what we dd and then just went on the 4th for funnel cakes and fireworks!

We are planning a few small trips for this summer to places not too far. Wales, Southern Ireland and Scottland!

Also if you just want a small 2 or 3 day trip I suggest going down to Brighton. It is a beach town and then on your way back you can drive through Dover and see Dover Castle and the White Cliffs of Dover! Very pretty!! We went in the winter so that we could go Iceskating! HAHA! It was still a ton of fun! 

Ireland and the Canary Islands!!

We went to the 4th of July celebrations last year and they were the best fireworks I have ever seen! They have a bunch of rides and such, but if you go the day before they are half price and only military can get in! That is what we dd and then just went on the 4th for funnel cakes and fireworks!

We are planning a few small trips for this summer to places not too far. Wales, Southern Ireland and Scottland!

Also if you just want a small 2 or 3 day trip I suggest going down to Brighton. It is a beach town and then on your way back you can drive through Dover and see Dover Castle and the White Cliffs of Dover! Very pretty!! We went in the winter so that we could go Iceskating! HAHA! It was still a ton of fun! 

second the Brighton suggestion. I went to university there and it's a GREAT place. 

You can use England as a stepping stone and take a hop to Germany. We did that, we went to Ramstein and was impressed by how much there was to offer in the local area. Had a good time with old friends there....best of all is was extremely cheap and I got to see Germany. 

Edinburgh, Scotland - beautiful city and not far from the Rosslyn chapel (as made famous by Dan Brown!)
Cornwall and Devon both stunning scenery.
Bath - such a historic city and soo interesting, take the open top bus ride, not forgetting to visit the roman baths!!