Moving Schools

[Tealady]

How many of you have moved schools for your children but NOT because of bullying?

Why did you move your child? Was it an easy decision to make? When did the cracks begin to show in your previous school and how long did you leave it before you moved them? Are you glad you did or have you just exchanged one lot of problems for another?

I'm not convinced DD is happy at school. I'm not convinced they are getting the best out of her. I also feel they handled a complaint against my DD poorly and she is still suffering the ramifications. She is 7 and in year 2.

I'm going in next week to see her teacher. DD won't let on too much about what she feels as she doesn't want to leave her friends

4 have already left with 2 more possibly going from a year group of 55. I'm not sure if the rumblings in the playground are adding fuel to my concerns.

Sometimes being a parent is so hard

[Sarsar3NCH]

It can happen that once a couple of people pull their children out and people start to chat that everything seems bad and it has a negative knock on effect. It happened in one year group of my local first school (not my child's year). After that year moved onto middle school, the negative talk seemed to stop and (nearly) all is happy in the camp. I'm not saying schools don't get it wrong but negative talk breeds itself.
Saying that I have moved my children. They were in a tiny (38 children in whole school) first school and I was worried that it was too cosy and wouldn't set them up for the next step which was a large middle school (150 per year). They moved to a nearer but larger first school and flourished, but I will never know how things would have turned out if I hadn't moved them

[AliceK]

My prime concern is that my children are happy at school. I have been thining of moving house for a while now, moving right away from the area but my DS in Yr 4 hates the thought of moving school, he is popular and has many friends. My DD who is only in Reception but has SEN's has so much support at school and her teachers have been great so I am reluctant to move house and therefore move school. If I do move, the house would have to be spectacular to make up for uprooting them. I would say if your DD is happy and progressing well at school I would leave her. If however either one of my children were seriously unhappy at school I would move them without a moments hesitation.
xxxx

[smurfette]

Moved my three girls two years ago and delighted I did! Had problems with a teacher who was a very loose canon and said something unforgiveable to my eldest then aged 9.. Principal backed her all the way but dept of education were appalled .. On the strength of this and advise from a family friend who used to be a local principal we managed to get a written apology but things did not improve although we gave it a year. Moving one without the others was not practical and we didn't want to make her feel singled out, so we went for it and while we were at it we moved them to a feeder school for our favoured secondary school which she now has a place for sept

It wasn't an easy decision and yes took most of the year before they fully settled but it is a much smaller school and they love it, they are getting more facilities than at the old one and will say they prefer it .. Most importantly my eldest has thrived, her faith in adults was shot after that experience but she now has a lovely teacher and Is happy

Difficult choice but if they aren't happy or you feel it's not a good fit then it is the right one

[Tealady]

Thanks for your replies.

I am seeing her class teacher tomorrow. He can be a bit blasé, so if I don't get the depth of info I need then I will see The Head. I am trying to block out the rumours and gossip and think, what is it like for MY child here? (sounds like Ofsted LOL).

[Lilylulu]

I stuck with a school for far too long when I wasn't really that happy and neither was my daughter. It is a hard decision to make to move her, as you never really know if you are jumping from the frying pan into the fire. Unfortunately I left it way too long and things deteriorated to the point where my daughter suffered awfully as a result. I took her out in the end and we home schooled for a while rather than make a hasty decision on a move somewhere else. In the end there was bullying involved but I should have listened to my gut feeling long long before all that as there were many other issues with the general teaching and leadership aswell.
Just try to be very objective, then have another coaxing session and try to find out how your daughter really feels. We had 2 terms home schooling and between us we felt ready to look for a new school. Her new school was fantastic and has made a huge difference.

[sophia36]

We moved from Surrey to devon 9 years ago when my eldest was 7 and my then youngest was 3. We were happy with the school he was at but obviously the commute would have been a bit much! He was and still is quite a shy and reserved boy and we were worried sick that he wouldn't handle the school move very well as he was so settled however within a week it was as if he had always been at his new school.

I don't have any experience of moving schools because we were unhappy with the school itself but I do think that in my experience of myself and friends children adapt to new schools very well during their primary years. My sister in law has just moved her sons from Surrey to Wales and her eldest is 12. They are having big problems with their son settling in to his new secondary school and unfortunately he is very unhappy

I would go with your gut instinct and not worry about what people think!

[mum2two]

We moved house a couple of years ago, and we would still be going to the old school everyday, that we thought 'we would just look at the new local school - but it didn't matter if we didn't like it.'

I'd had issues with eldest DD. nothing major, just never pushed, and she was bored. This never really got resolved....

DS started & we complained to head about his yr R teacher, and it was brushed under the carpet. During yr 1, (which was when we moved) his teacher was horrid to him. Again I complained but nothing was done. DS behaviour & attitude change, and as a result, now still 2 years on he still suffers. He has has counselling, and I've been told he has no self esteem or sense of self worth. He's so negative & angry all the time - and it's all because of his last school. Im so angry at myself for not doing something sooner!

Like you said - it's hard being a parent. You put all your trust in the school (like parents do us) that they will look after and nurture your children, you don't ever want to believe a teacher can be like that!

When we looked around the new school, we couldn't believe how bad it made the old one seem. Best decision we ever made! DD has just sat her Sats, (and sat a level 6 paper - 2 level above where she should be!) and DS is generally happy at school. (Just depends on his own mood when he's woken up!!!) and doing really well too.

DD had lots of friends, but moved easily, and still in touch with her old ones, and has loads at new school too. Kids adapt. DS is a bit of a loner. No real 'best friends' but he joins in and he's happy helping they teachers!!!

Go and see another school, and discuss your concerns with the head. It'll help you makes decision about whether a move is the right thing.

xxx