I have name changed for this for obvious reasons!
Rather dramatic but it is the end of a long journey and I have lost all perspective and ideas as to what to do.
DD1 is in Y4. For years she had issues around feeling "bored" at school, not really making any friends, complaining continuously that she is not learning anything new, doesn't seem enthusiastic about anything to do with school. Tried everything including:
- talking to the head (several times)
- talking to teachers (several times throughout the years)
- inviting friends round (doesn't seem to have clicked with anyone)
- doing extracurricular (she does music and dance, and she does very well at both)
None of the above has made a jot of difference.
If I try and be objective I see this:
- school is exceptionally poor at differentiating work and is a bit of a SATS factory (no extracurricular activities, very little music and art).
- DD has a very dynamic personality. She appears very popular wherever we go, has lots of friends outside school, loves her junior conservatoire and her dance school, everyone she ever comes across always has positive things to say about her (how bright/enthusiastic/mature she is and how hard she is willing to work). At school she appears withdrawn.
Something has to be amiss if school is the only place where things are going so wrong for her. But I can't put my finger on exactly what it is.
Things have come to a head now and I have lost all ability to know what to do. She says she doesn't care - home educating or moving elsewhere, but she is desperate to move. This morning things came to a head where she made herself sick and said she would rather kill herself than keep going. DH persuaded her to go but she was in a terrible state and I feel enormously guilty that I haven't managed to get this issue resolved.
Just to complete the picture, she has siblings at the school and they are happy. There have been the odd issues, but nothing that spectacular and all in all I'd say the others are bubbling along fine. What would you do in my situation? I would appreciate any advice as I really don't know where to go from here.