Is it easy to change schools when child is over 4?

[ellie732]

My dd is starting school next sept, most likely to end up at the school down the road, which is completely new...I'm not sure I know what to think about it yet. I was wondering , if she hates it, how easy is it if you move house to get your child into another school once they are older?

[Wigeon]

Completely depends on whether your local schools are oversubscribed, and whether they fill up all their places. Round here (Herts) it would be very hard to change school later on, because every single school fills up all their places in Reception. In fact they are building new schools and adding classes to existing schools because there aren't enough places for the existing children.

So unless families move out of the area, or start home-schooling or something, you are unlikely to get a place at another school.

Why are you worried your DD might hate it?

[ellie732]

the facilities and staff looked great, but I think she could end up being the only middle class kid in the place! Which could be fine, I suppose, I just don't know.

[Ahardyfool]

I'm also in herts and have just moved my younger son to a new school. It took about 2 weeks to process as an in year admission. Process is simple. Emotionally, less so.

Depends on availability of spaces. You may have more luck getting a place in a popular school mid-year...

[Wigeon]

Sorry, didn't mean that it's impossible to change schools in the whole of Herts, just hard in the town I live in. Although I suppose people do move house and area and presumably move their children, so there's always going to be a bit of movement in school class numbers.

[5madthings]

the process is very simple as ellie says i have done it with two of my children in primary and also just moved my ds1 from one high school to another one.


as long as the school you want htem to move to has a place then you simply apply as an in year transfer, you can do this online in my lea and its very simple. tho not all admissions like you to move mid year and htey may suggest you wait till after xmas, or easter ie the start of a new term, you do NOT have to wait tho, its not up to them if the new head teacher says they have a place and can start then they can move asap, so you may have to be forceful with admissions to get htem to process the application.

[Ahardyfool]

Wig, if I remember correctly we are talking about the same bit of herts ;) (old timer here)

[Wigeon]

I'm in Watford (used to be St Albans). Glad it was straightforward for you to move your DS. Just wanted to flag up to the OP that here (and in St Albans), almost all schools fill their quota up in Reception, and so in order to get a school place later on, you have to rely on people having moved house and removed their children from the school, thus freeing up a place. And it's therefore not quite as straightforward as just changing schools if you don't like the one you're in.