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I need help again on school swapping

9 replies

Changebagsandgladrags · 07/10/2010 21:10

I took my form into the council yesterday to accept the place for DS in his new school (reception). I was too nervous to trust the post.

Anyhow, contacted the school today and they want DS to start ASAP. Only I'd rather wait a couple of weeks. This is a bit selfish of me I know, but I have an exam on the 19th and I'm using the time he's at school to madly revise when DS2 sleeps.

The new school is 40 minutes away by public transport (is only 2 miles though but don't have a driving licence yet). Plus they finish earlier, 20 minutes earlier. So it'll be getting on for 2 hours time I'll loose in the day (old school is just 5 mins away). And I'll have to run around getting all the new uniform and doing yet more labels. Even thinking about it is stressful.

Can I insist he starts after the 19th? Personally I'd rather it was after half term which is another week, just because there'll be a natural break in school.

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KnittingisbetterthanTherapy · 07/10/2010 21:12

How old is he? Is he statutory school age?

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Ladymuck · 07/10/2010 21:34

So you want your child to have a place at 2 schools until the start of November? Presumably you don't think that there is anyone else on a waiting list for either school?

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LIZS · 07/10/2010 21:37

Why are you moving him if it is so inconvenient ?

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Changebagsandgladrags · 07/10/2010 21:45

Well I am moving him because we were offered this place instead.

Looking at it I was stupid, I had until the 18th of October to return the form so I should have just gone in with it next week rather than rush down there like a lunatic.

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LIZS · 07/10/2010 21:51

I guess it is up to the new school if they are prepared to hold the place. They may not officially be able to withdraw it but it may be a bad start to mess them around. As you have already made the decision it seems sensible to do it asap. Can you not revise after bedtime insetad ?

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Changebagsandgladrags · 07/10/2010 21:57

I am revising after bed-time too (taking a break now as brain fried) and getting up at 5am to do some before waking up time.

Actually feel pretty sick thinking about this.

If I'd known the place was going to come up now I wouldn't have signed up for the course.

Why oh why did I race down to the flippin council? If I'd gone on the 18th I wouldn't be in this pickle and I'd still have the place. Bugger.

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Changebagsandgladrags · 07/10/2010 22:07

OK just thought about this rationally lol

When I go in tomorrow they're hardly likely to want him to start on Monday are they? Are they? More likely it'd be the Monday after, which is the day before my exam and so totally fine, if I don't know it then then there's not much hope.

So long as they don't want him to start monday, which would be pretty mental.

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Ladymuck · 08/10/2010 10:28

Whilst I have some sympathy with your dilemma, I do think that you need to look at what is in the best interests of your son, and if indeed he is starting to settle at his current school then the longer you leave it the harder leaving will be. Also if he and the school know that he is about to leave, he is a bit in no mans land in the meantime. If he moves before halfterm then you have the chance of arranging some playdates with his new classmates during halfterm which may help him catch up in terms of friendships etc.

Going from a 5 minute to a 40 minute journey is a huge change though - indeed it is an extra 2 hour a day commitment for you and ds2. I assume that you have factored this into your decision.

Clearly your own mental health is important too. A week isn't too long to go, but I would suggest moving sooner rather than later.

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Changebagsandgladrags · 08/10/2010 13:32

Thanks, all sorted now. Went to see the head-teacher today. We agreed that it would be best all round for him to start on the 19th, which is a week on Monday. It's a week before half-term, so it'll be a little weird.

I get all my revision time, bar one day which to be honest, if I don't know it the day before my exam than I aint gonna know it at all! It also means I don't have to run around like a frantic loony getting all the uniform ready.

Yes, journey is slightly tricky. It's either two buses or a tube and a bus. It not far though, 2 miles, just that all the transport goes out the opposite way and then we have to come back in again, nothing goes straight across. But I'm going to take driving lessons and maybe long term we'll look at moving. And then when I go back to work the school is on the way to/from work.

I wouldn't have applied for this school only our parish priest mentioned to us the high number of siblings potentially applying (in the end 32). I would have preferred him to go to school more locally, but I wouldn't move him again if a place came up in our parish school.

I can't believe I got so worked up about this, yesterday I was almost crying and couldn't eat. What a nutter!