Anyone moved DC to private school in Yr 5?

[Mumtogremlins]

Hi

I'm thinking of moving my DS to a local prep school to start in Year 5. His current state school is really going down hill and I want to move him before he loses any more interest
Is this a good time to move him? The prep goes up to 13 so he'd have 4 years there, then go onto a private secondary. I'm worried about moving him too much as he takes time to make friends. Or would it be best to stick it out at the state junior and then move him at 11, taking the risk that he wouldn't get in?
Thanks

[trinity0097]

Lots of children join the prep school where I work during yr 5, or at the start if yr 6. They soon get up to speed with things and love it! Most of the new joiners stay to 13, but some go again at 11 depending on where they are headed.

[Schmedz]

Sounds like a good time to move him if you feel it would improve his educational experience...especially with 4 years to go in the same school.
Academic standards really leap up in Year 5 so definitely a good time to go to a school with which you feel happier.

[Mumtogremlins]

Thanks. I know that from an educational point of view, it would be beneficial to move him. I think he's a bit nervous about leaving his friends, even though he's not really close to them. It's just that the school and those children are all he's ever known . He can be a bit quirky so hoping he will make new friends and I won't end up regretting it

[Schmedz]

My daughter moved schools for year 5 and she found it fine friendship-wise. She has a few friends that she still keeps in touch with, but has a string friendship group, and it didn't take long to establish at that age.
Good luck with your decision and getting a place at the school of your choice.

[Labro]

It worked well for my ds, do however check where the prep sends its leavers at 13+ because with quite a few senior schools switching to pre testing at 11 for 13, the prep schools going up to 13 don't always prepare them for what is essentially 11+
Depending on the secondary you want you may be better to leave him at the junior school and look at preparing him for 11+ entry to a private senior school, as going up to 13 now seems to mean an 11+ level pretest and then common entrance at 13 as well!

[LIZS]

It probably isn't so much he wouldn't get into the prep at 11 (most welcome joiners in year7) as much as he will have to hit the ground running. The CE syllabus many use in preparation to senior school entrance at 13 can be quite full on and it would be a big transition from a state school anyway (in terms of self organisation, finding way around , making new friends, perhaps playing different sport etc). Agree another consideration is if he might need to sit a pre-test (often just VR/NVR) during Year 6 or early in year7 to get a provisional place at specific senior schools. Better to be "in the system" in good time imho.

[iseenodust]

DS has just sat an entrance exam to get into yr5 from Sept. His state primary is good and we could have waited until 11 but we decided get him into the system now so there isn't an academic gap to bridge. Also he enjoys sport and his current school is too small (and all female staff) to offer rugby & cricket so he wouldn't make teams for that as a novice at 11.

[civilfawlty]

We did exactly this. Dd has kept up with her closest friends and made lots of good new ones too. She is keeping up with the work, though tired all the time. She is struggling with the discipline of remembering homework diaries and so forth. Anyway - she is much happier and more confident and we are thrilled

[Mumtogremlins]

I think my DS will also struggle with filling in a homework diary - he rarely does it now and is hopeless at remembering and telling me things.
He will be behind in most subjects when he joins, but as he's quite bright and keen to learn, I'm hoping he will catch up quick. When would he have to take tests for 11+? Would he have enough time to catch up in order to be a level playing field with the others?

[LIZS]

11+ is Autumn/Spring of Year 6 but thought you'd said you were intending to stay to year8 ?

[Mumtogremlins]

Do some schools require them to do an 11+ in preparation for entrance at 13? Wasn't sure whether he'd have to do this or not have to do anything until 13?

[LIZS]

The ones I know of do Verbal and/or Non Verbal Reasoning papers only, plus some interview, at aged 10 or 11 to screen candidates for 13+ entry, so not a full 11+. Technically it is thought these are a better guide to a child's potential and cannot be over practiced ie. cramming makes only a small improvement. Offers then made are dependant on achieving certain % in Common Entrance /Common Academic Scholarship exams which are sat in Summer term of year 8. Many schools however just set their own 13+ papers in early to mid Year 8 with interviews and offer on the basis of that.

[Mumtogremlins]

Thanks, I think I understand it all a bit better now. It's hard to know which is the best route to take. There is a nice local prep school which only goes up to 11 - would there be any disadvantage in that, especially if he was only there for 2 years? Or would a traditional prep to 13 be best?

[LIZS]

Presumably if it only goes up to year 6 it prepares the kids for 11+ entrance exams to senior schools. He may spend much of late Year 5/Year 6 practicing past papers though and need to get up to speed fairly quickly on anything he hasn't yet been taught. Check which the common destinations are.

[manicinsomniac]

Y5 is a very popular joining point at the prep school where I work. More common and often more successful than a Y7 start as there is more time and support for them to settle.