How easy was it changing junior schools?

[Beba11]

Did anyone apply for a different junior school for their kids from the infants? How did your dc find it? Was it unsettling?

[RedSkyLastNight]

Depends a lot on whether it is a standalone junior (so everyone is new and very much in the same boat) or whether it's a junior school attached to an infants (where your child would be the only 1 or 2 that was new).

Standalone juniors is clearly easier in terms of things like breaking into established friendships and knowing established routines. That said, DC joining at Y4,5,6 at my DC's juniors (which would be more like joining an junior school where everyone just moved up from the year above) didn't have any trouble slotting in.

I imagine the biggest thing for your child might be losing existing friendships. Plus if you're going to a through school there probably won't be any transition activities.

[Beba11]

RedSkyLastNight no it isn't a stand alone one, it has an infant feeder school. The infant school has a great reputation as one of the best in the areas but the juniors hasn't. Apparently it's improving but I'm still worried. Someone suggested to keep them in the infants and if I'm not happy with the juniors by year 2 then I could apply for another
Juniors in the area which is a bit further away but has a fantastic reputation. Part of me wonders whether they should start from the beginning at the other school further away because of the possible disruption later on...?

[RedSkyLastNight]

Well a more crucial point is whether there are routinely spaces available for year 3 starters. Round here we have some standalone infants and juniors and some through primaries. There are only about 2 or 3 through primaries in the whole of a pretty large town where it would normally be possible to get a place in y3 (particularly if you live "a bit further away" - more chance if it is your catchment school).

[suitcaseofdreams]

If the juniors further away is great then everyone will want it and presumably it has a feeder infant school which gets priority? So if you want that juniors, you’d be better starting at that infants too

That said, schools can change quickly, both for better and worse and if you are applying for Reception for 2019, that would be juniors for 2023 and the schools could all be quite different then....so there is also an argument for choosing based on what’s right for now and then seeing how it goes

the school mine attend went into special measures, lots of people moved their kids to a nearby ‘good’ school. New Head came and and 2 years later original school is good and on the way to outstanding and nearby good school requires improvement - you can just never tell - pick the one you think will suit your children best :-)