My DD was successful in getting into one of the very selective girls' independent schools in London. She was thrilled, and we were too. But she's not settling there, and things are getting worse not better. The school know and they've been supportive, e.g. buddying her up for lessons and activities to help her make friends. They say her work's up to standard, though DD doesn't think it is and she's worried and stressed about not being good enough no matter what we and the teachers say to her. In the first half term she didn't settle, so we did our best to reassure her, and explained it's quite normal to find things strange and difficult at first. Now it's worse, and she cries in the morning and says she hates school and doesn't want to go. She was never, ever like this before, she absolutely loved primary school, and it's breaking my heart to see her like this.
I'm beginning to think we've made a bad mistake in sending her to a school that's bound to be high-pressure because of its intake, instead of somewhere a bit more laid-back. Has anyone been in this position and what did you do? Stick with it - until when? Or start looking at alternatives? I'm not at all sure what alternatives to look at, even. We can consider other independents close to the north London/Hertfordshire borders, or we'd consider weekly boarding further afield (we did originally think about that). Would we be going for Year 8 entry? Or do schools have entry points mid-year? I'm at such a loss because once DD's primary school advised to put her on the exam track we stopped looking around at anything else and I don't know where (or if!) to start.
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Y7 not settling (selective independent) - when is enough?
23 replies
AgnesLadyDollan · 06/11/2019 14:33
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