What do you do if your child's class is just filled with constant low-level bullying?

[CrookedMe]

DD has never had a great year group (she's 8) and I'm starting to become more and more concerned with where it's all headed.

There don't seem to be any settled friendship groups, just constant swapping of friends, 'you can't be friends with her if you're friend with me' type crap, and DD''s perception is that it's always her on the receiving end.

I'm reasonably sure that's just her young understanding of how things work, and try to let her know that pretty much everyone feels as she does at some point, ie left out, on the edge of things, hurt etc.

But how do I get her through this with her self esteem intact? She does go to groups outside of school where she had made a few other friends which is good for her and her confidence but still - school is all-consuming at 8 isn't it?

We've got a book about dealing with tricky friendships and we do talk a lot. But is there a point I should call time and think about another school maybe? When there was a serious bullying issue last year the Head dealt with it by talking to DD and the bullies together so I'm not convinced DD was as open as she'd have been if she knew her worries were confidential. I'm not sure since then that I have full confidence in the school.

Do we just all have to toughen up, and tough it out until high school?

I'd take her to see the other school at least. She's bound to find the idea of moving daunting but may be happier there. I wouldn't worry about high school. It's a while away and she may be in a different class from the bullies and have built up friends at the new school.
If moving is going to be impossible i guess you will have to keep on at the current school about it, but it doesn't sound like much will change and I'd move if possible

Thanks @FrLukeDuke it's a big decision. It would complicate life a lot to move her, but I don't want that to cloud my thinking. I don't want to sacrifice her happiness for convenience but equally, it would make things quite difficult to manage. Hmmmm.