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Original poster

Moving in the run up to GSSE’s

20 replies

Trixiefirecracker · 15/05/2022 20:48

Has anyone moved when their child in the run up to GCSE’s?… we might have to put house on market as financially unable to carry on living here due to huge oil prices and rising costs of living extremely rurally. Child is in Year 10 and has mocks September. Have no idea if the syllabuses she is studying will be any different in a new school. Is it just the worst idea ever to try and move this summer? Struggling to think straight and slightly panicking!

OP posts:
Xenia · 15/05/2022 20:49

Bad idea. Even if you live in a caravan for a year I would keep the child in the same school and not move.

MadMadMadamMim · 15/05/2022 20:52

It's a pretty terrible idea, to be perfectly honest if you mean they will need to move school. If you move this summer and your DC starts a new school in September then yes - they may very well find that half their GCSEs are suddenly a different exam board and a different syllabus and they will be sitting exams on topics they've never studied.

Imagine in English if they've studied Macbeth - but new school is sitting an exam on Romeo and Juliet, for eg. Or they've done Nazi Germany and new school does Vietnam. This is eminently possible.

I hope things work out for you and I know that disasters can strike that leave you no choice - but if you can possibly avoid shifting a child half way through their exam years then please do so.

Haus1234 · 15/05/2022 20:55

Yes the syllabuses will be different for some subjects most likely, and in fact there’s no guarantee that the exact same combination of subjects could be timetabled. Can you move but stay close enough to the school for your child to still attend?

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Original poster
Trixiefirecracker · 15/05/2022 20:57

MadMadMadamMim · 15/05/2022 20:52

It's a pretty terrible idea, to be perfectly honest if you mean they will need to move school. If you move this summer and your DC starts a new school in September then yes - they may very well find that half their GCSEs are suddenly a different exam board and a different syllabus and they will be sitting exams on topics they've never studied.

Imagine in English if they've studied Macbeth - but new school is sitting an exam on Romeo and Juliet, for eg. Or they've done Nazi Germany and new school does Vietnam. This is eminently possible.

I hope things work out for you and I know that disasters can strike that leave you no choice - but if you can possibly avoid shifting a child half way through their exam years then please do so.

Thank you. I mean I thought it was but just wondered if anyone had ever done it. Thank you for your kind words.

OP posts:
KindergartenKop · 15/05/2022 20:57

This will cause your child significant issues. Are there any possible solutions?

Could you hang on until after your child's exams?
Could you rent somewhere near the school until after the child's exams and then move away after?
Could your child lodge with a friend Mon-Fri while you move away? Then join you after exams?

ArseInTheCoOpWindow · 15/05/2022 21:01

Please don’t move her. I used to teach GCSE. Very few move schools in 10 or 11.

Those that do struggle.

KarrotKake · 15/05/2022 21:16

How far do you envisage moving?
Moving schools isn't a great idea. Using the English example, even if they do the same books, they might do it in a different order, so you might end up doing Macbeth twice, and not covering a different book at all. If you can sell, and stay close enough to travel to school for Y11 it would make a massive difference.

But if you are going to do it, the sooner the better.

Jarstastic · 16/05/2022 11:19

We did this around this time of year with a DC in Y10. Within commuting distance of old school. However, only ended up commuting for a few weeks. after visiting a school here wanted to move.

Not had too much trouble with syllabuses though had to do some extra work in autumn half term and Christmas. Also we’ve spent quite a bit on tutoring as new school found gaps in knowledge. More in maths and science. Now predicted better grades on all subjects.

However, the new school is a private school and the old school a big comprehensive.

Itsmemaggie · 16/05/2022 12:21

This happened to me as a child. I wouldn’t wish it on my worst enemy - it impacted me for years.

If you need to move I’d find a way to do it that will enable her to stay at the same school.

rnsaslkih · 16/05/2022 12:29

Even if schools study the same syllabus, they can learn the topics in any order they wish. I would try to avoid this if you can.

RampantIvy · 16/05/2022 12:33

Have no idea if the syllabuses she is studying will be any different in a new school

No two schools cover the same topics in the same order. Also, subjects like history have maybe 6 topics that can be chosen from several more, so even if it is the same exam board another school might have chosen different topics, or they might have chosen the same ones but covered them in a different order.

Is it just the worst idea ever to try and move this summer?

In a word, yes. The best option is to sell or rent your house and rent locally until after GCSE exams next summer, then move before A levels.

Clymene · 16/05/2022 12:36

Jarstastic · 16/05/2022 11:19

We did this around this time of year with a DC in Y10. Within commuting distance of old school. However, only ended up commuting for a few weeks. after visiting a school here wanted to move.

Not had too much trouble with syllabuses though had to do some extra work in autumn half term and Christmas. Also we’ve spent quite a bit on tutoring as new school found gaps in knowledge. More in maths and science. Now predicted better grades on all subjects.

However, the new school is a private school and the old school a big comprehensive.

How is this relevant to someone moving because they can't afford to live in their house? Shock

Talk about tone deaf

Fifthtimelucky · 16/05/2022 13:15

I know a young man who had to start a new school at the beginning of year 12 and it was very disruptive for him.

As I recall, maths and science were fine. But he had to study new texts for English Lit and had to drop German because the new school didn't offer it. There was also an issue with geography, but I can't remember what it was.

Definitely best avoided if you can.

Jarstastic · 16/05/2022 13:23

Clymene · 16/05/2022 12:36

How is this relevant to someone moving because they can't afford to live in their house? Shock

Talk about tone deaf

Show quote history

I did wonder about posting for that exact reason. However, OP asked for people who had done it and wasn’t getting responses.

Also, we shouldn’t assume that OP wanting to move because of increasing costs means she’s in a bad financial position generally. A friend of mine lived in a very rural location and felt she had to move when fuel bills for oil boiler and two cars (which were essential) went to £1,500pcm! and that was a while ago, I wonder what it would cost now! She made a lot of money for her house from Londoners wanting a rural idyll, moved to a (bigger) house in a nearby town, paid down her mortgage significantly, and had a much better cash flow each month.

we live in a nearby town, have mains gas (and drainage!) and dont use our one car much. It makes a huge difference financially.

Anyway for what it’s worth the DC I mentioned would probably do just as well at the comprehensive where we are now. Though I think we’d have still had to dig into our pockets for the tutoring.

but they didn’t have a big friendship group at their last school and weren’t bothered about moving on that front.

Clymene · 16/05/2022 13:45

If you're moving for crippling housing costs, you're unlikely to be able to stump up for private school fees.

I'm glad your child is doing well but moving from one comp to another is unlikely to have the same impact.

FumingParent · 16/05/2022 14:41

Is your DC young for their year? Would they be able to repeat and start at the new school in Yr 10?

Original poster
Trixiefirecracker · 16/05/2022 17:16

@Clymene I’m really not sure what you mean?

OP posts:
Original poster
Trixiefirecracker · 16/05/2022 17:18

FumingParent · 16/05/2022 14:41

Is your DC young for their year? Would they be able to repeat and start at the new school in Yr 10?

They are not young for their year and doing really well at the grammar they are at. I really don’t want to move them so will try and look at renting options nearby. Thank you.

OP posts:
Clymene · 16/05/2022 18:39

Trixiefirecracker · 16/05/2022 17:16

@Clymene I’m really not sure what you mean?

Sorry, that was a reply to @Jarstastic. I'm assuming you can't afford private school fees.

I hope you manage to find a way forward.

Original poster
Trixiefirecracker · 16/05/2022 19:54

Ah! Okay. Thank you

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