Removing your child from one secondary school to another - has anyone done this?

[Limeseverywhere]

Dd (14) is very unhappy at her secondary school and has been for some time, the school has not been particularly helpful.
Ds (16) also attends and has never been happy there either (he had an undiagnosed learning difficulty, time and time again the school failed to this pick up) but will be leaving school next month.
The school is the nearest to us so is obviously it is the most convenient. Both dh and I attended and many of our friends, it was a great school at one time but has declined in recent years and now has a very poor Ofsted rating (was in special measures). There have been many issues recently (including many fights, kids taking drugs etc). DD keeps saying she wants to go to another school and I am seriously considering withdrawing dd and try to start her in a different school in the nearby town.
Has anyone gone down this road? Was it an easy process? Where do I start? Obviously it will depend on availability in the schools etc but I really have no idea where to begin with this and would like to crack on in the hope of changing for this coming September.

You’d have to approach other schools and see whether they have spare capacity in her year group.

Am I right in assuming she’s Year 9? If so, you need to see whether other schools offer the GCSE options she will have already chosen. If she’s Year 10, but a summer born, I wouldn’t move, because she may not be able to pick up the courses she’s already studying.

Bluevelvetsofa yes, she is in year 9. I will start calling the other schools and make enquiries, thanks.

Yes, I removed my eldest in second year, home schooled for around 2 months before they started attending a different high school.

The process depends on where you live, obviously. I'm guessing it's the default England, although you haven't yet specified?

3 dc in secondary.. Took 1 out. Now needs a lift twice a day. . Things to consider ime include possible different school holidays, extra school fund requests,lots more info to read /digest /bloody deal with!!

Ds1 moved schools at the end of year 10. We visited a few other schools that said they had space.

He did have to change some gcse subjects and his first school started them in year 9 so he had to pick up some things he hadn't done for 2 years. 6 weeks later they agreed he could also drop back a year and repeat year 10.

But the difference is he had almost a year of school refusal so finding a school he would go to was in his best interest.

We're in England and he's summer born fwiw.

kittensinthekitchen Yes, we are in England.
Alovelydayatlast thank you, There is definitely a lot to consider.

No spaces in the schools round here so you need to find this out first.

Ah okay, can't help as I am in Scotland.

Does your school have a website? Or even the local council website should have a section on education. There should hopefully be information on there about placing requests?

Although, I will say my child was removed as they have SEN and the school were not meeting their educational or social /emotional needs. My first move was to contact a local Councillor who specialises in disabilities, and she did the vast majority of the legwork for me, liaising between us, the school and the LA. It was a godsend. Maybe you have someone similar, in the education sector that could assist?

Yes, I did. Changed schools because we had moved areas, started new school going into year 9. At first, I thought it would be hard especially as DC did not want to leave her old school and the friends that she made there. But almost from the first week, at the new school, she was in her element and is doing a lot better now than she was doing before - academically, socially etc.

Start calling different schools now, to see if they have places. Once you find a place, go and visit it. If you like it you just complete one form and that’s it. It’s actually an easy process. I think if your DD does not want to be there you have nothing to lose by moving schools. Good luck.

If you ring your local school admissions dept they will tell you which schools have spaces. Was pretty quick tbh. Ds needs asd assessment and first school refused to even consider anything wasn't right
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