Whether to change schools or not....

[onetiredmummy]

Hi all,

I haven't posted for about 5 years so apologies if this is in the wrong place but from recollection its one of the best threads for people to be honest & its honesty I need right now.

Basically I used to live down south & my ds had been at primary school for 2 weeks when I told my husband I was leaving him, I then moved up to the midlands & divorced him so all good. But the problem is that when I moved my ds to a school up here, because my mum had taught at the same school for years she just got him a place where she taught so I didn't actually look round the local schools at all, just looked up the Ofsted report etc etc as I was in a bit of a mess. Also she said it was a very caring school which is what he needed having been subjected to such a massive life change.

So fast forward to my ds being in year 2 now at the same school. I lost my mum last year to cancer. My prob is now that there is a better school much closer to me, better Ofsted, better results etc etc. His current school is on a council estate which I have no problem with but he keeps coming home saying that his class is the worst in the school & that the pupils in his school have all been told in assembly that they are badly behaved etc. I've witnessed the other childrens' godawful behaviour & his class is over 50% boisterous boys yes I can see them being told this.

Thing is my son is very well mannered & doesn't tend to lie so the 'tellings off' are not aimed at him but he is receiving them nonetheless, which makes him confused & unhappy. He now doesn't have the needs he once did in reception & is on the top tables for maths & English & is good at expressing himself.

So my position is, do I move him to the 'better' school where he won't be told his behaviour is rubbish & where he might be a bit more challenged academically, or do I leave him where his friends are & where he feels safe as the staff knew his grandma. Most days he seems happy.? Help, I don't know what to do :(

Have you looked Round the better school, do you prefer it? If so, then I wouldn't worry about moving him from his friends. DS moved schools at the beginning of year 2 and again for year 4 and has adapted and settled really quickly both times, despite thinking it would be the worst thing in the world.

Well your son seems to be behaving well, doing well at school...have you heard the saying "if it aint broke dont fix it"

Ofsted results dont always necessarily mean the other school is fab, sometimes its just statistics. My sons current school got crap ofsted results and they are a brilliant school.

What does your DS want?? Is he happy there?? If he is then I would leave well alone.

Sorry to hear about your mum :(

I think the thing to do is to go and look round the other school and meet the head teacher and decide if you think it would be a better environment for him all round - Offsted and results don't tell you everything, and you might not like the vibe when you look at it. But OTOH you may well like it - then you can think through what's best - in Yr2 he'd easily settle and make new friends, and the behavioural problems in his current class aren't going to get any better as he goes up the school.

I too would look at the other school a few times and also chat to people who have kids there ... ds school is only a 'good/satisfactory' but is very caring and he's happy there, the outstanding school down the road ticks lots of boxes but is quite pushy and 'colder' feeling so wouldn't move ds there .....but now is a good time to be thinking about it as the younger the easier to move I think....

I'd move him. If you are both not too fussed by his present schoo and the other one seems better and nicer - then go for it.

a close school also means more local play dates and friends - great for year 5 and 6 when they might just want to walk to each others houses

I think it's awful to tell a class that they're the worst in the school. So negative.
Just go and look round the other school then you'll be in a better position to make a decision.