AIBU to consider changing school's for start of Yr6?

[BristolThenSome]

A school I like has a few places available, due to expansion of the school. My daughter is doing ok at school, but fairly middle-stream, both academically and socially/friendships.

Current school has 90 kids per year group. Potential school is smaller, 60 kids per year. So they might no be lost in the numbers, as current school is massive and imo has lost the personal/caring element because it's huge.

Pros: might be a huge confidence boost for final primary year, in advance of heading to secondary.
Cons: Big change when we're already headed towards the big change of secondary.

Thoughts?

Moving in year 6 is a massive risk unless your child is very unhappy imho

What's the point? She's doing reasonably well. The other school might be better but she'd be on the back foot socially, and that would affect her academically.

What do you mean middle-stream socially? Do you want to move her to get 'better' friends? Surely she'll be happier with the ones she's got as she knows them and is bonded with them.

I would not move for yr6 unless there was a serious problem with bullying or poor teaching.

We had a boy join DS's Y6 class in September last year. I must admit that I can't see the point, it's a small school and most of the class have known each other since they joined in the nursery. That's not to say that they haven't been welcoming but as so much of this year has been about entrance exams and plans for Y7 onwards, it must make it very hard to settle in.

I don't think it's been a great success, he's chosen not to come to the leavers party which I think is telling.

@TheRoadLessRocky Socially she's ok. Has a best friend, gets on well with most kids. Has a few disagreements with others. Really middle of the road.
Same applies academically, doing well. (not failing, but not excelling either)

But at current school it will be more of the same. Won't get an opportunity to really flourish and come into her own.
So this could be a shot at really excelling in a new school (or not, is the risk). But I feel like staying put is playing it safe, will hindsight in a few years say we should have given her a shot at it?

I'm asking for mumsnet collective wisdom as I'm really stuck! I could have done the switch in October, but thought I'd stick out where we were, and nothing's changed as we head to end of year, just muddling along as same as before. Spoken to school about pushing the middle-stream kids so they don't get lost, actually Ofsted picked up on it too in they're interim report, so not just me (phew! I'm not quite 'that mum').

Thoughts, opinions welcome.
Anyone done it an it's worked?
Equally tell me if AIBcompletelyU

Assume you are y5. New school next year and SATS? Our school was pretty chilled about SATS and kept it low key. Loads of fun for them post SATS. Is this about catchment for a secondary school? Odd way to tackle it if it is.

I wouldn’t, from the situation you’ve described there more potentially to be lost than gained. It’ll take her at least a term to settle in and find her new friends, by then a third of the year will be gone.

Also if she’s educationally mid stream in y6, unless the school have failed her in some way that’s probably where she’s meant to be.

What's stopping you help her develop new interests outside school?

@cremebrulee Thanks, that is quite telling!
At our school, we get a fair few coming and going, i think big cities are quite transient, with movement in and out for jobs etc.

I don't know if this school is as transient, as it's smaller slightly, diff part of city. (potentially more settled classes)
So will def take that into consideration now, thanks

I wouldn't. Your reasons for moving her are very wooly.

My kids changed schools because we moved house. It's taken them the whole year to get settled in properly.

Am I missing something? Why would moving schools to a place where friendship groups etc are clearly established and your DD is the new girl be “a huge confidence boost?” for her?

Unless things are dire where she is, or it will affect her secondary school options, I would absolutely not uproot her at this stage.

No way would I consider this unless with extreme reasons or out of necessity. This disruption of settling at a new school is more likely to set her back academically than allow her to flourish. And socially it would be really hard. Just no.

What does she think?
I personally wouldn’t do it, if we had moved DD to the prep at her current Secondary School she could potentially have been in the running for a large scholarship that’s only open to Prep pupils but she really didn’t want to go as she was going to a different school to most of her peers anyway and wanted to make the most of their last year together
Unless there are real issues I wouldn’t move a child for year 6

My sister was moved to start a new school in what would now be Y6. Had to for family/job reasons. In a whole different part of the country where she knew no one. She's never been a garrulous sort of person.
Not a decision to be taken lightly. It's really tough on the child.
What does she want?

@auntiebasil current school go really heavy on SATs, extra morning sessions, extra revision sessions, the whole year is SATs SATs SATs.
Think she'd be happier avoiding that. Both school's don't feed into any secondary. So not motive on that front :)

@auntiebasil
She does two sports as extra curricular. One is group, dancing. Other is solo, track athletics. so tried to spread it out across both options of competing against your own best, whilst having track team. Then group activity where success is dependant on whole group.
Again, really middle of the road. Does well but not the best. (would rather be on ipad. but I'm supportive of the benefits sports exposes, like discipline, self-esteem, health, etc etc)

Hence my dilemma, feel like as a parent I'm meant to look at all options to give her a chance to do her best. But this feels quite sink or swim by moving. But not changing, will get no change.

I've no doubt she might come into her own when she's older rather than as a kid (a fair few of my friends did).

But if we were to go for it, its now or never. So she could go to Yr6 move up day. I wouldn't switch her mid-year6

We did it - worked well for our then Yr 6. She continued to do well academically and new social group worked for her and she seemed to gain in confidence.

However, our move was work related and we moved away from English system and SATS completely meaning she also most certainly had a better yr 6 experience all round then she would have if we’d stayed.

No way would I do this at this stage unless moving/totally necessary.

I moved from a big school to a small school in year 6. It was shit. They were all in established friendship groups, I ended up with no friends.
I wouldn't do it unless you have to.

I think she'd be happy with either option. It's quite a big choice to put on a kid. (Given that I can't find the answer myself)

She'd prob miss her best friend. But be glad to get away from few other kids.

Honestly, there's nothing that really tips it on favour of staying or going. My proper pro/con list is quite equal atm. Gambling on moving a settled kid being obv massive con.

What are your plans for Y7? If your DD will be going to the same school as her current friendship group, wouldn't it be better to keep them together?

Early doors opinions.....looks like AIBU and a possibly tad insane to consider it ;)

I really wouldn't. She is happy and settled, no friendship issues to escape. Doing reasonably well academically. She sounds like a perfectly normal

What more do you think she should be doing? What do you feel she should be excelling at? If she has always been middle of the road then as others have said maybe that is where she is supposed to be. Or do you feel she is underachieving and if so why do you think that? Have her grades started to fall?

It may be that she is already doing her best. No new school can get her to achieve more if she hasn't the capability. Also don't underestimate the importance of stability and existing friendships going into year 6. It can be a very tricky and scary time for some with all the changes they have coming up.

But be glad to get away from few other kids.

I suspect that was why my child seemed to grow in confidence - getting away from some low level stuff from one girl and gang - so low level you couldn't complain but constantly there.

We wouldn't have moved local schools but then we worried alot about moving the children's school at all but work dictated the move - though when it happened they were all fine.

Unless it is going to have an impact on her secondary choices then I would be reluctant to move her. Things will be mixed up and changed when she goes to secondary. It looks like change for changes sake.
If you think she is capable of a higher level of work then there is plenty you can do to support her at home for one year.

I really wouldn't bother given your reasons, it's a massive upheaval for a child of that age. Sometimes a move may be necessary if parents get new jobs, move house, etc. but your reasoning doesn't seem very sound.

It sounds as though your daughter is perfectly fine where she is. I totally get that you want the very best for her as we all do but perhaps the best for your daughter is where she is now?

Some children just are middle of the road (my own included), if you want to support her academic progress then there's plenty you could do at home to help her to excel.

@crenebrulee Yr7 will be going with zero kids from current school.
New school, also unlikely. Only a few at best.

Reason being We live other side of the city, so totally totally different catchment areas. Secondary is a faith school with strict criteria, so only a few get in. 20% of applicants get a place. (We do meet Yr7 crietria, minimum 3 years of church attendance. I did ask few parent I know that go to different churches, who would meet crietria, and they've said even though it's a outstanding school, it's just to far logistically.)