New school

[LindsEd]

I am hoping to move to the Driffield/Nafferton area (East Riding).

This is about an hour away from where I currently live.

My son is 10 and had just gone into year 6.

He of course does not want to move schools, however I think it would be better for him long term. As it will be better for him to have friends in the local area.

My other dilemma is should I leave him at his current junior school until the end of year 6? Then move him to local secondary school? Or should I move him to the local junior school before secondary school to get to know the children prior to secondary school?
Please advise?

That's a tough question.

I think I'd be thinking of practicalities first.

What is the cut off point for secondary school applications? Are the schools over subscribed and what are their over subscription criteria? Do they have feeder schools or do they go on distance

Are there spaces in a primary that you would be happy with or would you be sending him to a school that you were choosing because it was all that was left.

Other than that it depends on your appetite for the commute, as well as the back and forth so he can see his friends out of school vrs disrupting him at a time when he's already had so much disruption

Sorry not able to answer directly.

Hi

Yes these are all the questions and scenarios that are going around in my head at the moment.

A lot to think about.

Thanks for your thoughts.

I wondered if anyone had been through a similar situation and could give any advice?

Hi, the Driffield/Nafferton area only has one secondary school so if he went to one of the primaries in that area I assume he would get in. I don’t think Driffield Secondary have ever been over subscribed. It’s a tough decision - on the one hand if you were moving him to that secondary I would move him for Year 6 too so that he has a chance to get to know the area and some children before he moves up to secondary. However also with children coming from all different schools to secondary they often make new friends not from their primaries anyway. I know that’s not much help!

Not me, but a friend. Kept DS in original junior school for Y6 for SATS reasons. Then applied for local secondary school as in new catchment for that. So many kids move to secondary with no/few children from primary in our area that it doesn’t matter. Y6 is so important with all the leaver stuff as well that moving into that group is hard for just a year. It worked well for her.

I would probably say to keep him in current primary if possible and move at secondary (provided you can apply for one that will be local to you). I would say year 6 isn’t enough time (with Covid too!) to settle, make friends and then move again so soon. We did something similar but it was year 5 rather than 6 and worked fairly well.
I’ve heard that friendships tend to change at secondary anyway so that seems a good point to move...

The issue I have is I have already applied for our local secondary school.

Recently a business opportunity has come up in the Nafferton/Driffield area. So not sure how would also apply for the school. We ask don’t know if this move will definitely happen as things can change and fall through. Fingers crossed it won’t. We also do not know how long this will all take.

Grapesinbunshes

Year 5 would have been a better time for this to have happened, the timing is not the best. I’m really happy things worked out for you and thanks for that advice. It’s lovely to hear other people’s experiences especially when positive ones.

Essexgurl

I agree year 6 is very important especially with SATS etc. Also with all the recent upset with the Covid 19. Again thanks for your advice.

Bountybonus
Are you from the Driffield area? Do you have children in local schools?

It’s reassuring that Driffield not usually over subscribed. I was thinking that if the sale goes ahead he could maybe visit the primary school and get to know a couple of peers towards the end of the year prior to high school. I was also thinking of maybe asking on local Facebook pages if there were any groups he could attend after school to get to know people of his age in that area.

My son is quite shy so it would be great for him to get to know a couple of local children before the move to secondary school.

Again thanks for this advice, it’s so helpful.