To move schools

[MelThomas1]

Hi,

So, I'm thinking of moving my daughters to another primary school a bit further out because their education (teaching and learning) is miles ahead and their SATs results are always consistently high, making them one of the top schools in this area. The current school has had many red flags, which I've ignored and tried to make excuses for. However, the poor, unprofessional behaviour seems to be an embedded culture within this school.

My dd has finally settled into the school and made some friends so that is my main dilemma. She's been there for a year and-a-half after being home educated. Is it worth me moving her for one and-a-half years? But, at the same time, I want her to experience good teaching and learning practice, which she isn't receiving at this school. She is absolutely bored out of her brains during maths and English lessons (as she's miles ahead of her cohort). Their recent Ofsted has been atrocious and shows they are failing their pupils. Their SATs have been in the lowest end in this Borough. My dd keeps saying she isn't sure if she wants to move but then complains about how bored she is and has a whinge every other morning about not going into school. She reallt likes the four or five friends she has made in this school but I know she will make new friends quite easily, she's a sociable child and loves meeting new people and going to new places so I think she would be fine starting a new school.

AIBU to move her based on this?

Are there any places at this other school? Do you know their teaching is better or do you just know their SATS results are better? How will it impact her journey to school, ability to meet friends out of school and ability to become more independent in preparation for secondary?

Higher ofstead rating doesn’t mean better teaching.

Being ahead could be the same issue in another school.

She could be a lot lower aswell.

Kids even out of time.

Your child - your choice

But the grass isn’t always greener.

I totally get why you would want her to be in a good school and props to you for educating her so well that she is so ahead of her peers. But…

Unless she is unhappy socially, I’d leave her there and make sure she gets a good secondary education. She’s obviously been away from main stream education for a while and if you want her to keep going to school rather than being homeschooled, she’ll be better prepared having kept the friends that she’s made and experienced the year 6 transition alongside them.

If she’s bright, she’ll be fine in the SATs regardless.

Better results don't equal better teaching- I know of good and outstanding schools where the teaching is mediocre but because the intake is of a more affluent socio-economic intake, those kids will largely do well anyway. I would also paid very little heed to an Ofsted report. (I've taught for over 20 years) If you're unhappy with the current school then fine, but these two metrics should pay very little part in the decision.

I’ll assume she’s in Year 4, if there’s eighteen months left in primary school. You need to consider what schools you might look at for secondary and whether a move to another primary might have an impact on that.

Please remember that you don’t choose a school, you select preferences. Moving now would be an in year transfer and would depend on whether there was a place in the year group.

She has friends where she is and you can enhance her experience at home if you feel she’s not getting the enrichment she needs.