Name changed for this and I’m writing in a gender neutral way so that it isn’t as identifying.
My child is year 3 and has been unhappy at school for some time. They seem to go through phases of being OK then other times they are very upset in the mornings. No one big reason why, seems to be smaller things that build up.
They are at a fairly big primary school with around 50 in a year.
I have always been told they are fine when they are there. When I have told them that school say that they say they don’t feel fine.
A good few months ago I went to look around another school, but felt that I wanted to try a bit longer at the current school, to see if a change in teacher would help. I have two teenagers who thrived at the current school, but know every child is different.
Since they went back in September I have been unimpressed with the new teacher, one day my child hadn’t eaten any lunch because they needed the toilet when they got in the hall and didn’t dare leave their lunch unattended. When I brought this to the teachers attention, he didn’t even let me finish my sentence and said with a sigh “yes they get enough time for lunch and yes they are allowed to go to the toilet”. The new teacher also hardly puts anything on the class page compared to the other teachers in lower KS2.
Over the weekend we met my child’s friend and their mum at the park. The friend has touched my child inappropriately and my child disclosed to me later that this has been happening at school too.
I emailed the headteacher and had a meeting yesterday morning. I feel like she said all the right things and has spoken to both children and assures me it will not happen again.
I now feel like this is the last straw for me and my child has refused to go to school this morning. My mum does the school run for me twice a week and today was one of those days. I had to go to work and my child was hysterical. My mum got them there at 10am.
Office staff commented how calm they were going in (how can they go from hysterical to calm? I am wondering if they have just resigned themself to the fact they have to go?) They came out of school this afternoon in a good mood with a prize from the teacher… 🤔
Meanwhile I have been in a state at work all day and phoning around other schools. I am taking them to look around the school I went to look at a few months ago tomorrow. This school is a small village school, infants in one class, juniors in the other. They are happy to go and look round.
I worry if I move them the problem may not be solved, they have lots of friends where they are, and won’t know anyone at the new school.
Am I overreacting in wanting to move? Maybe they just don’t like school in general? They are swaying between saying “I want to move” and “I’ll want to stay because I’ll miss my friends”. I don’t know what to do for the best.