To move back to old life

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Six months ago I left my home town for personal reasons with my three children. They’re in a good school but really unhappy. My son misses his friends terribly and my daughter is also miserable. This year the school have made several changes that have gone down badly with everyone. My kids are so miserable this weekend they’re just constantly asking me if we can move home.

They’re all desperate to move back to where they were born and now I’m now in a place where we could just go. The area we’re living in is getting quite rough with even the police telling me not to let my youngest son play outside. I’m on universal credit after leaving my job a few months ago and there is no vacancy now. So I would be moving on UC and housing benefit which makes things difficult.

the problem is that one is in year 11 and one is in year 13 doing Btecs. I suspect my year 11 would get better grades at his old school - there is one on the waiting list but lots of movement. Neither are expected to get the highest grades and whatever they get I’m proud of them.

I’ve said we should get through this year and then leave next summer. But they’re all telling me they hate it here. They have no friends and want to go back home. Would I be unreasonable to take the chance and go. Or should I stay and limp through to next summer? I’m desperate to go too and haven’t settled at all.

Well have the "personal reasons" for moving gone away?

Why did you leave in the first place?

Are you already on these benefits or would you be giving up your job to move back and therefore need them?

Could you easily move housing wise that quickly? I think it you could move immediately it wouldn’t upset schooling so much, but if you drift later in the school year it won’t work and you would need to wait until next summer holidays.

Well it doesn’t seem like any of you are glad about the move, but maybe it depends why you left to begin with. There is no point in living an unhappy life if you can fairly easily change it!

Thank you. I left a partner who was abusive but he’s now moved away. I’m on UC but could get work more easily back at home. I just don’t know anyone here. I’m so tempted to go but am scared about ruining their education. Especially the one doing Btecs.

Just move back while you have the chance. Risky with the child in year 11 though.

If you’ve only been there 6 months did they not do the first sixth months of the last academic year in your home town, so you would be going back to the same educational settings if spaces still available?

No surely this is going to complicate things further with their courses. You have moved them in the middle of them once and to move again would surely cause even more issues. Did the syllabuses even match up? Remember some subjects have content that can be chosen, so if doing history GCSE for example the schools might not study the same material.
Was it an exact match before?

Well done on escaping from the abuser. In my opinion you should move back. You and your children will be happier, better off, and this will make it easier for them to study and learn, even with some disruption. You have to look at the overall picture- it’s hard to apply yourself to learning when you and your family are miserable. Ask their schools/colleges for support. Good luck for your future OP.