Crap school, should i move my daughter?

[purplecake]

Hi,
My dd is currently in year 7 at school. She has always been really engaged and positive in her former schools, but the behaviour in this current school is appalling and the lessons really uninspiring.She seems quite depressed to me.The school is hugeand she rarely gets to spend time with friends from her middle school.She has always found it easy making friends but hasn't done so in this school.AIBU in changing schools now, she is not keen but i think she would be happier. We are moving away anyway in the summer so don't know whether to hang on in there.Any advice?

It's early days yet as she's only been there for 1 term I assume?

If she's happy to stay til Summer, I'd let her stay.

If anything it's teaching her to stick at something and give it a proper go.

Agree with Worral

former schools

Do you habitually move?

Actually re reading if you really think she's depressed I'd ask her what she wants to do

Year 7 is a horrible year for any child. They go from being the tallest and eldest at primary school to being the youngest and smallest again. She's only been there for a term, I'd leave her. It took my son a year to settle, he's in year 8 now and he's still working on it but it has got easier for him. If you're moving in the summer then I wouldn't move her now unless you move her to the new school early?

Do not move her now and move her again in the summer, especially if she's not keen.

You say the lessons are uninspiring and she seems depressed 'to me'. Don't take this the wrong way, but how do you know? You're not in her lessons. What does your DD say about how she's finding it? The change you see in pupils at the start of year 7 for growing up can be massive. Are you sure she's not just growing up ib the uncommunicative teenager kind of way? What does she say?

Is there a smaller school she can go to?

I hate mega schools and always prefer small ones.

Why haven't you spoken to her tutor - or head of year? Remind them it's a big school and you're concerned she's getting on OK. during Year 7, schools are usually careful to help pupils settle in, and used to speaking with parents over this. After school activities are good for her to find her feet and get involved with things she's interested in and spending time with other pupils. also try to get some of her contacts to meet up for cinema trip/pizza to help gel the friends she has.

good luck.

At 11 I would consider her old enough to make her own decisions re; schooling.

Sit her down and have a proper heart to heart! she may be concerned that if she makes close friends now she will only lose them again when she moves school in the summer?

Also are you sure she is not just absolutely knackered, year 7 is exhausting.

Poor thing.

Keep her there till the summer IMO. With regard to not seeing friends, that's what after school is for.

Can you not ask head of year to arrange to move her to a class where there are people who she is friendly with?
Yr7 is daunting enough, but its far more bearable with a friend close by

And I assume shes also aware that she will be moving inn the summer?

It could be shes wary of making new friends knowing that shes only going to be losing them again come the summer

No i don't habitually move but she has attended former schools ie pre-school primary and middle. Thanks for the advice everyone, i have been to speak with tutor etc, unfortunately the school is in its first year of re-structuring and things there are quite chaotic.
Ideally i wouldn't want to move her for a short period of time and am only considering this as an option before i raise it with DD, six months of potentially positive schooling experience preferable?If she felt strongly that she wished not to move i wouldn't but feel it's important to explore options and not necessarily accept the status quo.
I guess it's true that year 7 is unsettling for most children and takes some adapting to.I think I am being reactionary.Will go into school again and be more assertive!

My secondary education was like this purple. In hindesight I should have made an effort to learn out of school as I certainly couldn't learn inside it. I wouldn't move her now though, not as she'll be leaving at the end of the academic year anyway. She may find that the 'in between' school is brilliant and won't want to leave.