Would You Move A Year Five Girl?

[Notsure73]

The girl is at good school 5 minutes walk away but isn't doing very well. She's fallen behind, especially in maths, mainly because she's not learnt her times tables. She's now having tutoring to bring her up to speed which she hates. She's also been overlooked in class and for extracurricular activities. The school she is at now is a bit chaotic and she's not very happy, but she's not an incredibly cheerful or motivated sort of child anyhow. She has friends at this school that she's been with since pre school. She doesn't make friends that easily.
A space has come up at a school 15 minutes walk away. It's a bit smaller ( 2 form vs 3 form entry) and has an outstanding ofstead. She doesn't really know anyone there.
Would you move her?

Also, she will go to the same secondary school regardless of whether she's moved or not.

Well I did, but from state to private, for many of the reasons you state. It was the best thing I could have done for her as she absolutely thrived and ended up winning the Endeavour cup at the end of her time there as she worked so hard and was so happy. Unfortunately this move also meant we decided to keep her private for the forseeable future (£££). She was desperate to leave her old school though, she hated it and it was becoming increasingly obvious that we HAD to move her.

I'm in the middle of doing just that right now. I'd say yes, do it. Have you mentioned it to her at all? She may well be very happy about it, which will make it so much easier.

However, if she is really against it, reconsider. At this age, happiness is so much more important than times tables, although DH doesn't think so...

It's not easy changing schools at this age though - and my DD has moved quite a lot but this is the first time she's experience angst about it.

If she has friends and doesn't make them easily, I'd leave her and step up the tutoring.

The older she gets, the more important friends become - and an outstanding ofstead actually means very little.

I disagree, I much prefer times tables to friends

I just moved my DS after xmas (from large state to small indie). He is in year 6 so only has two terms left in his new school. I moved him for similar reasons to you. Two weeks in and he is like a different child, has made friends, been to a birthday party and is finally enjoying school. My only regret is that I didn.t do it sooner. Trust your instincts.

Why is a 5 year old learning times tables?!

Does she want to move? What would be the advantage?

conorsrockers - Year 5 is 9-10 years old, not 5y.

My DD is in year 5 and she would be devastated if she had to move from her current school and, more importantly to her, all of her friends. I could only consider it if my DD was unhappy or the school was really bad, forcing me into it. I would have to be very very sure.

But, how does your DD feel about it?

I would.

I moved my 3 (Y4, 2 &1) from one local state school to the next - and it was the best thing I did.

DS didn't want to move, but I made him.

First day I picked up DS (Y4) he came out and said 'you were right to move me' - after he said 'you won't believe it Mum - the kids don't just muck around all day' :(

2 years later I still keep finding out little things about how much worse the old school was compared to the new one.

All 3 of them ended up with the same number and type of friends at the new school that they had at the old school.......

Sorry - read it too quickly!!

An outstanding Ofsted doesn't necessarily mean much. Have you visited it and asked lots of questions? Have you taken her to visit it? What does she want to do? Learning your tables is something that you have to do at home-the school can't do it for her.
Why is she being overlooked? Is she not asking for help if she needs it? Can you not have a chat with the teacher? Will she have a better teacher for year 6?
Why is she being overlooked for extracurricular activities? Have they been too full? Are they first come,first served-is she just too slow?
Unless you have both visited and are bowled over by it, I would stay put because she has got less than 5 terms until she changes anyway.

What does she want? A child that age is capable of sabotaging her own education if a decision is made over her head.

A Y5 girl is a very stubborn opinionated creature. Tread very gently and be absolutely sure of your reasons.
If you do decide to move her you must be able to argue your case better than any barrister.
I'm 44 and I can remember very clearly being in Y5. I thought I knew everything and if I didn't want to do something I didn't do it. 100 times worse than I was as a teen.

My now Y6 DD2 pretty much choose her secondary school by choosing to be with her friends and not do the 11+

Moving may shake her out of a rut and work wonders or it may not. Your DD has to be absolutely committed to giving it a go.

Go and look at the school and then decide, size and Ofsted don't necessarily mean anything. You need to decide if it is the right school for your child.
I know lots of children who have been moved just for year 6, and it seems to have been the right thing for them.
On the other hand times tables aren't the be all and end all of Maths, and my kids have done much better at Maths at secondary school, because they have "maths brains" regardless of tables.

I would simply take the DD on a visit to the proposed one and see what she thinks.
Even if you do take her you may find she moves her problems with her, i.e doesn't learn her tables, doesn't ask for help and doesn't push to join extra curricular activities.
If it was me I would make sure that she was up to speed on tables with daily practise, go into school and tell the teacher that she is being overlooked because she doesn't ask and get her to decide what extra curricular things she wants to do and get her application in early.

DD1 (Y9) does not know and will never know her tables, neither do I.
She's pretty good at maths and I passed A'level
(we're both dyslexic, tables fall into the same black hole as spellings.)