How damaging is moving schools

[boddtm]

We have managed to save enough money for a deposit on a house and have found a house within our budget. However, the house we are looking at is in another school district and will not be ready until December. How damaging would it be for my children to transfer part way through the school year? Have any of you have experiences with moving children mid year? Any advice would be welcome. Sadly, as I don't drive and there's no direct bus route, keeping them in their current schools is not an option, nor is moving their schools early. My daughter goes into year seven in September, and my son will be in year one in September.

Year 7 wouldn't be an ideal time if you were able to choose, but life isn't like that, and you have to take into account everything that makes up your life (the fact you can now afford it, the house you've seen being right for you for all other reasons, etc,etc).
Moving schools once is fine for nearly all children. I imagine your dc in Yr1 would settle very quickly, and it will depend on confidence for your dc in yr7.
Of course, whether there would be places available is a different matter.

Would there be any possibility of finding a way for your dd to start at her new school in Sept rather than Dec, when all the dc will be new together? (this would only work if the school had enough space to admit you when you don't live there though). Of course, now the schools have broken up, it's a bit late to be looking in to the possibility though.

I changed a few times and didn't have any problems. Provided that the new school is of the same (or better) standard as current then go for it! It's character building.

DS1 has moved schools a couple of times, though not mid year. He has managed to make friends pretty easily. I have been surprised by the number of people who move mid year in y7 - partly because we are in London and there are lots of international families but also because people 's first school obviously just didn't fit. I won't pretend it's something he likes doing, but I think I feel it much worse than he does.

is there an INdirect bus route? You might have to go on the waiting list for a while

I think mid Y7 and Y1 sound like quite good times to move tbh. Certainly much better than mid YR or Y6(!) or Y8.

I'm sure they'll be fine once they've settled providing the schools suit them OP.

My 9 year old is about to start her fourth school 😬

It's not ideal to move about but kids seem to cope fine!