Moving from prep to secondary in Year 7/8

[Starlilly88]

My DS is currently in Year 7 at a prep school but isn't very happy due to lots of different things. He has a 13+ place to start at the beginning of Year 9 but there is the option, if the head of the secondary school agrees, to move him there at the start of Year 8 instead. He's stressed about common entrance and that would also mean he wouldn't have to do it. The prep school understandably wouldn't be very happy. Apart from joining as a 'new boy' on his own, can anyone see any issues with doing this? He was desperate to leave last year and he's still miserable, so I feel bad about making him stay on if he could be happier to leave earlier

If your DS is unhappy and the new school will take him, that sounds like the right move. You'll need to serve notice in time on the current school but am sure you know this already. Yes, the current school won't be delighted as it won't be able to backfill that space and Ys7 and 8 in prep schools are becoming increasing small classes so to lose one will have more of an effect than losing 1 of a larger cohort in Y4 for example. But, unless your ts & cs with the school for Y7 & 8 say that you can't leave, it's up to you.

Your DC will be fine we had a boy join at my DS's school and everything seems OK. The most important thing is your child, I wouldn't worry one bit about his current school, his next few years are going to be at this new school. I never fully understand why people stay to 13 as it must be very hard to do the CE having already done the stressful 11+. Good luck to your son.

Thanks. It's becoming more obvious to me that common entrance is mainly a waste of time (other than some prep for GCSE). All they do in Year 8 is revise and not really learn anything new. The head of his future school would have to approve a move into year 8 but I don't think she has any agreements with the prep school, unlike some other schools in the area. There are some benefits to year 8 at prep - responsibility etc but he just seems a bit bored in Year 7 already. And it would create some bad feeling if I took him out and I have another DS lower down the school.

Have you actually had this discussion with the senior school? They will unlikely have space as they create the space for the 13+ applicants by creating extra classes.