Would you homeschool for a term in this situation?

[Bumblebeezy]

We moved overseas in September as my husband was required by his employer to do a 2 year secondment. Our kids have been happy in an international school but our 10 year old found the transition to somewhere new tough.

Due to the Brexit shitshow it now appears that the secondment is being cut short, and we'll be back in the UK from Easter.

Good timing in one respect as the 10 year old can start secondary school in September if we can find him a place, but crap timing in that there is one pesky term of yr 6 left.

I haven't spoken to the LA yet as we have only just found out about the move this weekend- I guess there is a small chance that there might be space left at his old school which would work (other than him having to sit SATS with no preparation) but if not, I'm thinking homeschooling for the summer term might be the kindest option. To throw him into another new school only to have him have to cope with another big school move in September would be hugely detrimental I think.

Any thoughts or advice welcomed.

We moved to a new area during the summer term when DS was in the last year of primary. For such a short period of time the school wasn’t bothered by numbers and it helped him having some new friends for the transition to secondary.

Yes I would. I did similar when we moved abroad. You can do projects, have days out, join clubs. I can’t think it would do any harm. Could also try to find our the gaps between international school and UK schools and look at that too.

Thanks @Finfintytint, that's great that it went well for you. Perhaps his old school might be lenient with numbers even if they are full then.

I think seeing how much he struggled with the move to his current school is what is putting me off letting him start another school for a short period but you make a really good point about the fact that he'd be moving up to secondary with some of the same children...

The summer term is usually full of parties trips days out fun afternoons sports day end or term assembly high school transitions etc etc

Very little in the way of work or tests

Think longer term for secondary and see which are feeder schools for those and enrolled him to make new friends no pressure for SATS

Yes, I was thinking about addressing gaps too @Epiphany52. He's been lucky to be in a superb school but I'm sure there will be differences in approach to things like maths particularly. How easy is it to find KS2 resources online to help identify what to focus on? Sensible idea to look at it now regardless of where he ends up I think.

GreenTulips but the SATS are in May?

Can he be disapplied for SATS as coming from overseas? Do International schools follow the National Curriculum?

If he can go back to his old school would he be happy about doing that?

Given that the admissions process is long finished for secondary I'm not sure it will make much difference whether he is in a feeder school for the summer term or not @GreenTulips? I'm assuming we'll be stuck in whatever secondary has space left, if any do!

They don’t have to sit SATS

Some high schools ignore them anyway and do their own

There are SATS books inline and WHSmiths if you want to go down they route

Bumble, once you find out what secondary he gets a place in, ask for a primary place in a feeder school, then he will meet some of the kids he will be moving up with.

Absolutely yes - home ed for summer term. SATS are for schools not kids; secondary schools do their own assessments of ability anyway.

Some schools also do not ignore sats, and use the results to predict grades for the rest of your child’s school career, so it’s worth asking the questions of the school.

SATS are in the second week of May I think.

The international school don't follow the same curriculum but I don't think it is wildly different. Something I need to investigate.

I know from friends with children at his old school that SATS preparation has recently begun in earnest. IF he was able to go back to his old class I guess I could ask for some prep work to be sent over. I have no idea if he'd have to take the tests or what the consequences of not taking them would be

He's desperate to go back to his old school if it is possible.

He can always be off unwell on the week of SATs.

Cross posted a bit there. I guess the best course of action re SATS is to first find where he'll have a secondary place and then seek their advice on it maybe.

Ugh, nothing in life can ever be straightforward can it 🤦‍♀️

Big thank you to everyone who has replied by the way! Really good to be able to talk it through a bit with people- I don't have much of a social circle over here!

As a secondary teacher I would say it’s not in any child’s best interests to do SATs. If he was my child and he was unprepared for the SATs then he would not be doing them.

Very useful to hear your perspective as a secondary teacher @Jackshouse, thank you.

I thought that kids who tr/fr to new school just before SATs (like 4m before) still sit them, but results don't count for school & everyone advised not to care much about them for that pupil. So it's a low pressure situation (tbf, SATs have been low pressure for my regular DC anyway, but MNers all seem 2 send their kids to hothouses).

So would just be test practice for OP's DS.
I would definitely put him in regular school for the social/getting used to local schools aspects.

The only way a child's results would not count in a school's data would be if they arrived from a non-English speaking country. In this case,the child's results would be included.

All secondary schools have targets set from SATs for GCSEs and they are obliged to meet them.

It’s AN option, but I’d try to get the senior school sorted now and get him into the feeder school to make some friends to move up with.

The SATs are a side issue really. My biggest concern is potentially forcing a sensitive and shy child through 3 school moves in 12 months.

Feenie what is the definition of a non-English speaking country? Does it mean one where English is not the main language or not spoken at all?

Does it make a difference if the child has been taught at an International school?

If he has only been away for 6 months it is unlikely has missed so much that his SATs would suffer. It sounds as if he feels it important to reintegrate socially with his peers so school is probably a better option if you can swing it.

I hadn’t noticed they had only been gone a few months, then they would have to sit SATs.

Would it be possible/cheeky to home school until after SATs and then register him? Although he then may suffer when going to Secondary if they use SATs to set/stream.