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Original poster

would this be completely mad?

53 replies

corian123 · 17/12/2023 14:07

Namechanged. Please be kind because this is a situation I didn't expect to be in - exploring options and feeling very stressed right now.

My DD is in year 7 at a very competitive independent. She has been the same school since reception (they have new intakes at 7plus and 11plus) - it's a wonderful school, she has great friends, she is very academic and does brilliantly there etc.

For reasons I won't bore everyone with, money is becoming an issue and we are unlikely to be able to manage once VAT is added to fees (not a case of 'if' but 'when'). The bursar has been very sympathetic, but various factors mean any type of bursary or discount isn't available for us.

One thing they have kindly offered is that if we felt we had no choice but to withdraw DD for a period of time, she has an open door to come back...

Sixth form state options are excellent, so going state for sixth form is a no brainer is a route we will explore - but that is a long time away...Pre-GCSE local option is good, but not great - I know families at the school and it's certainly fine, but the GCSE results are understandably not a patch on her current school.

Would it be utterly crazy if DD were to attend the local state school for years 8 and 9, and then return to her current school for years 10 and 11?! She is socially quite robust, the kind of child who makes friends wherever she goes - however, it would be quite a change and I worry it would be so disruptive. She also has extremely close friends at her current school who she would miss (but as they all live locally I am sure she would still see them).

Thoughts?

OP posts:

craigth162 · 17/12/2023 14:10

Seems a bit disruptive. Can you supplement the gcse years with tutors if necessary?

Changed18 · 17/12/2023 14:17

I’d just move to state and not go back. In year 8 everyone is in a newish school and still getting to know each other, but that’s a bit different in year 10. If the local state school is basically fine and your DD is a worker then she should be fine too.

But as you say, there’s always an open door to go back if it doesn’t work out as planned.

Original poster

corian123 · 17/12/2023 14:22

@craigth162 - thank you. We could supplement the GCSE years with tutoring, but I don't think the overall educational experience or results would be as 'good'. I know everything is not about results - but DD is very academic and determined to study medicine at uni...

In terms of comparison, you are looking at an independent that gets around 95 percent 7-9 grades and a the local state is about 45 percent. Of course, a lot of this will be down to non selective cohort versus a selective one - but it's also about the expectations - at dd's current school, it's very rare that pupils don't study 3 sciences for GCSE, but the other way round at the other school, for example.

OP posts:

Original poster

corian123 · 17/12/2023 14:24

@Changed18 - yes. I guess the real question is, do we give the state option a go with the knowledge we COULD go back for GCSE or earlier if it's a disaster....or do we do everything in our power (and strain ourselves financially) to keep her where she is until after GCSES?

OP posts:

Muchtoomuchtodo · 17/12/2023 14:27

Many schools start the GCSE curriculum in year 9 so it might not be as straightforward as you think. Do the 2 schools in question use the same exam boards?

Changed18 · 17/12/2023 14:32

DS just got excellent GCSE results at a state school where only around half got 5 GCSEs. If your DD is driven she’ll probably do well anywhere.

It’s if she’s not driven and not that academic that she needs a school that makes her work. But if in any case if you can’t afford for her to stay there, it’s a moot point.

Maybe move her and see how it goes - keep your options open. It may take quite a bit of parental involvement for her to stay in touch with her current school friends. But it’s always good to have non-school friends, regardless of if she goes back.

Changed18 · 17/12/2023 14:35

Cross-posted @corian123
Only you know how much of a financial strain it would be. I suppose you could take her out for 8 and back for 9?

But socially, if your DD is good at making friends, she will most likely do so at the new school too. Sounds like she may already know people there anyway.

Rocknrollstar · 17/12/2023 14:39

Most private schools start GCSE work in yr 9. It sounds as if you simply need to send her to state school

LulooLemon · 17/12/2023 14:39

If you put in the notice of intention to withdraw your daughter, you could mention that the only reason for her leaving is financial.

If she is seen as an asset to the school, you might find an offer of fee reduction comes your way.

naughtynine · 17/12/2023 14:47

I would keep her there or move her not the back & forth. If she’s bright & driven she will still do well.

Original poster

corian123 · 17/12/2023 14:48

@Muchtoomuchtodo - I think most schools start GCSE curriculum in quite a loose sense in Year 9 in core subjects - so I don't think it would be a disaster for her to move back in Year 10 (particularly because she's so academic, she could quickly catch up).

@Changed18 - congrats to your son! That's great. I don't doubt dd would and could do really well in the state school anyway - it's more the emotional disruption and upheaval for I suppose 😔

OP posts:

Original poster

corian123 · 17/12/2023 14:53

@LulooLemon - unfortunately we're just not eligible for financial support -we've already discussed this with them. There are those in much greater need: eg we could sell our house and move to fund fees (whereas a child on a bursary probably wouldn't have that option).

OP posts:

dalnei · 17/12/2023 14:55

If she's so academic, could she try for a grammar school or another independent which might offer a scholarship or bursary? She should be able to travel quite independently by now so shouldn't be limited to just those locally. Depends where you are of course.

Silverbirchtwo · 17/12/2023 15:00

Are you sure you can't afford her to stay where she is? If she's happy, has lots of friends and doing well it would be a shame to move her. Even if you think she will be fine you never know if she will have problems with any children in the new school, it can get really bad if there are some 'difficult' characters. Are any of her friends in the same position and might also move? That would make it easier perhaps.

YireosDodeAver · 17/12/2023 15:18

If your financial woes would be solved by skipping just 2 years of fees then your straits don't seem very dire. Is that not less than 10% of the value of your home? Could you remortgage instead? You can catch up again after the University years.

Moving her for just 2 years is unreasonable, it takes at least a year to settle into a school properly, and y9 should be at the same school as y10&y11 because you need to be properly settled at the start of y10.

If you really can't make the books balance nove her somewhere that she can stay till end of y11. Have you any schools within reach that offer scholarships with y9 entry?

Hedgehoglover · 17/12/2023 15:31

I think the idea of moving her now and back for years 19 and 11 is very unwise. She won't settle if she knows she is moving back in 2 years time. There was a girl at school who went off for two years and returned but her father was in the military so there was a justification for it. In your case, if the finances really don't stretch then move her as soon as and leave her put until after GCSE. Stability would be far better in the long run.

Scarletttulips · 17/12/2023 15:36

Moving will cost you a year or two fees - so that pointless - can you extend your mortgage?

The other thing is schools are tied to exam boards - and they differ to each other and the curriculum will be different.

It’s worth asking.

Also does state offer the same options?

Or even the same contacts?

How short are you for the fees?

Muchtoomuchtodo · 17/12/2023 15:40

@corian123 it’s unclear from your posts how much you’ve actually looked into this in detail where you live and in the actual schools that you’re talking about. Many schools in our area do their options in year 8 and start the GCSE courses in year 9.

Your dd may be bright but a school will not repeat the work already done, and each school can choose to teach the course in any order. If your dd missed sections of the GCSE course by moving schools, she would have to find out what’s been missed and catch up independently. That could be tricky, especially if the schools use different exam boards no matter how clever she is.

You have lots of information to find out to be able to make a properly informed decision about such an important part of your dd’s life and not long to do that assuming that you’d have to give the current school notice if she will be leaving at the end of this academic year. I hope it all works out well, whatever you decide.

Sproutier · 17/12/2023 16:15

If funds can't stretch for now then you have no option but to move her. Then you assess her going back in slower time.

We moved a child from a very academic school to one less so and she actually got more pushing at the second. Schools with lower average results often stream and set much more heavily. You might find at the state school she is in a group who are all predicted 8s and 9s anyway, even if the overall stats across the year seem horrifying to you. Many schools will have top sets who get very good results. What percentage of students are in this group makes little difference to the kids who would be in the top set anywhere.

RedHelenB · 17/12/2023 16:36

If she's as bright as you say and works hard she'll do fine in a good state school, even a not so good state school. I'd just go state all the way as you can't afford private by the sounds of it.

LIZS · 17/12/2023 16:40

Move for gcse years and return for sixth form.

whatsappdoc · 17/12/2023 16:55

You say a lot of the lower results at your state school are down to being non-selective, it's ALL down to being non-selective. It amazes me sometimes how well comprehensives do at GCSE level.

Hobbi · 17/12/2023 16:59

If the state option is 'fine' and your daughter is so academic, she should be fine there. As horrifying as it sounds, some medical students come from non-selective state schools you know. Just get her to hold her breath in the corridors.

TeenDivided · 17/12/2023 18:58

If the local state can get 45% of grades at 7-9 that looks pretty good to me.
There is nothing in that figure that indicates they can't teach to the top grades.
Of course in a comp there will be more pupils doing combined than separate sciences, but as long as they do offer the separate ones it should be an issue.

TheCurtainQueen · 17/12/2023 19:06

She will have a better chance of getting into a good university if she does her GCSEs and A Levels at the state school due to contextual offers.

Also, the independent school gets better results because it is selective. If those smart kids who pass the 7+ and 11+ were all in the state school, the local state school would get better results.

Having said all of that, I think that consistency is important and chopping and changing at secondary school age isn’t ideal. Is there no way of finding the money? Promotion at work? Downsize?

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