Am I overthinking education at this age (6 year old)

[Hitchyhero]

We got to choose my son's school (he's adopted... We adopted him a 1 years old) and we chose a high performing school that had a very small catchment area (that we wasn't in). As an adopted child ... He got priority a d was accepted.

The class size was about 30 children. He went from liking school in nursery / reception to absolutely hating it in year 1. Complaining that it wasn't fun any more and hard word. His end of year report was 'working towards expectations'. Many of the children received meeting expectations.

Last April we moved home to a village about 20 mins away from his old school. We decided to change his school to the local one. The class size was about half... 15ish children I believe.

Yesterday I went to his first parents evening at his new school. Before meeting the teacher I got to see his work and I was amazed how much improved. He was writing a lot more, his maths work was actually correct... His drawings looked good. I went into the the meeting and the teacher said he is a bit behind, (especially with his writing) but they are putting him on corrective measures to improve it. I'm happy with that, as the school is already improved from what was before. The school reads with him 5 days a week (old school he did reading once a week). The smaller class size is definitely better for him.

I feel like I made a huge mistake picking a 'high performance' school as it seems if your not academic there... You got left behind and they didn't wanna help the child further. But now I'm worried he's behind other kids because of that school and it's going to be difficult for him to 'catch up'. The other half of me thinks he's only 6. He'll get it in his own time.

I'm not going to put pressure on him. But Im just more upset I didn't move him soon.

I would not worry, just work on some areas of concern in a fun way at home.
I have home educated for 2 decades and little boys of six are not the same at 8 or 10, so much changes.

For me I would have the best school and the smallest classes possible, at home support is the game changer, its the biggest indicator of success with a child.

I had a son who came out of school at 6 unable to read or do basic maths, within 6 months of my unqualified help he could read anything at all.

Relax, and top up where you feel you need to, in a fun way.

learning is lifelong so it's better being somewhere you enjoy being. obviously the smaller setting is somewhere where he's enjoying learning so right now that's the best place for him.
personally i wouldn't put much value on school ratings, so much depends on the individual teacher and class mates.
if you really worried that the smaller school isn't as pushy as the other like pp suggested do lots of fun learning stuff at home and on weekends; reading, coloring, cutting, play dough, cooking is great for math skills etc.

My niblings go to a school like that, tiny class sizes, and although they are low-average they are labelled as being behind, just because there's no one else lower than them. (I have worked in schools and just roll my eyes, they clearly do not have a lot of EAL or SEN kids.)

As long as it doesn't effect his self-esteem, it's the best place for him.

I wouldn’t worry, now he’s in the right environment he’ll catch up quickly. And sounds like he’ll get the support to do so. My 6 (year 2) year old son started at a specialist in September after having been out of school almost entirely since pre school and he’s learnt so much and is doing so well. In fact, in 6 weeks has learnt all the phonics required by a mainstream by end of year 1.

He’ll change so much in the next few years and no-one will know who was ahead/behind etc at 6. Hope he continues to enjoy school.

I'm an adopter.
I think the smaller schools sounds better, more nurturing. They will help him make the best of himself. There is only so much you can do it is nature as well as nurture. If the ability is there a good school will develop it.

He'll be fine. It's not really academic skill for a 5 year old that gets them 'meeting expectations' or 'great depth'. It's their ready to learn skill, their ability to sit on the carpet and listen, to follow multistep instructions etc and really it's those skills that set those children up to be the academic ones later on. Those skills obviously develop at different rates at such a young age. Keep reading to him and exposing to him to as many experiences as possible..

You have not caused any long lasting problems, he is 6, making good progress and he will catch up in his own time. The new school sound fab!

At home, to help you can make sure you read together as often as possible, practise pen skills and dexterity through tweezer type games, painting, play doh, get him to help write shopping lists and letters/postcards to family - anything that is low pressure and fun. Mine used to like bath crayons as low pressure - wash all away at the end of the bath!

As above PP. I am an Adopter - DS now 16 - apart from all the usual worry that all parents have you have the "adoption worry" - DS came to us at 4.5 - our main focus was attachment to us - we also chose a smaller school for him and he did ok - certain issues never picked up eg dyslexia and ADHD as I think they were happy that most years he ether met or was just behind govt targets.

He has started 6th form with 10 GCSES - he could barely write his name until year 1, couldn't read at all until mid year 1 , but he got there in his own time and is doing really well.