School closing before Year 11, how best to support daughter?

[Houndsofloving]

DCs school (small independent) has announced that they will be closing at the end of summer term.

Does anyone have any tips on how to make this a bit more manageable for my very academic, but very hard on herself DD coming to the end of year 10. Unfortunately, there are no other local schools who run the same exam boards for all subjects so there’s going to be some considerable disruption to her GCSE progress.

There are a couple of options for her- one is a move to another independent which is fairly far away, which may offer a bit more pastoral support in terms of getting through a different exam board.

She had already planned to go to local state for 6th form, but need to make a decision with her whether it would be better for her to do a year 11 in the same one.
There is they added problem that her friendship group are going to be scattered because geographically they will all feed into different state schools. If she was to go the other independent school it’s already a good 40 minutes travel (possibly an hour in bad traffic for us) and her friends all live in the opposite direction about 40 minutes away.

Any advice gratefully received… I can’t even begin to think about what to do with neurodiverse DS in year 7 who is thriving where he is, or the fact that DH works there and is losing his job. It’s a bit of a shit show here.

Is other private education feasible with Dh job situation? Did they both get reduced fees?
Is it possible for dd to sit existing board with Tutor help? How much difference in the syllabus/what she has been taught?
Can you find a state school and switch her now? Then there is 2 terms to catch up ( and some of that she might already have done?)

Yes, true. I remember a private school shutting about 10 years ago and another private school which wasn't that near laid on coaches from the closed school to theirs

If was planning on going to the local state for sixth form anyway I would move her there now as soon as possible. They should be able to process an application in time for her to start after half term and that extra 6 or 7 weeks of teaching is quite a large proportion of the remaining teaching time.

The sooner she's there the sooner she can settle in and make friends. But also it will be to your advantage when she applies to the sixth form because they will be aware that she might not optimise her GCSE grades due to the unavoidable Y10 school move but that she will work hard and get good A-level grades.

Emphasise with her that the main thing to focus on is getting a 5 in English Language and Maths and then the grades to get into her A-level courses. If she goes on to do A-levels and then uni, her GCSE grades will be mostly irrelevant.

Thank you for everyone’s input, it’s really helpful to hear different opinions on it all.

Yes, we do get (significantly) reduced fees at the moment as DH works there, but full fees would be just about manageable if that is best for DD. I know the other independent would happily take her, and I agree that there may well be more support there to get ther through. She has been on track for all 8s and 9s so far, and has Oxbridge aspirations- she has put so much work in this year and I hate to think it has been for nothing. I think she would really struggle with the idea of dropping any subjects, but I will broach it with her.

Her English will be the biggest change in syllabus as they currently sit the IGCSE. She would have different texts, and she has already submitted all coursework for both years. Whichever school she chooses, we will invest in tutoring for at least English if nothing else.

i just feel so sad for them all

If she is grade 8/9 then this might work:

• get her into new school ASAP
• find out gaps from new school
• use the summer to catch up the gaps

But even so timetabling may mean dropping one subject because of subject combinations.

I suspect you will be better to go to the independent that will support her to catch up. A state school would be limited in the support they can provide. Does she needs to go to the state 6th form or could she stay at the independent to give her continuity?

If you do chose to go to the state school it's probably a good idea to take up a place as soon as possible. That will allow you both to get to grips with the exam boards, content covered etc so you can start the catch over the summer. That obviously assumes there is a space. Also think about the entrance requirements for the sixth form - what is the minimum she needs to get. That could allow you to focus on the GCSEs that are key.

I wouldn’t put her into state school. She has no experience of how different it will be to an independent. She’s got enough to deal with! Get her to the other independent to give her the best chance of getting her GCSEs, then move her to state for 6th form.

I would go for the Indy that best matches her exam boards, even if it means a bit of flexi boarding to make the commute reasonable. Use the summer to catch up on topics missed at home and push the new school to top up from September. State schools won’t offer iGCSE for starters and you are totally reliant on the goodwill of overloaded subject teachers - willingness to do the extra for someone who will probably pass anyway is extremely variable.

Can she sit just English Language in the November sittings for IGCSE? Is it Cambridge board? There’s no learned content, just solid skills. Get one ‘out of the way’ and give her some confidence? Any others she is doing IGCSE & has already covered content? Book privately for Nov sittings & regroup for June. She could sit them as a home ed student. Just an idea! Your school fees costs could go to tutors for exam skills and finishing content. She can gather her thoughts, spend a year home ed, not have to integrate into a new school, and get on to sixth form after. Would show resilience and self-study skills!

If she has already done CW for Eng IGCSE ( is that lit or lang?) then why not take that IGCSE privately through an exam centre? A state school cannot offer IGCSE so all that work would be wasted.

Is the private school commute feasible? Many are saying go there but surely an hour there and back plus an hour to your work is not sustainable

Language and Lit. I hadn’t realised that this was an option, but will definitely be investigating this. I don’t know how the timetabling would then work in a state school? Presumably she would just go to the lessons but not sit the exams.

The commute will be difficult, but doable I think. We could get her to train station, and then she would have to finish trip via train. We have brilliant grandparent support who I know would step in as well. Definitely not ideal, but can be done. I have 2 days a week working for my own business so can be flexible on those days.

Part of the uncertainty is that I have no idea which direction DH may find work in (if he even gets anything for next year), and I will have DS to get somewhere (another dilemma for another day)

@Houndsofloving there are private exam centres all over the country that offer GCSEs and IGCSEs to students who need to do them outside school (HE, not in school for whatever reason, doing an extra subject like a home language). I am familiar with Tutors & Exams whom I have worked with, but there are others too I am sure. Obvs you have to pay but it's a one-off fee of a few hundred per qualification.

I guess she could continue to be in English lessons – it might support her IGCSE work? Or if not, it's never bad to learn about Macbeth haha. You would have to square it with the school tho.

I really don't think you should throw a child who is used to very small private school classes and presumably lots of pastoral support into a state school for year 11. It will be a huge shock to the system for her, whilst also trying to get to grips with new exam boards, friendship groups etc.

As others have said, it is going to be pot luck how much support she gets in transitioning across with the state school on a subject by subject basis. Personally I think it's a gamble.

We have the same situation with our DC, although from some of details that you’ve posted, not the same school. There’s nothing, that I can add to help really, just my solidarity for a really rubbish situation.

Can your DH take a year out to homeschool / support with tutors etc just to get her through her GCSEs? Or does that not work financially?

It might be easier to do that and keep the exam boards consistent than throw everything up in the air.

Apologies if you’ve said this but have you checked the state school has a place for her. It maybe she can’t get a place anyway. I agree with others look at which exams she could sit privately and get a tutor.

I really feel for you, presumably your DH has also lost his job? My gut is saying look closely at the private school, could you DD do a taster day there?

T Grammar? Last year of GCSE is so important. Perhaps you don’t want her using her energy to adapt with a new system or distract her from her preparations. Another Indy is probably more suitable. If the commuting is difficult, have you considered renting a property nearby? Given the renters act, you don’t have to sign long term contracts.

There is another similar thread on same subject. Lots good advice on there too