moving schools mid term

[ESPACE]

We are about to move DS to a new school -BUT he loves his current school, has lots of friends/ A place has come up in a v good state school much much nearer our house so it is an easy choice. We want to walk to school and have younger child we want to go locally too. I'm worried about when to tell him and how to tell him. He is sensitive soul and took ages to settle in school Anyone had experience of this? (He goes after Easter hols, and is nearly 6 - year one)

Offer to buy him a DS?
I don't envy you.

We did it in yr 4 when ds was 8- it was hard. He was ok for 3 days then wobbled for a week. We had to be very harsh, and said there was no longer a place for him at his old school- then he was fine.
Yours is younger.....does he know any children at new school? Has he been for a visit?
I think children are very resilient and adaptable- he can still see old friends (my ds is still best friends with 4 of them and they're all going to secondary school together).
A ds is a good idea.

I have done it- midWEEK in our case with my DD when she was being bullied, but I appreciate that this is a different situation than you are in.
I would tell him as soon as you can so he has time to get used to it. Do you know any children from the new school you could set up a play date with in the holidays?
In our case it was not a problem as DD knew some of the children at the new school from Rainbows and church, and was also extremely unhappy at the old one.

I would say don't present it to him as a choice if it is not one- and just say something like 'oh, what fun, you are going to a new school after Easter!'

Plenty of people move house and their children get over it, just try and be firm and positive about it.

We did this with DD1, 3 years later she went back to the first school, never really settled into state and I was disappointed, spoilt I guess.
Is there no way you can keep him there at all ?

I moved ds from a private school into the local state school in Feb half term last year. I wish I hadn't. He's now back in a different private school as the one he left were crap at phoning me back.

Thanks for the advice. I think we just have to be straight and outline the reasons why we want him and his little brother (in sept) to go to the new school. We have moved house but only a few miles away. Trouble is it is 20 min bus ride + 10 min walk (in London) to old school and new one is a 10 minute walk. I can't face 7 more years of the bus! New school gets rave reviews from everyone I've heard about. I'll try to find some children to meet up with so he can make friends before starting.

We're in the process of doing exactly the same. We're moving 15 mins away, so are moving our Year 1 DD to her new school straight after Easter.

To ease the pain, she is having a leaving party during the easter holidays. To be honest, she is so focussed on her leaving party, that she hasn't really thought too much about the change of schools. We have also portrayed the whole thing as one big adventure, so I think she is quite looking forward to her new school.

Also, I am going to continue keeping her at her current ballet class, so that she will still be in weekly contact with her old school friends. Then it is not quite so final for her, as although she will see them less, her close friends she will still see weekly or fortnightly.

We did this, DS1 half a term short of finishing Y5, then DS2 joined him in the September, into Y4.

We moved house 2 miles away to get into the catchment of a good secondary and wanted the DSs to have local mates who were also going there.

To be honest I initially preferred the old school BUT the DSs are doing well at this new school AND the headmaster who was very good at that last school has just announced he's leaving anyway! AND of DS1's group of 4 good mates, only 2 are going to that catchmented secondary anyway. Nothing is a certain as change.

DS1 is more sensitive and he did have a wobble just before the Xmas which we discussed with his teacher and things all seem OK now, DS2 mucks in anywhere and barely mentions the old school!

I bet that should you decide to keep the DS at his present school, the minute he has an inevitable fallout with his friends you'll wonder why the hell you didn't make the move that actually works for the whole family?!

Good luck with whatever you do!

Despite my fears, my DDs have both been fine with school change mid-year even though they have very different personalities. I think the small, caring school they went to made all the difference.

I work in a school with a lot of forces children, so this happens all the time. TBH, children do find it more difficult moving schools mid-year - I think you realise this, otherwise you wouldn't have started the post. However, there are lots of ways you can make the transition more smooth! Make sure that you know about any clubs at school, and go for them - big time! Investigate the local Beavers / sports clubs that other children go to (you'll have to be willing to interact LOTS in the playground! Perhaps join PTA) Have children your child mentions round to tea (even if friendships don't last). Make absolutely sure that the school is going to set up a buddy system, and that they explain school rules and procedures clearly.

After a holiday is a better time to move than mid-term, as children tend to forget each other a bit when they are spending time with their families, and, between 5 and 7, tend to shift friendship group a little when they get back to school.

Just remember that children are very tough little things - some of ours have been to 4 or 5 schools by the age of 7 and they're still smiling!

Good luck! He'll be fine!