3 kids in 3 different schools - would you consider it?

[Saffrondoormouse]

Have you had experience of sending your children to more than two different schools at the same time and if so how did you cope?

My kids are 13, 10 and 18 months. Eldest in local secondary, middle one due to go to secondary in 2023 and little one will start nursery in 2023 / primary in 2024.

Middle one has mild SN and although I think he will cope ok in a secondary (with support) i’m also considering a number of other local options with units / Sen specialism that might be a better fit. Some of these are local some are on the other side of my Borough (Barnet).

My main concerns are:

1. coping with all the admin three schools will create - currently find keeping in top of two challenging at time

2. managing the school run - middle child is unlikely to be able to walk home by himself, at least initially, and I don’t like older one walking back I. The winter when dark but I can’t be in three places at once.

3. events clash: parents evenings / concerts etc

4. extra uniform cost - having to buy middle one new blazer tie etc

Would you dismiss a third school out of hand or would it be possible with a lot of juggling?

We found with DDs that one going to mainstream and the other to a unit within a different mainstream actually softened the comparison. Ours was more stark as they are twins, but it was less obvious in direct comparison as different schools do things different ways.

Transport is your first port of call. If you can’t physically get them there it’s not possible, if you can everything else will fall into place I found.

I did it for 4 years, one in one prep, one in another prep and one in state comp, it was absolutely fine. Then went to 2 in the same comp and one in prep. Had one year of 2 in one comp (eldest had left) and about to have one in state comp and one in private sixth form, has never been a problem and have made use of school and public transport