Hey everyone,
I moved my daughter at the end of year 1 to a different school and I am suffering with awful guilt/anxiety. Just wanted to kind of get it out of my system and see people's thoughts .
The reason for wanting to move her... Reception was fine, my husband was annoyed that she was coming home with a huge book at the end of the year full of RE work (religious school) and the maths, english and science books ended up less than the RE work put together. I had numerous meetings with the school and then the headteacher as the teacher told me they don't differentiate and she was being held back so much she was losing interest in reading etc. Sending home inappropriate homework. Lots of little niggles which were really frustrating us and weren't resolved sufficiently even after so many meetings. Also my youngest was starting nursery and if she started at that one she couldn't go to breakfast club (too young) which means stuck for childcare and couldn't do drop offs etc whereas she goes to the nursery at the new one and loves it.
We looked at another RE school nearby (she loves faith so it was important to keep consistency) and loved it. It followed all the same values as us and a much smaller school but the teacher was inline with what we would want and how she learns etc. We queried with our daughter how she would feel and she said she was excited and wanted to see it. We therefore took her to view and she loved it and asked to go. Obviously shes too little to make such a huge decision but it helped out decision and so we moved her.
The problem is... she had sooooooo many friends at the other school from the nursery together to the reception to year 1. SHe cried when they gave her so many goodbye cards (expectedly). 3 of them were her "best friends" so she had a sleepover in the summer and then we had them over to ours in the october holidays.
The guilt now... the first few weeks she was happy, talking about school which she never did and then a couple of weeks in mentioned no one plays with her (broke my heart!!!!!) and she said she is happy to play on her own. We had a school parents meeting anyway and i mentioned it and the teacher told me she is so confident and happy and talks to all the children in the class. As weeks have gone on, shes now started to play with them at lunchtimes and breaks and comes home saying "me and X have so much fun together". She is loving the work and has joined an after school club. We are so happy with the teaching and she is so engaged (much more than she was). However, a few days ago i asked who her best friend was and she mentioned the few from her old school. She then said "I think I want to go back to [old school]". she has said it once or twice since. I asked why and she said she misses her friends.
I feel SO guilty, I can't stop thinking about how I've taken her away from her friends that she loved. It is literally eating me up inside. I thought today about moving her back and then realised it would cause havoc then again with youngest and childcare and also how good the school she is at now for her learning and environment etc. Has anyone been through this?? She does have friends and comes out so engaged and excited and skipped out of her afterschool club yesterday rolling about in giggles, but when she mentioned the old school its like a knife piercing my heart! Not sure if it is my own anxiety or not??
Thanks all for listening!!!!