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Parenting

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Should we move our DS to another school?

4 replies

MummingItByTheSea · 21/10/2025 14:35

Hi all,

Looking for some advice or perspective please — we’re really torn about what’s best for our DS5.

Our DS started P1 at a fairly small Catholic school in August. We chose it mainly for faith reasons, but also because it has smaller class sizes and (from what we’d heard and seen) slightly higher educational standards compared to the local non-denominational school.

However, he’s now in his second term and while he enjoys the learning side and for the most part is happy at the school, he’s been struggling socially with his classmates. He has said a few times that he doesn’t like his school because most of his nursery friends (and all of his closest ones) went to the non-denominational primary school. It seems while he gets along with his classmates, he hasn’t found his ‘person’ and he’s mentioned feeling lonely at times. He’s an incredibly sociable boy with lot’s of friends and now we’re starting to wonder if we’ve made the wrong call, as we’re concerned this will impact on his learning and overall happiness.

We’re now debating whether to move him to the other school where all his close friends are, or whether that would just cause more disruption in the long run. He’s still only 5, and part of me thinks he could find his feet where he is if we give it more time — but it’s hard seeing him unhappy and lonely.

Has anyone been through something similar? Would you move schools at this stage or wait it out a bit longer?

OP posts:
Superscientist · 21/10/2025 15:25

Give him a bit longer and try to arrange some low key socialising with some of the other kids. My daughter started reception last year and during the second term we had tears most days that she didn't want to go to school because she had no friends and would get upset that the boy she was friends with at nursery had found other friends.
I was made redundant so we started walking home with kids in her class that live near us. I got to know the parents first walking back from school, previously I drop her off and the dash home but a more leisurely walk back let us find both find a tribe at school. We started twice weekly trips to the park and occasional day trips over the school holidays. She has now got a close group of friends and is enjoying going to school.

I'd look to see if there was anyone nearby to do something with outside of school. We had quite a few parties in the first terms and that was good to find out about where the other children lived and for me to see kids that I think she would get on with. She's in a class of 30 and I'd say there's 6 or 7 that she's friendly and that I can contact for playdates in the weekends or holidays or to join at after school clubs. She does squirrels (scouts) with one of friends and football on a Saturday with another.

hopspot · 21/10/2025 16:33

I’d move him. Happiness and friends are the most inportant thing I have experienced. When children are happy at school they will learn.

hopspot · 21/10/2025 16:33

I’d move him. Happiness and friends are the most inportant thing I have experienced. When children are happy at school they will learn.

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Tiswa · 21/10/2025 16:34

I would move to be honest it doesn’t sound the right fit

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