School advice

[PrettyTiger]

DD goes to a school thats 30 minutes walk away, or a bus ride away (we usually take the bus as it’s a very hilly walk with lots of hills to walk up and down) there is a school literally on our road that is about a 3 minute walk. I want to change her school to that one but she doesn’t want to move schools, would you change it anyway? Would make life so much easier. (She is 9) Didnt initially apply for the school shes at it was the only one that had space when I first moved round here for my children but the others have left the school how so just her there. I know it might not seem far but it is an extra half hour onto the morning when we have a school literally at the end of our road.

Make life easier for who? You or her? From year 5 she will be able to walk on her own so no more school runs and she is happy and settled. Leave her.

There’s absolutely no chance I would be allowing her to walk on her own!

If she is happy and settled make allowances for the extra time or buddy her with someone going to the same school of they live nearby too?.

No one from the school lives up here we do not see anyone from her school and her class mates live on the estate that the school is on

No I wouldn't. What if she's unhappy in the new school?. I'd stick it out til she leaves the school.

No I wouldn’t move her. She’s not there much longer and she’s happy.

It seems very selfish to put a child through all the upheaval and stress of leaving her school and trying to fit into a new one against her will just to save you some walking.

If the walk was ok before, it will be ok for another couple of years before she leaves naturally.

Move her after the new term has started? That seems very unfair and disruptive.

As explained we get the bus usually and it would be another 2 years which is a long time

If she’s y5, settled and happy then leave her be. It’s hardly a million miles away and will be done in 2 years.

The only reason I would change at this late stage is if she was miserable/bullied, or if the closer school gave some advantage in terms of getting into the preferred secondary school (some of the schools here are part of the same trust and give priority to those pupils).

You can’t start messing her around for your own convenience. That’s just not fair.

God no! She’ll have lots of friends and going into a new school wherrr she doesn’t know anyone is just cruel unless it’s necessary. Why don’t you learn to drive instead?

not able to

Looking ahead... will she get to go to Secondary with her current friends?

How long has she been at this school?

I would avoid moving her if she's happy and settled just to avoid a bus journey. Uprooting a child to make your life slightly logistically easier doesn't seem like a good trade-off.

Could she do the bus journey alone from year 6? Perhaps if you waited with her at the bus stop and put her on the bus?

She has a couple of friends I wouldn’t say loads.

She is going to the local one 3 minutes walk away

She will not be getting on the bus alone no.

I don't understand why you're so against her getting the bus alone? It seems like a no brainer and an easy way to solve the problem?

I wouldn't be moving her. She's settled and happy that's not guaranteed at the other school.

That's what I was thinking. If OP was serious about moving schools, then this decision should have been made before the end of the last academic year. So she could have a fresh start from September. Deciding to move after just a few weeks of the new term is ridiculous.

Rough area

That doesn't answer the question. Will her current friends also go to the local one 3 minutes walk away?

If her friends at her current school are all going to a different secondary school I would consider moving her now. If not then I'd leave her where she is and let her get the bus to school herself. If she's happier doing the longer journey I don't see what difference it makes to you.

I don’t know where they are going but she is going to the one right next to us.

I thought the school next to you was a primary school?

You mention there was no space in the closer school when you moved there. Does that mean she's already on her second Primary school? If so I wouldn't move her again, although I can sympathise with the temptation given logistics.

Well that’s on you then. You are putting your own convenience over your daughter but being stubborn about changing the way you do things. Loads of kids go to school on their own if their parents can’t (or won’t like your case) accompany them.