is it a london thing?

[mamadou]

My DS started reception in September and since then 5 children have left the school and 2 have started. Currently there are 27 kids in his class of 30. I know that there is a waiting list to get in, as I met another mum over the half term who told me her son is now 4th on it. The school does very well - has a good ofsted report and our experience has been very positive,so this is in no way a complaint. But it just didn't happen in my day! - lol. I didn't go to school in London and wondered if it is a city thing, or have times changed, so much that this amount of movement is normal in reception? It does seem like a lot to me. Does it vary from school to school, or is London like this?

I'm not sure it's a London thing - except that families with young children tend to be v mobile. Also, people move house to get older siblings nto good secondaries, or in reception spaces becoma available as peope move to a school they were on the waiting list for.

In ds's London sought after primary there was a lot of movement in Reception, but much less as the years have gone on. Less than one place a year.

It's the reason people shouldn't give up hope when on a waiting list!

Lots of moving in and out at my children's school. They have to learn pretty quickly that their friends may well disappear. Worst was ds1 in about year 2 where around 7 of his friends moved out of London. There will probably be a new child in all my children's classes at the beginning of each term. We've found, though, that there is a hard core who are there from nursery and reception and stay all the way up the school, with lots of movement outside this.

Iris - I am hoping that there will be a core that stays put. I know DS is not bothered about it at the moment, as it's early days. But if he starts losing close friends that will be sad and I guess he will have to be like your ds and learn that friends disappear :(

As you say Blu - it is good for those on waiting lists. I know that reasons for moving will be plentiful and I understand it, but I just hadn't anticipated so much, so soon.

We live at a commutable distance from London and yes, there has always been a lot of movement at DC's prep school.

Parents are often posted abroad leaving spaces. And children arrive from state school taking those places (so presumably lfte places at their previous school).

I thought it odd too...but the world is far more mobile these days. I think this is simply a reflection of it.