Dilemma re moving schools Yr3

[penny23]

I have a ds currently in yr2, I'm thinking of applying for a place in another school (for when he starts yr3). Reasons for moving him are because it is a better school as he isn't doing very well at the moment. I'm not sure whether this is to do with the split years he has been in. The other school has classes that aren't split year.

The one reason preventing me from applying is the distance. Whereas currently we walk as school is very close, the other school would involve driving. Basically the choice is education or convenience! Convenience is winning at the moment as I am a single working parent, but I feel guilty that I'm not putting his education first!

What are everyones thoughts?

What do you mean by better? Better results? Better attitude to children who struggle?

Can you talk to his Y3 teacher before the summer holidays? If your son is not doing well because of the Y2 teacher then it might be worth sticking t o the current school?

Depends why you think he isn't doing well really. You mention split classes, but, with a good teacher, there is no reason why they don't work as well as non-split. If he's not had a good teacher this year, presumably he would have a different teacher next year, who might work out better. Have your raised any of your concerns with the school - if so, how have they responded to them? If they've swept them under the carpet that would bother me.

I presume you have checked that the other school actually has places? Schools near us are very full for starting year 3 in September - there would be no spaces anywhere if one school hadn't added an extra class.

I'm all for the benefits of local school and local friends (particularly as they get older like your DS) so I would want to be sure what the problem was and that it really couldn't be fixed in the local school before committing to a move.

You really need ot get to the root of your ds' issues first, if indeed he has any. Split classes are unlikely to be the real reason if he is underperforming. Ask what you and school could do to help him ? Does he need an IEP , one-to-one or small group work to boost his literacy and/or numeracy, should you be asking for any sort of assessment or maybe he is actually doing ok but lacks confidence. Until you know this you can't know whether moving will be a positiive step or simply transfer any problems. If he needs a particular strategy or support to help him learn maybe you could try it with his current school first .

I have other children who have been educated in split year classes and they are fine, so I'm not completely against this idea. I have been thinking about this for over a year now and have been gathering my thoughts about things. It believe him to be underachieving but the school think he is ok.

When I have asked for an indication to how he is doing, they seem to wriggle out of answering my questions by just saying he can achieve. His behaviour isn't great and I don't know whether this is affecting his learning. His speech isn't great, I have asked for the teacher to assess him and perhaps he would need speech and language therapy, but this was in April and no one has got back to me about it. It seems that when he is behaving badly they tell me this quite frequently but when he is achieving well or any questions I have I'm not happy with the response or rather lack of it! There is only so much you can take of this, and I am not taking this decision lightly.

That's not to say another school would be any better, although I know the other school very well from other parents whose children go there. There is possibly a place, it's a shame you can't have a trial run!!!!

It doesn't dound like the split years are a problem. Can you ask the teacher if son was assessed? If he wasn't, talk to the head or the SENCO. Often parents have to push things forward and if he needs support, it's better he gets it sooner rather than later.

You could ask your gp to refer you if you think school are dragging their feet .