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To move or not to move!

8 replies

Pippity · 05/04/2012 16:33

Hello. I was recommended trying this board over some issues with my son's school, so apologies for just jumping right in and I hope I am asking this in the right place!

My eldest son is 5, soon to be 6 (end of May) and in Year 1. He is at what was our first choice school - catchment, decent reputation, quite liked it when we visited, etc. However, since joining we have never been overly enamoured with it. Each 'issue' on it's own isn't massive, but there are a lot of niggles and I am less and less convinced that it is the right place for him. He is a bright boy, not genius levels or anything, but certainly well ahead in most ways, particularly reading.

After to-ing and fro-ing last year about moving him we decided to make the best of the situation and keep him there, and I also became a governor at the school in an attempt to throw myself into things! In particular we took the stance that as long as he is happy and engaged that we would keep him there. The other issue is that many of the local schools are over-subscribed and we would be unlikely to get our younger son a place anywhere else when he starts in 2014.

However, this year things have not improved. Quite the opposite really, and whilst our son is still generally happy there he is no longer engaged with much that he does in class, has lost all interest and enthusiasm for reading, 'hates writing', has little concentration or interest in much school related apart from 'playtime and golden time'. He is in a mixed year group class (1/3 of Year 1 and 2/3 of Year 2) and has no behavioural issues or anything, but has made little progress in quite a few areas.

Would you be looking to move him or do you think that lack of interest in school is quite common/something we could overcome ourselves? I feel like we have probably over-thought it all but would welcome other insights and experiences because my head is mixed up!

Thanks in advance.

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
Salskey · 05/04/2012 16:53

You could be writing this thread about my own son (5 in yr 1) not a great deal of progress with writing, numeracy, reading. We think he should be doing more. He loves school when its playtime/golden time. He fondly remembers reception and wishes he could be back there to 'play.' We do extra work at home and he's coming on a treat but the transition from EYFS to NC has been very difficult for him.

Salskey · 05/04/2012 16:55

dh is also a Govenor for the same reasons!

mrsshears · 05/04/2012 17:01

Sorry no help here either but very similair situation,watching with interest too.

Pippity · 05/04/2012 17:54

Sorry to hear there are others with this quandary! Salskey, I have to say, having been a governor for the last year it hasn't done a vast amount to reassure me. The school is well managed in many ways, but does have a very inflated opinion of itself (mainly because it is oversubscribed) and therefore an attitude that they don't need to make a huge effort because the numbers keep on coming.

OP posts:
Pippity · 05/04/2012 17:55

Oh, and where are my manners, thank you for the replies!

OP posts:
IndigoBell · 05/04/2012 18:37

I was unhappy with school. Became a governor. The more I learnt about the school the more unhappy I became.

Eventually I moved all 3 of my kids. I wish I hadn't spent a year deliberating over the decision.

If the school you would like him to go to has a waiting list, then it's easy. Put him on the waiting list and don't make a decision about moving till a place comes up.

Salskey · 06/04/2012 00:54

Your not from the northwest by any chance Pippity? Other parents have spoke of the lack of progress in the class. Ds is happy at school and has a few good friends so it's unlikely we'll move him. I'm hoping the extra work at home will make a difference and he'll catch up soon.

totallypearshaped · 06/04/2012 03:24

No school is perfect Pippity.

I'd leave him there and supplement his education yourselves. All it takes is 10 to 15 minutes a day to go over his reading a story and to do some arithmetic or measuring with him.

There may well be a lot of social elements happening in the class that he and the others need to learn.

Ask his teacher if he could have some extra work, and also ask if he can be moved to sit next to a child who has good self esteem and no behavioural problems.

We had the same problem with our bright DD who I thought academically regressed in reception and then I discovered that quarter of her class are special needs and the rest are in two cliques.

Dd is very happy in the school now that full diagnoses of the sn kids has been made, and teaching assistants have been assigned to those who need them and the cliques has been broken up. (the sn kids have a dedicated teacher in her won room for some subjects, and there were a lot of workshops on being friends with everyone - the teacher also moved them a lot so they didn't get all 'besties' with just a few.

This year the teacher has upped her game also wrt the academic stuff also and is really challenging the bright ones.

If I had moved DD she would have missed that very satisfactory resolution.

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