We moved out daughter in year, got the thumbs up for the place, but had to accept the place within two weeks... So, bless her, she started July 1st, only three weeks before the end of Year One.
It worked out brilliantly, on all levels.
Firstly, not having that long summer of 'are we doing the right thing' really paid off for us all. She was happy to move when she did. She completely took it in her stride. We were and are unbelieveably proud of her. We visited a few times, and the new school has a fab park behind it, so we bigged that up loads... And how pretty it was etc...
We kept having a couple of play dates with just a couple of her old school friends, once a week we saw them. One friend one week and the other friend the next week. We kept on reassuring her that these friends would be her weekend friends. That really helped her I think. It reassured her that she still had her weekends. I began inviting her new friends over, in the September, start of Year Two.... We also held a fab Halloween party for her class. That really helped, massively. So, we had play dates with old friends, and play dates with new friends.
Straight away, she began saying that she loved her new school, but she missed her old school friends. Then realised that she would still have them as weekend friends, so she was reassured.
Over time, the old school play dates began tailing off.. Not intentional, it just began to slow down a but. We are nearly a year on from her school move, and we see one of the old school friends once a month, at the weekend. She has moved on from her really, but they still love seeing each other and play nicely.
She has made some lovely friends, and funnily enough, two new kids have joined her class since she has joined, (emigration apparently), so shes no longer the new girl. She just slotted in nicely to a lovely class.
I have to say, that everything is nicer about this school. This school was my dream school.... And we're living the dream. It's not private, but it's a great school. And we're so so soooo happy. Especially my daughter. She has grown in confidence and hops skips and jumps into school each day.
The school offered a buddy system when she started, and that worked brilliantly, so she always had someone to play with in those first few weeks. They're still friends, but she has made more friends now.
Our middle daughter is going to the school this September. She is currently in the school's pre school. And both my daughters see each other playing in the playground everyday. Bloody brilliant. Soooooo worth the move.
And my little boy, has his name down at the pre school too.
So, one school move, bless her, on my older daughter's head,... If that makes sense. And she did it, and got through it, and very quickly, loved it. One happy older daughter, very very relieved parents, and the rest of the family have all got their futures mapped out.
Perfik! Go for it!