To change or not to Change

[julieh1968]

Hi all

Using this as a place to chat through my feelings - feel free to pass any comments you wish good or bad.

My daughter is coming to the end of year 3. I have been told since reception that she is a very able child, last years SATs comfortable Level 3, particularly literacy.

This year still doing very well in Literacy 4c reading 3a writing, but has really stood still in Maths, still 3C. I know that Year 3 can be a consolidation year blah blah blah and I'm not necessarily expecting massive progress but......

Her school has just been inspected by Ofsted and the jungle drums are banging very hard that this did not go well (and that may well be an understatement! suspecting Notice to Improve at best).

In addition looking at 2011 SATS results there has been a massive drop over the last few years and whilst I appreciate every year group is different, the % making expected progress was only 53% in English and 73% in maths.

New head at the school, but problems with the deputy (was y6 teacher last two years interestingly!)

I have the opportunity to potentially move my daughter to a better performing school, with the added advantge that the new school would be a feeder for a very well regarded secondary school.

I know my Daughter is currently doing OK but the stats seem to indicate that this may not continue as a lot seem not to fulfil their potential. My concern also is because she is "OK" and not at the struggling end of the scale that she will not be given the help with maths to help her achieve what she could.

Question: Do the long term benefits outweigh the short term disruption if I move her . Discuss

Thanks

"I know that Year 3 can be a consolidation year blah blah blah and I'm not necessarily expecting massive progress but......"

I said something similar to my mother - ex-head of what was acknowledged as the best school in the area by far. She looked at me in horror! Her school was a junior rather than a primary, though, which may make a difference (but really shouldn't).

My dd is similar to yours and I have the same feeling about maths this year as you do. We swapped schools at the end of Y2, so this is in a new school. Part of the issue for me is that because she doesn't have homework, I don't know what she is covering maths-wise and so can't do anything with her. All other subjects come up naturally in conversation, so any leaps of understanding are much easier to spot.

I have to say that swapping schools has been quite hard for dd - she loved her old school and did not want to move. I moved her for social reasons (the new school is less academic in many ways than the old one, and actually was a feeder for a good secondary too). It has been a fabulous move for us, and I am glad we did it.

I wouldn't do it if she is very happy where she is, and if she has good friendships. I might do it if she was very easy socially, happy to move and if the secondary was significantly better than the one she would go to from the old school.

The Ofsted wouldn't figure in my considerations. But I would talk to the teacher and the head about how your dd can continue to progress and be challenged.

Thanks clink clink. It's really a tricky one, she has got some good friends at her current school, but the catchment is very commuter belt so always children coming and going. Equally, she is quite an outgoing child so tends to make friends quite easily, so don't really foresee too much of a settlement problem.
Haven't mentioned to her as yet, but her comment when I mentioned another girl who is going to a new school was "going to a new school is fun".

Have an appointment with the teacher on Thursday and will arrange a meeting with the head after that. I know they will say there will be changes etc.

The deputy head is the subject lead for Literacy and when you think only half of the children reached their expected level in 2011 I find that quite worrying.

I know Ofsted reports should be read with caution, and that the rules have changed but when the stats bear out a lack of achievement you can't really argue. I could accept a low percentage in SATS if they had achieved what was expected but the children clearly showed the capabilities in KS1 sats so what happened in the middle.

I know she probably will still do OK if I leave her where she is, but she could do brilliantly! Add to that the fact that the secondary she would feed to from the new school is outstanding (2012 standard!) and I really am in a dilema (confused)

Is this a primary or a junior? Asking as apparently DS's junior school Y3 staff moan every year about inflated grades coming up from infants school. I think the % making progress has to be taken with a slight pinch of salt - it would be more interesting to see how this breaks down - were lots of borderline children pushed to Level 2 at KS1 that were always going to struggle to meet L4 in KS2?

I would be concerned about your DD's seeming lack of progress in maths - do you know how she was assessed at the start of Y3 (as opposed to end of Y2)? Do her school set for maths? Certainly in DS's school they set for maths and the whole of the top set is working at at least 3a ... (and this is a school that gets very average results and also had pretty rubbish %making progress)

TY redsky at night. It is a primary school. Yes they are setted and until half-term was in top set (and has been throughout school). Got a 3c in test but teachers assessment 3b (got to show progress though!). Clearly not working at the standard the rest of her set were so has been moved to 2nd set. At parents evening in Feb she was a 3c but teacher said expected 3b or 3a by the end of year

It might be worth a meeting with the school head to discuss your concerns. If you tell the head you are thinking of moving schools because of them, i would imagine that they would take your concerns seriously.

When I left our last school, there had been a nagging issue. I think if they had known that it would be a tipping factor in my dd leaving, they would have dealt with it better. So I think that would be worth a shot for you. Tell the head what you are worried about, express your concerns about the SATs results, and ask her how they think your dd can progress well in the school.

You might get a crap response, or a really brilliant one - either way, that might help you make the decision.