moving schools in year one - how long did it take for you and your child to settle in?

[Melmagpie]

We might be doing this. It has taken us a couple of years of nursery and reception but we are now very settled in this community and have a good support network. Has anyone moved area at about this stage and managed to get into the community and has their dc settled ok? Everyone says the child will settle - I'm nervous about that but tbh I'm just as nervous about me making mum friends!

We moved house (from a remote Scottish island to Glasgow) between primary 1 & 2 (yR and y1). Dd1 settled in no bother at all. I'm now very good friends with 2 of her friends mums and on great chatty terms with most other folk.

I moved DS to a whole different school when he finished y2. I didn't like the Junior school, so got him enrolled in a church school - not very local, but was en route to work so it was okay for us.

Then in Y5 he moved to a different junior school as wehad moved house a few months prior. This school is very good, and a ten minute walk for him.

When it came time to select high school- he really wanted to sit the test for the grammar, only 3 other children from his year went there - so he was leaving all his friends behind again.

He seems tohave managed quite well. Children are very adaptable, and i think a bit of change can help to make them more confident and able to fit in.

Thanks weegie - how long did it take you? were they welcoming or did you have to break into cliques, ditto your dd? we'd be moving mid year. guess that's worse for settling?

We moved between reception and yr one, but had a whole term of begging and appeals before we got in, so moved DD after Christmas in yr 1.

It took a while TBH. A good year really before I or D was really settled with friends. But we are, and it's good. Glad we didn't leave it later though, as would've been harder still, ESP as they get older so less mums around at the school gate etc, so less chance for you to make friends that way.

Good luck,x

Thank you. We're in a kind of now or never place, and i do have the option to commute the kids long term. Not sure yet but right now feeling like I'd be mad to start again in a new school (not moving miles but way too far to walk to current school.)

any other experiences on this?

well I was moved at primary. It had such an effect on me that I've said I would never move my child unless I had no other choice.

and yet to my parents I probably seemed to settle in fine. it probably didn't help that the school was over a mile walk for us and not the closest as the closest was full. this meant I couldn't see friends after school very easily and it was at a time when we only had one car which probably was the reason why I couldn't go to friends.

That sounds tough MigGril. Hmm guess that's what I'm worrying about.