Should we move school again?

[Charlie2000]

We moved my dd (yr5)from our local school to a private school as we felt she was not getting enough attention and also I have cancer and we wanted her to have more pastoral support. Her current school has very small classes - there are 5 children in her class but I am concerned that this is too small (4 children have left this year for various reasons). She doesn't get on with one of the girls in her class so she has a very limited range if friends. At the moment she plays a lot with the girls in the year above but I am very conscious that they will leave this year. Our dilemma is whether to leave her where she is or move her to a state school where she would have more children to be friends with. I am concerned that if I move her at the start of year 6 that the girls will have already made solid friendships and will not accept her. On the other hand if she stays where she is she is unlikely to have anyone to go to secondary school with. I don't want to move her now as we have the 11+ here and her current school provides excellent preparation for the exam so I would wait until the start if the next academic year. I am interested in your opinions!

She doesn't need anyone to go to secondary school with . They won't all go to the same place, surely?

Have you asked her what she'd like to do? DD is the same age, and would definitely have an opinion.

Do the school have additional children coming in soon? That really is very small.

Our children were in a school with very small class sizes and TBH it was a bit of an issue - but if it is year 5 and she is doing well academically then leave her where she is.

The only caveat on that is the school financially viable. That class size is so small and with people leaving I do wonder if in effect the school is on path to closing in July?

Thanks for all your responses. MoreBeta - hers is the smallest class in the school, the others have approx 12 so I don't think the school is in danger of closing (hopefully!!). Floggingmolly - they will go to one of two schools ( depends on whether they pass 11+). My eldest has five of her close friends in her form and I would like my youngest to have at least one friend to go with. Offblackeggshell - no new pupils on the horizon unfortunately. She is happy to change schools but also happy to stay although she is concerned about next year and a lack of friends. Do you think girls in the new school would accept her?

I wouldn't move her at the end of year5 unless there has been a major falling out and she had been unhappy for a long period of time. The move at age11 is on the horizon so I would stick with good academic preparation and pastoral care. She might find in yr6 she takes on a role overseeing the play of younger children which fills a gap.

Also remember at that age children are best friends and fall out with each other at the drop of a hat.

Girls seem more prone than boys.

I would only move a reasonably happy Y5 in the circumstances you describe if I were moving her to Y6 of a private school where she would then move into the senior part of that school.