moving schools locally - thoughts?

[lithemind]

Hi all, I'm very excited but also very nervous about the following weeks and wanted to get people's views... To make a long story short, my DD is in Yr 2 in a local Catholic school and - after being for 2 years on the local community school wait list - we were finally offered a place last Friday, out of the blue. When we moved to the area we missed the Jan 15 cut-off point and the only local school place available to her was in the Catholic school, which luckily was walking distance.

Now, I'm very clear on my reasons for moving her -- I'm totally against state funded faith schools and her current school is 'very Catholic' (prayer 3x day, going to mass often, weekly hymn class, etc). The community school is closer than the Catholic school, a 5-min walk and also on my way to the train station, it's an outstanding school with better facilities, more extracurricular activities, and better results, better Ofsted etc. I've visited the school and loved it, we have some friends whose kids go there etc.

The issue is, I'm really scared that the move will be stressful for my DD and not sure how I can help her go through this. We've always talked about moving to the new school when a place became available, but now that I told her she seemed excited at the beginning, but then asked me 'why do we have to move schools' - I tried to explain it to her best I could but I'm not sure she understood and I sensed that she was worried.

Now, we will stay in touch with 2-3 girls from the old school as we live close and they are good friends. However, my plan was also to keep using the afterschool program at her old Catholic school -- it's on the school premises but not offered by the school itself, and my DD loves it. Is this a bad idea, should I be considering other childcare options and 'cut the ties' with the old school, would that make her transfer 'easier'? or perhaps it will be the other way around - she will like the fact that she is still connected to the old school in some ways. These 2 schools are v close to each other.

Sorry for the long rant and thanks to all who can spare some time to offer their views.

ps. I have not officially accepted the new school place yet, we are visiting the new school today, meeting with the new headteacher. I did, however, tell her current teacher, as my DD was eager to tell her friends at school...

Unless there is a better ASC on site at her new school, I can't see any harm in her carrying on at the old ASC if they pick up from her new school. You could always swop later? Is there any difference in provision? Ours offers a hot meal option. The other local one picks up from 3 schools and has longer hours but no food for example

Ds moved between local schools - although he was slightly older at y4. I insisted that he was shown round the school before we officially made the choice - during school hours so he could get a feel for it. It really helped the new school feel real to him - and he was able to see stuff he liked/hear about things he would enjoy. If you possibly can, see if you can fit that in before you make the choice. Ds was very unsure before the tour, but much more excited afterwards. We did also tell him to give the new school half a term if he wasn't sure about it, but that if he don't like it, then we could talk again. One week in, he was raving about the school to anyone who would listen!

Does yor dd know any kids at the new school? We also organised some quick play dates, and for one specific friend to meet him at the school gates and walk in with him

Thanks there's no afterschool provision at the new school and yes she will be picked up... there are some children from the new school currently attending the ASC at the Catholic school.

I'm more worried about the emotional aspects rather than practical ones...

@nobutreally: thank you, we are going for a school visit this afternoon during school hours, the headteacher will give us a school tour. We've actually visited the school when she was in Reception but the headteacher retired since.

Yes we know some kids from the new school, in fact one of my DDs best friends has just started in Reception at the new school. There are also some neighbours who go there, and some girls she went to afterschool clubs and childminders with... so it's not all unknown for us, but I'm still worried,

The playdates idea is very good, I'll try and organize something.

My DD seems very excited for now, however not sure how she'll be after today, she went to school and told her school friends she was leaving, and I told her class teacher. There was no way to keep it to herself...

lithemind:

We moved DD2 from CofE faith school to nearer local school in Y4 (whilst elder sister in Y6 stayed on at CofE school because of wonderful circle of friends).

We've never regretted it. Everyone was aghast that we were moving DD2 - and some friends warned that she wouldn't be accepted - but she's got a lovely group of friends and is regularly invited to friends parties or play dates.

My advice is make the move - it suits your life/ commute/ values - but do try to expend a bit of energy smoothing the settling in process:

join a few after school clubs

continue to learn an instrument (if your child is musical) - we insisted this was really important - it was the only thing DD2 liked about her previous school and to be fair the new school made it happen and fitted her into their tight music schedule. We did have the advantage of having the same teacher for the new school & DD2 had just done exceptionally well on an exam & was in area orchestra.

organise a great birthday party & invite as many kids as you can. Helps you meet other parents.

keep ties with friends from old school - they may meet up again at secondary so it's worth it.

HTH

Thank you!

I've since accepted the place officially, did the school tour, met the headteacher and the class teacher and TA, bought uniform, got in touch with the new class reps, also sorted out extracurricular activities at the new school (she'll continue to do piano, same organization is offering the classes at both schools, then we might take computer or French, there's a singing club that's free.. etc).

Took thank you cards and a bouquet of flowers today to the old school, and some sweets for the kids. She is saying good bye today to her old classmates and is starting tomorrow - the new school wanted us to start as early as possible but I requested one day for her to say good bye. Spoke with the mums of her old best friends and we will organize some play dates in half term.

Unfortunately her birthday isn't until August so for now we hope to get some invites.

I can't believe how fast it all happened... I now have to decide whether to use the afterschool club at her old school going forward.