How long would you struggle with .....

[cba]

school fees before you started to look elsewhere. Has anyone else done this took their children out of independent school for this reason and if so how did it go.

one child currently in year one moving into year two in september, the other child moving into reception in september.

I wouldnt have one child at an independent school and the other at a state school.

tbh if you are going ot have to do it I'd do it sooner rather than later given your children's ages. Friendships and school routines are much harder to break when they reach 8/9+ Could you start the younger one in Reception at state school this Septmeber and move the other for Year 3 (a more natural changing point). I know you say you wouldn't ideally want them in separate places but for the sake of one year and possibly making the transition easier it may be feasible. If this is a temporary blip finacially are there any bursaries available , possibly from Year 3 , which might enable you to keep them there ? Presumably you'd have to give a terms notice or fees in lieu at this stage anyway.

yes, you have to give a terms notice. My husbands business is having difficulties and although he says it should be better by the end of the year, we have already been struggling for six months.

I just dont want years of the worry, are we going to make the school fees. We always do, but is it worth the stress I feel because of it.

Certainly I would look at the alternatives if it really was a struggle. You do need to look at what spaces are available at alternative schools though - Looking at the schools that have spaces left locally I think that I would be looking to make additional sacrifices elsewhere but in reality waiting lists often change (especially at this time of year). At eklast if you do look you know what your options are and can get on a waiting list somewhere else - by the times spaces come up you may know more anyway?

Ime if you are struggling on one set of fee, the 2 really is quite a burden.

Will you get a LEA Nursery grant to ffset the fees for the younger one, for a term or so ?

We are already paying two sets of fees as the other child is at nursery so additional money is not a great deal from what we pay now.

Has anyone experienced this type of move?

Yes, we did when DDs were in Reception and Year 4, right in the middle of the year. Would have been better to have waited until the start of the new school year but didn't want to lose the places. No regrets but have to admit we've gone back to independent for secondary.

gg, did your daughter who was in reception half way through, settle into her new school ok. What about your dd in year 4 was she also ok. Did your youngest then spend her whole primary years at state then move back to independent, were they ok with the entrance exams? Sorry for all the questions.

We did and we regret it and want to move her back to independent asap, as we have big concerns about the work she is doing in the state school -- they seem to have let her drift. Although only one set of fees to pay so does make a difference! Good luck anyway whatever you do.

slondonmum, what year was your daughter in when you took her out, did she settle ok. I also have concerns that my eldest might drift, not so sure about the youngest as he tends to get in amongst things really.

Hi cba she was year three ie started at the state school in Y3. She did settle fine; has a nice bunch of friends, but isn't being stretched most of the time. She also wasn't finishing her work (has never had this problem before) and no-one thought to tell us about it until a parents evening! She is also doing maths that is far too easy for her (they stuck her in the middle set). I think it depends on the child -- if they're superbright,or conversely,need extra help they'll be fine in state schools. That said, you can get round it, if you can't (or don't want to) afford to pay for private. You just have to accept that you have to compensate at home. Doesn't have to be formal learning; could just be discussing what you're reading together. But you do have to put more in, and you can't rely on the school to do it. If I was keeping her in the state school, I would certainly do some extra classes outside school (eg at "Explore Learning" centres, or similar). And some things the state school does are excellent eg. the music and sport.

My best friend did that with her ds half way thro Year 1. He has setteld in well and has some good friends but workwise is well ahead of the others - teachers are not stretching him and he is coasting ATM

I'll be doing that soon. DS went to state schools but, when DD1 was young she didn't like her nursery, so I went searching for another. The nearby private school had just opened one & DD1 loved it & moved onto their Kindergarten (= state nursery year). When DD2 came along, she went to their nursery as well, but we decided to move home so I kept DD1 at the school for Reception to avoid putting her into a local state school for a year & then moving her to another one. DD2 is starting Kindergarten this year & I know now is the time to make the break back to state schools, so DD is changing schools in September (Year 1). She's very shy so I'm worried about her being so shy in her new school that they don't realise how much she knows & put her into the wrong groups for reading & maths. She's learnt so much in her current school & I don't want it to go to waste. She's so shy that they may not even realise she can read quite well for her age. Other than that, I think it'll help her become less shy if she's in a bigger class. She's very social once she warms to the other children/people.

Yes they also put her on books that were too easy for her. But they did quickly realise that she needed to go up. Although she still officially isn't on 'free reading', despite ploughing through the likes of Jacqueline Wilson and the Roman mystery books at home. As for the maths, I think if I wasn't planning to move her, I would go and make a fuss and ask for her to go up. She says she's often a bit bored in maths lessons, which isn't right. It depends on the nature of your child, I think, mine, like yours Sammy3 is quite quiet and if she's put doing something she finds too easy, won't always say. In the smaller classes you get in independent schools, they have more time to make sure she is challenged. But obviously you pay for this,and it's expensive!!!

yes, I agree with you slondon and sammy, my son probably wouldnt say anything if his work wasnt challenging him. Also he does like to daydream and feel that he may get left to his own devices a little something he cant do at present.

He is also a good reader, on free readers and reads authors such as Dick King Smith, Dahl etc. and worry about this too.

DD1's teacher said she's going to stress in her report to the new school that she's a shy, quiet child but that her reading is very good, because she has the same concerns as me. I'm hoping this will help. It's probably better coming from her current teacher than me, since I'm sure schools are so used to pushy parents that they lump us all into that category.

Have you looked into the local schools? Please let me know how you get on.

hi sammy3, i think we are going to be ok. we are carrying on as normal things might be a little tight for a while, with holidays etc.. but i dont mind that. I have just been for ds2 uniform today. Will just have to see how things go. I think if things were really tough in one year when ds1 was approaching year 3 then will rethink.

I hope your dd will be ok in new school. please keep me posted

DD1 has settled in well at her new school. The class is 4 times the size of her class at the private school, but she's adjusted remarkably well for a shy child. I think it's helped by the teachers & children being so nice. Her teacher started her on a reading level that was too easy for her, but she's back on a scheme that's at her level now. I have no idea what they're doing in numeracy but there's an open day at her class soon so I might find out.

PLEASE don't assume that the standards will necessarily be lower in a state school. Or that a state school teacher couldn't accurately assess and deal with a sensitive and shy child. Remember - over 90% of the children in the country go to state schools! I think it's easy soemtimes to forget that!

I would never struggle with school fees .. is life really worth that?

particularly not at primary age ... send them to a good state school .. it will do them good to mix with a range of children who live in their neighbourhood, to see that not everyone has the same privileges and state schools are bloody good IMO

I wasn't worried about the standards in state schools. I was concerned that her shy nature would make her disappear in a class of 30 kids. I have had a bad experience with DS' school, but it hasn't made me lose faith with state schools.

Twiglet please don't assume that state schools are 'bloody good'. Our local village school has just had the most awful Ofsted report - all 4's. Needless to say we will be moving our children out of state to private - you only get one shot at education- it will be too late when they are in secondary and possibly struggling becuase they went to a failing state school.

I didn't assume that .. which why I said send her to 'a good state school' .. sorry your school is doing so badly .. a good head can turn it around