Moving child from yr 5 primary to prep

[mozzarella22]

Hello lovelies, hope you’re having a lovely festive period. I am considering moving my capable, but dyspraxia, boy from an Ofstead Outstanding primary to a prep school for the last term of yr 5 through to end of yr 8. Mainly to avoid the ridiculously competitive 11plus process in SW London and to prepare him for secondary. Anyone done this? Anything I should be mindful of? All thoughts are welcome. Thanks loads.

I work in a prep and this is surprisingly common. The transition usually goes fairly smoothly. Things to consider are the longer days (it’s what the children almost always comment on after a few weeks!) and if you have a Saturday school. Other thing to look at is any differences in curriculum, for us it’s usually children having not previously studied French and Latin. This tends not to be a big problem, they catch up very quickly. However if you have a term before moving it doesn’t hurt to do some basic French vocabulary (counting, colours, animals etc) not to catch them up on the curriculum but to give them a little confidence going into those first lessons.
A lot of schools have sport everyday which most love but it’s not for everyone.

We are also thinking about this so good to hear it's quite common and works ok 😊

Where will they go Year 8?
If on to private then fine but harder if moving to state when everyone else will have started Year 7

Thank you everyone for your contributions.

Atleast - I am thrilled to hear this is common, thank you for sharing that. I have balanced the longer days with the longer holidays point. So far, DS is not buying it :-) And yes, the prep does teach French, Latin AND Greek. Ugh. DS has been getting French lessons at his current school since Yr 2. And yes again - the prep has compulsory rugby which I loath, and don't think DS will like either, but nothing is perfect.

Peach, great to see you are also considering too. I don't know of anyone else who is / has taken this route. I have also posed the same question on the 'Secondary School' thread, so do pop on over to that to read some further insights.

Thanks Comeandhaveago - the plan is to move DS to a private secondary at 13+.

Huge thanks everyone.