Moving schools at the end of year 5?

[NicFairy]

We’ve moved to a new area in advance of secondary schools. The local school has places for all 3 children, my younger 2 will definitely move to the new school, but I am unsure what is the best move for my eldest and can see benefits to both.

Their current school is a 20-30 min drive away depending on traffic (Greater London). My DH works from home so could do the local (4 min walk) school run with the younger two whilst I do the longer school run. So him staying at his existing school to finish out Yr 6 is do-able, although a bigger commitment for both parents for the last term of Year 5 and the whole of year 6.

So far he doesn’t seem overly emotional about it either way, although given the choice I’m sure he would pick stay at his existing school because the other option is the unknown. We will visit the new school next week and I’m secretly hoping he will love it and want to move, but also preparing for it to go the other way. He did mention he’d be tempted to move if the new school has better sports options 😂

He has a really nice friendly class at his current school, although he’s friends with lots of people rather than having any very close friendships. Ie, I think he’d quite quickly be able to replicate similar friendships at the new school and wouldn’t miss any old friends in particular. He makes friends easily via bonding over football and gaming.

Bonus of changing schools now would be knowing more people as he makes the transition into secondary school. At least half of the yr 6 cohort at the local school will go to the same secondary school as him. If he stays at his current school, he will be the only child going to his secondary school as we’ve moved area. Plus, I worry that staying at the current school will mean he feels left out once everyone starts talking about what secondary’s they are applying for / going to in year 6, as no one will know the ones he is applying for.

Lastly, the new school is probably better on paper than his current school. Low staff turnover VS high staff turnover. Huge playing field VS small concrete playground. Better after school club options, bigger emphasis on sports, huge music department VS nothing at the current school. It’s definitely the right move for my younger two (reception and year 3), just feel bad about moving my eldest in his final year when he’s quite settled and happy at school.

I also have a toddler who would need to come on most of these long school runs with me on the 3 days per week that they aren’t with their childminder. This is a spanner in the works as I don’t think a whole year of disrupted afternoon naps would be good for them (or my sanity!)

What would you do?

I would keep him at current school for rest of this academic year. September is a better time to change if you have the option and won't lose the place by delaying.

If he will be going to secondary with his current peers then do whatever works for you all in terms of the journey for Year 6. If he's happy and settled he will likely happily settle at the new school.

If he won't go to secondary with his classmates, I'd be inclined to move him in September so he can move up with friends from his new peer-group.

@CloudyGladys he won’t be going to secondary with any of his current peers.

Why is Sept a better time to change schools? Start of a new curriculum? I was thinking the opposite, that moving now would give him time to adjust before yr 6, so he’s fully used to the new school when his final year starts. This has been such a weird interrupted school year, I’m wondering whether it’s better to have one final interruption in year 5 then hopefully 🤞 an uninterrupted year 6. He is a very capable learner and very academic, so I don’t think he will struggle much to adjust to any new ways of learning, and his current teacher thinks he will be fine in a new setting.

I would have to check if the new school would be willing to hold the place until Sept. There technically isn’t a place, they’ve agreed to go over numbers in year 5 in order that all 3 children could get places in the local school.

I would change schools now x

Move him now. Lots of children move within the school year, for lots of different reasons, and a good school will help him settle in whenever he starts. There's no advantage to waiting until September.

Move him. Time to establish friends and settle in new school before secondary. Only one school admin to deal with.

I’d move him, mostly because of the secondary school transition. I’d have hated not knowing anyone when I moved to secondary, it would have been pretty lonely & scary 🙈 While I didn’t particularly like anyone in my form from junior school, I swiftly fell back on my friends from junior school at break & lunch for the initial few weeks. New friends were made & old ones lost but my best mates in high school included 3 from my junior school. We are still friends aged 31 😊

It sounds like he’s quite easy going, I’m sure it’ll be a positive move for all of you!

I'd change schools now. Let him make some new bonds before summer holidays and starting Year 6. Hopefully he can make some friends he can game with and do summer sports clubs and things with from new school this summer.

I would also move him, at May half term if possible.

We've just moved, with Yr3&5 Children. 50miles, so no way I could get them to old school. Started new school on Wednesday (after a stressful few days, we were originally told there was no space in Yr5 in any nearby school, but might be space a few miles away in an an Inadequate rated school... Luckily it was an error!)

Early indicators are they are settling in well. Lots of new friends.
We partly moved for Secondary schools. Its a feeder for the local good Secondary. She will now go to Secondary with her new friends. She goes to local clubs with her new friends. She will see hopefully see them after school etc.

@albairlanda that’s a good point I hadn’t thought of. Could be a lonely summer for him in a new area without any of his mates close by if we don’t change his school now.

Thanks for the replies. Seems most of you are thinking along the same lines as me. He is really easy going and pragmatic so I think he would be OK with a change of schools. If he were desperate to stay at his current school I would consider it, but I’m not getting that feeling from him yet. Will see how he feels after we’ve visited the new potential school next week.

I moved my daughter in year 5. I was really nervous about this. She's done fine even with lockdown and now she will know many more kids at secondary school.

......oh....and all kids in one school is so much easier. (I only got 1 local space to start with so as doing 2 school runs and using breakfast and after school club for 1 and it was tough).

I’d move now. Summer term is great fun, gives him a decent chance to make new friends ahead of the summer hols and kids have a short memory so by sept/year 6 he won’t seem like the “new kid” not to mention the fact that this school seems better and it is logistically easier. It is the right thing to do for him, and for the family practicalities which are an added bonus.

Another vote for moving him now (ASAP) if he is happy with that.

As others say, if he moves now he’ll spend the summer term (usually the most relaxed) term finding his feet and making friends, then he will have local friends over the summer.

I’d definitely suggest making real efforts to get him to know some of the secondary school group, even if you decide to keep him in his old school. IME, kids at secondary treat newbies as easy targets whereas in primary they are the popular kid that everyone wants to know!

I'd also say move him. I know children will make friends at secondary regardless, but it is easier to go up knowing a chunk of the cohort. I also think it will benefit him to have local friends now - he can be meeting them independently during evening/weekends/holidays. Presumably his current school friends are too far away to spontaneously meet?

The culture in Year 6 is really inclusive and friends inevitably make the journey to secondary together. I would make the move now.

Move now. Definately