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Primary education

Join our Primary Education forum to discuss starting school and helping your child get the most out of it.

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Original poster

Moving schools in year 1 - so worried

21 replies

schoolmoveworrier · 23/07/2021 09:43

Just wondering if anyone can give me any advice or reassurance about this!

We are moving around 40 mins away (nearer to my parents) and so we have to move DS school - i feel absolutely awful about this. He can be emotional at the best of times but many recent isolations have really unsettled him and he's had a hard time coming to terms with "normal" school and not being at home all the time.

He does know that we are moving house "soon" but i cant tell him more than that because we dont have an exchange or completion date and i dont know whether he will go to his new school in September, or he will go into year 1 in his current school and then have to move again.

I just feel awful and really worry about him settling. He usually does make friends easily and goes to a holiday club without any of his school friends and seemed to settle after the first day fine, so maybe i am worrying about nothing but i just wondered if theres anything i should do to make it easier on him?

I am planning on telling him that he will get to spend more time with his grandparents which he will love including them picking him up from school sometimes so there are positives, and i know him seeing them and all my side of the family more will be better in the long run but i am just worried about the big upheaval of school.

Has anyone else done this and it been okay?

Thanks!

OP posts:

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Moonlaserbearwolf · 23/07/2021 09:50

I think being closer to grandparents will be amazing. If he’s fine going to holiday clubs alone (most children wouldn’t be at that age) I reckon he’ll be absolutely fine.

In my experience it’s v common to move schools in Y1/Y2, or even half way through reception. Both of my children started off with around 10 children in their Reception class and by the end of Y2 this had more than doubled. Lots of children move around at this age.

Good luck with your move!

WhenZoomWasJustAnIceLolly · 23/07/2021 10:06

We moved dd in y1. I felt awful about it as she had a friend she was really attached to. However she settled beautifully and kept in touch with the old friend as well as making new ones. She cried on the first day but now really loves it.

Original poster

schoolmoveworrier · 23/07/2021 10:28

thanks both that has reassured me! his holiday club is one run within a nursery so kids of all ages and i think that helped not being the smallest - his new holiday club will be the same as before / after school club so he should have school friends there and a relatives child attends the school and out of school club which is good too.

He loves my parents so it will definitely be good for him to see more of them.

Im hoping he is young enough to just get used to it. and lets face it his first year at school hasnt been great - so maybe next year will be more a taste of what school should be like!

OP posts:

sol7 · 23/07/2021 10:33

I'm a primary teacher. Have taught both key stages. IME the younger the child is, the more quickly they settle. KS1 friendships are very fluid anyway and they tend to be open to new classmates. It's quite common to get new children starting. Last year I had two children leave my class and four join.

Aroundtheworldin80moves · 23/07/2021 10:36

My DDs are currently on their 4th and 5th Primary school (just finished yr3 and yr5).

My experience is that the children at the new school find the new children fascinating and want to be there friend. After a week or so some of these children drift away, but the others are very happy with their new friend.

The parents however can take longer to accept a new child into the circle...

Sign him up for after school clubs like swimming lessons and beavers this helps them find friends as well.

After a few months, everyone forgets they were new!

Original poster

schoolmoveworrier · 23/07/2021 10:40

@sol7

oh wow i didn't realise it was so common to be honest - two children have left DS class this year i think. He hasn't mentioned any new children joining but they may have.

That's really put my mind at ease actually, thank you!

OP posts:

Original poster

schoolmoveworrier · 23/07/2021 10:42

@Aroundtheworldin80moves

My DDs are currently on their 4th and 5th Primary school (just finished yr3 and yr5).

The parents however can take longer to accept a new child into the circle...

Sign him up for after school clubs like swimming lessons and beavers this helps them find friends as well.

After a few months, everyone forgets they were new!

oh wow that's a lot of moves! but again really reassuring. Thank you for the advice about clubs i will definitely look into that!

My friends little boy who is the same age does rugby on a weekend so i was thinking of him joining there as he would know somebody too - albeit not in the same school but someone he will socialise with outside of school quite frequently.

OP posts:

parboil · 23/07/2021 12:02

Hi OP, I work in primary admissions. Kids move ALL the time. I've got kids at my school who are on their fourth or fifth primary school, because of parents' jobs (I'm not saying I necessarily recommend this, but it happens and it's fine). I've got kids who arrive from a totally different culture without a single word of English. And I've got loads of kids who've moved once during primary because their parents relocated. It's almost always absolutely fine, and it's easier the younger they are. I often catch up with parents of new kids a couple of months after they start, and they'll say that their child feels like they've been there for ever. Usually the other children in the class are terribly excited about having a new child and will make a big fuss of them. I'm not saying that there are never ever any teething problems, but the overwhelming likelihood is that your DS will be completely fine.

Musication · 23/07/2021 22:16

Just moved my y1 DS (and my y3). Our move was international and felt like a huge deal to us and they've both been totally fine - settled v quickly. DS is the 5th new child in that class this year so clearly many more have done the same.

Original poster

schoolmoveworrier · 24/07/2021 10:55

Thanks everyone. This has made me feel much better and a lot more confident about moving him. I suspect I will worry more than him!

OP posts:

TeenMinusTests · 24/07/2021 17:47

I don't wish to be a doom-monger, but whatever you do, don't promise him a specific primary school at new location until you actually have a confirmed place there. If it is full, it is full and he'll have to go elsewhere.

Original poster

schoolmoveworrier · 25/07/2021 09:22

@TeenMinusTests

Thank you, I haven't I've just told him 'new school' at the moment and not told him about relatives child etc. They do have places for sept at present if it comes to it we might break our chain and move in with my parents for a couple of weeks or whatever if it's the difference between getting a place or not.

OP posts:

TeenMinusTests · 25/07/2021 09:27

If they have spaces at present, they have to give you a place regardless of where you live. So why not apply now, get the place, and if you aren't in your new address by then commute or stay with your parents.
You don't want to be 'gazumped' by other people over the holidays...

(Assuming of course admissions work over summer holidays)

snoozeytime · 25/07/2021 09:36

Year 1 teacher here. We had 2 new starters in sept then another join us around Oct/nov. All settled in fine. You wouldn't know now except for one getting nervous when we went to the big hall as due to bubbles we have been pretty much only in our classroom! But that's a COVID thing abs a particularly anxious boy and he has still been great all in all. Your son will be fine. And so great to be nearer grandparents!!

Legoninjago1 · 25/07/2021 09:57

Ah he'll likely be grand OP. Teachers are usually great at making new ones feel settled and most kids are excited to have a new friend. Mine moved to a new school for Yr 1 and now going to another for Yr 2! No problem at all. He'll stay at the new one now though I hope!

gogohm · 25/07/2021 09:59

We moved 100 miles so they moved schools in year 1&3. Plenty of kids do. Their class made them a leaving card. Don't overthink it

Original poster

schoolmoveworrier · 25/07/2021 12:53

@TeenMinusTests

If they have spaces at present, they have to give you a place regardless of where you live. So why not apply now, get the place, and if you aren't in your new address by then commute or stay with your parents. You don't want to be 'gazumped' by other people over the holidays...

(Assuming of course admissions work over summer holidays)

I have applied 😀 so hopefully all okay.

OP posts:

SaltySeaAir · 27/07/2021 16:17

I'm sort of in the same position. We moved house, but the new school only have space for my year 4 child. My youngest is going into year one, and next on the waiting list. Until a space comes up though he will have to go to his old school. I'm really hoping a space comes up over the summer!

I'm sure your child will be absolutely fine. If you can start them in September I absolutely would 🙂

AegonT · 31/07/2021 11:59

I was a very nervous child and didn't settle well in reception. I moved twice in year 1 and settled well in the second school which was permanent - I made friends quickly and another new girl joined the class in year 2 and she also settled quickly. In my daughter's year 1 class there's been a couple of new kids and both seem like they were there from the start. My daughter made good friends with one of them.

I have no bad feelings about moving in infant school and really liked my new school. I moved again in secondary school and I remember the difficulties with fitting into my new school well as I was a teenager.

Original poster

schoolmoveworrier · 01/08/2021 10:00

Thank you both. Yeah I wanted to avoid moving him when he's older. I felt the earlier the better so fingers crossed he'll be fine.

OP posts:

Terriah · 02/08/2021 22:14

My DD started a new school in year 1, she was absolutely fine, not fazed at all. She took her teddy the first day, but then made friends quickly and ran off happily after a few days. She barely remembers her old school & old friends now.

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