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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

Moved house, place now available at local school, should we move DD?

37 replies

yellowgingham · 22/09/2021 12:14

We relocated over the summer. We moved to a village and the primary school had no places, but DD was offered a space in year 1 at a very good school on the outskirts of the nearest town.

She's generally quite a resilient child although she can be very shy, so we were worried about how she'd settle. However it seems to have gone really well. She's skipped into school happily most days, loves her new teacher, has started talking about some of the new friends she's made, enthusiastic about reading homework etc. We couldn't have asked for more really.

Of course, now I've just found out that a space has come up in year 1 in the village school. It's about a 12 minute walk away, her current school is about a 12 minute drive (maybe a bit more with parking etc). We are making it work with our jobs etc but I do find it a pain. Plus I'm conscious that most of the children at her current school live nearer to the school and worried that she might feel out of the loop in future years.

I'm really torn about moving her again. Her current school is a "better" school on paper (better ofsted rating and SATS results, more active PTA etc although I know that isn't everything) From what I've gathered, the village school is fine but does get mixed reviews. I have met others in the village who have chosen to take their kids to schools elsewhere, although I've also met parents of kids at the village school who are really happy with it. We've never been able to look round it due to covid.

DH thinks she should definitely stay at her current school and we shouldnt rock the boat unless the logistics are completely impractical (they aren't) and if she moves again she'll start to give up on making friends thinking there's no point as she never stays anywhere long-term... I do see his point, especially as she was at another school for her nursery year so this is already her third school in just over 2 years.

It's also not impossible that we may actually move into the town where her current school is, although not for 4 years or so. And we also might stay where we are, which means another 6 years of driving her to school...

Both feed into the same secondary.

Any one been in a similar situation, or have any thoughts or advice?

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NoSquirrels · 22/09/2021 12:22

I was in your position but slightly opposite in that my DC went to a village school 10-15 mins away as no places in the town schools near us.

Do you just have DD1 to consider?

I said after we’d moved them once I wouldn’t do it again, even if a place came up nearer. It was our choice to move house, and not theirs, so I sucked up the inconvenience of the driving school run. It was a fab school so really not too hard a choice.

I’d also say if your DD does activities like Brownies or Scouts or whatever she’ll get to know local village kids anyway and sometimes a bit of separation is rather nice!

The only real downside for us was in later years especially it would have been nice for them to walk home not have to be driven. But otherwise I was happy with the choice not to move again.

Original poster

yellowgingham · 22/09/2021 12:25

@nosquirrels yes, everything you say makes a lot of sense. It's actually exactly what my DH says too!

We also have a younger DD who will start school in 2 years. As things stand she'd get a place on the sibling rule. We wouldn't want them in different schools so she'd go to the same school as DD1.

OP posts:

Theunamedcat · 22/09/2021 12:26

What does dd want to do?

Original poster

yellowgingham · 22/09/2021 12:28

@theunamedcat I haven't asked her. She's only 5 so I'm worried the decision is too big for her to be honest.

She seems happy at her school and doesn't seem too bothered by the drive so I guess she would want to stay.

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RainingYetAgain · 22/09/2021 12:29

Out village had similar scenario with village children being moved to other local and better schools. Then children were bussed in from other villages. It was closed due to falling rolls.
The fact that parents are moving their children or not sending them there in the first place would put me off
I would leave her where she is .We moved house when DS was in reception but sucked up the driving to his school.

RedskyThisNight · 22/09/2021 12:32

So she's been at the new schools for only a couple of weeks?

Move her. That's not long enough for vaguely strong friendships, and you haven't really had long enough to work out whether the school is a good one or not. Plus friendships are really transient at her age anyway.
Why do something you find a pain already for another 6 years? Or actually more if your younger DC goes there too? (or even worse, the school changes their admissions criteria to remove sibling priority and you can't get them in the same school).
Don't ask DD's opinion. She is far too young to want to do more than stay with what she knows. Big up the local school, local friends and walking to school.

halfhope · 22/09/2021 12:36

I'd move her too as long as you are happy with the local school. We had the choice of a very good school near work or another good school near our house so we went for the latter even though the first had a slight edge. Friendship networks close to the house made an enormous difference to our (only) child.

sexesam · 22/09/2021 12:46

Unless you think you would move house again in the next 6 years move her. It will make your lives easier and she will not have made real friends yet. Better to do it now than in 12 months time.

Original poster

yellowgingham · 22/09/2021 12:57

@sexesam that does complicate things a bit as we actually might move into the town where her school is. But not for at least 3 years and more likely 4.

OP posts:

KleineDracheKokosnuss · 22/09/2021 13:06

Leave her where she is. It’s a 12 min drive and you might move closer in 3/4 years anyway. Don’t disrupt her.

WagathaChippy · 22/09/2021 13:13

Agree with leaving her, as she is happy. Also does the current school have 2 or more classes and the village school only 1?

is there rainbows etc in the village or a football or dance club where she can make village friends as well?

NoSquirrels · 22/09/2021 13:15

[quote yellowgingham]@sexesam that does complicate things a bit as we actually might move into the town where her school is. But not for at least 3 years and more likely 4.[/quote]
And at that point, you’d be faced with doing the opposite school run, or moving your youngest (if not both)…

Our decision was easier because a) I knew we wouldn’t move house again so definitely just a primary-school years problem and b) both my DC were already in school, rather than having one started.

If I were you I’d go and look around ASAP before you do anything else. You might find you love it, you might decide it’s not right regardless. I wouldn’t move her to a school I hadn’t looked round and met the headteacher.

WhatsMyNameGonnaBeNow · 22/09/2021 13:18

I’d leave her where she is, especially given it’s possible you’ll move closer to her current school.

In terms of having local friends, well it’s quite early days but given you’ve said other parents have chosen to send their dc elsewhere, isn’t it possible there will be dc from your village at her school? In any case primary age dc tend to be happy to play out locally with whoever’s available really.

I can’t see that she’ll be disadvantaged re friendships by staying where she is, now or in the future given both feed to the same secondary school. I would worry that another change so soon could set her back and with such a short commute I’d want to keep her in the better school.

halfhope · 22/09/2021 13:18

ah, okay. If you do plan to move again then it might not make sense to move dd. We knew that we wouldn't be moving again.

Original poster

yellowgingham · 22/09/2021 13:18

@wagathachippy both schools are a similar size - 2 classes per year group, so average I guess.

She has started ballet in the village which she loves. I've put her on the waiting list for rainbows although it's currently 2 years (!)

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MerryMarigold · 22/09/2021 19:08

I had a similar situation. After we moved my children couldn't get place at local school so they attended half a term at a further school (10-25 mins drive, depending on traffic!). They were in Y2. I moved them as DH thought it best (the local school was outstanding) and I felt like in couldn't face all those years if driving such an unpredictable journey. It was a good decision even though I cried a lot as they, and I were just making friends. In Y6 my DC could walk to school alone and back. They had/ have local friends walking distance, always popping round friends houses. They settled in brilliantly at the time and it didn't seem to have much effect on them...I think she's still really young so go for the local option.

Original poster

yellowgingham · 23/09/2021 09:58

@merrymarigold I suppose the key difference is that your local option was outstanding. In our case, the local school was 'outstanding' for the infants and 'requires improvement' for the juniors (two separate schools which have since merged). I know ofsted isn't everything of course, and the headteacher has changed twice since the last inspection - but maybe that tells its its own story!

On paper her current school is the 'better' one but it's just whether it outweighs the distance and logistical aspect in our specific circumstances. On balance I'm beginning to think we should just keep her there.

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Raera · 23/09/2021 11:13

I would check the admissions policy of her current school to see how far down the list is "out of catchment siblings".
I do appeals and have dealt with siblings not been given a place because catchment children are higher up the list. Numbers change from year to year.

middleager · 23/09/2021 11:34

I'd grab the place in a heartbeat.
After years of school run drives how I wished we could have walked to school.
I'd take proximity every time. School runs go on forever!

MrsArchchancellorRidcully · 23/09/2021 11:43

Personally, I'd send dd to local school. She's make new friends easily at her age. Walking to school independently can be so empowering for them in yr 6. And easier for you!!

Shellfishblastard · 23/09/2021 11:43

I think it depends on the concerns the other parents had and what school is doing to address these concerns.

Ultimately my preference would always to have a primary place closer to home. It makes life so much easier. Friends will be local and she can go out and play with them locally when she is a little older.

Look into the reasons why some kids who live nearby go to the other school instead, then make your decision,

RNBrie · 23/09/2021 11:50

I'd move her. Not because of the quality of the school but the sheer convenience of having a local school, with local friends. She hasn't been at the new school long so it might be a bit bumpy at first but worth it for the next however many years of your life!!

Original poster

yellowgingham · 23/09/2021 12:44

Not currently an issue, all siblings have priority regardless of where they live. I appreciate this could change in the 15 months between now and making the application for DD2. But I don't think the risk of that is significant enough for it to be a big factor in our decision IYSWIM.

OP posts:

Original poster

yellowgingham · 23/09/2021 12:50

I think it depends on the concerns the other parents had and what school is doing to address these concerns.

From what I've heard, it's mostly been about poor behaviour being allowed to disrupt learning. Some people also didn't like the headteacher although I'm not sure why. He was only there for 3 years though and has just retired and a new one has joined, I don't know much about her.

Having said that, I've also spoken to several parents who are happy with the school. So I'm going round in circles a bit!

If local the school seemed "better" we would move her in a heartbeat in spite of the disruption but her current school does seem to be more highly regarded locally for many reasons and she has settled so well there.

The local school has spaces in every year, her current school doesn't have any.

OP posts:

urbanbuddha · 23/09/2021 13:08

Just leave her where she is. She's happy and doing well. It's a bit nuts to consider moving her now for the convenience of the journey if you might be moving again in 3 or 4 years.

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