Moving primary schools in Y5/Y6

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Anyone want to tell me about experiences of moving schools in year 6? Good or bad decision?

We have recently moved, but not far, so we could move to a closer school where DS could get to know children in the area before starting secondary. All the schools in the area we have moved to have better KS2 results and same Ofsted score as current school. DS is in Y5 and all the nearby schools are currently full in Y5, so it's a case of waiting to see if a space comes up in one of them, which might happen over the summer. I'm not sure if it's a good idea to move him or not. What do you think?

I wouldn't. Year 6 is the culmination of the time you have spent together, the memories and year books etc I think it would be hard to be new in Y6.

Thank you. Yes it's that vs not knowing anyone in the area or at the start of secondary.

Are there official feeder schools, or is it just distance/admissions area for Secondary schools?

DD had to move schools Easter of Yr5 and it has worked well for her... but she wasn't happy in her old school (which hadn't attended much since we moved not long before Covid). If its a reasonable journey and they are happy, I'd be tempted to leave them... it can be a big upheaval and then again a year later. If its the sort of area with multiple options for Secondary there is a big chance that new friends will go to different schools.

As a child my parents moved and I had to move school
In year 6 . Even as an adult , I still remember how horrible it was . I found it very hard to fit in ( could have just been me ) and didn’t really make any friends until
I started secondary school . I always felt the odd one out .

@Aroundtheworldin80moves it's just the distance and catchment areas. We moved partly to get into a different school catchment.

Ds struggled a lot in Y4 and we thought there was a good chance where we lived before we'd only be offered a large secondary school that has had real difficulties for years and years. I always intended to leave him in the same primary but now I'm feeling worried about him not making local friends by next year. I feel like I've spent months trying to work out the least bad option and whatever we did would be wrong in some way.

Perhaps we will just hang around in the park over the summer and hope there are some friendly kids about

I moved house when I was in Year 6 but stayed at my old school. Easier to start from scratch in Year 7 when lots of people are new.

That said, my DDs school regularly had children joining, including for Year 6 and they all seemed to settle in fine.

I would only move them if unhappy where they are. If it ain't broke don't fix it!

We moved DS for Y6 (3000 miles). We did it then to get into to the right school for secondary.
It wasn't great, compounded by Covid lockdowns and school closures. But long term it was the right thing, and he picked his secondary (2 were likely if we put them first, and a third has a ballot, so we had as much chance as anyone). He was taken on by a group of friends in Y6, but has ditched them all at secondary. I wouldn't move for the Y7 friendship possibility.
DS2 moved for Y4 and has struggled more. Personality plays a big part in how quickly a move can be successful, imo.