Moving schools in reception - village schools.

[Sweetpea1989]

My daughter is currently at our village school, it has 9 children in reception and there are 3 girls, my DD being one of them.

My DD is such a social outgoing little thing and although she has school based friendships (not the girls) I just don't feel she has a strong bond with anyone.

The neighbouring village has a larger intake in reception with 10 girls and 10 boys and my gut tells me this will be better in the
long run.

She is an only child and we don't have any other little ones in our family, so making sure she is socially supported is important to me.

Academically/ofsted wise they feel very similar.

I'm tying myself up in knots, whereas she seems cool and happy with the idea of moving schools. Has anyone had a similar experience?

I’d move her sooner rather than later. This isn’t a concern that’s going to go away, if anything it will become more difficult as they grow up.

I don't think it's an issue at all moving schools in infants, and probably not in juniors either.

Academically, do they use the same phonics programme? If so, it won't be a hard change for her.
You should find out, if possible, if there are children with high needs in the other cohort. I'm not sure you'd be able to find out, but it is something to consider if some dysregulated behaviours in the other setting are significant. If their staffing model is fine to accommodate the needs of all learners then I'd move her, if it isn't I would not, as 20 children and 1 teacher =lots of relatively unsupervised times, so if a child for whatever reasons is violent etc. Then it would not be a good move.

9 is a tiny class. Not much room if there is a friendship issue as not many others to hang out with. I would talk to the other school straight away.

That's great advice thank you. I know someone who has a child in that class I'm sure they could give their views, I'll ask.

She’s in her first term in reception, she’s not going to have a strong bond with anyone. The idea that they should have a Best Friend is for the birds.

that said, 3 girls is quite small. Our primary has a very small year that has 3 girls and they all get on great. We’ve had other years that have many more girls and it’s a complete disaster. You have to suck it and see, but you haven’t given any reason to move her other than some bonkers idea about a strong bond, so I wouldn’t be in a rush to move if she’s otherwise happy.

9 children in a year group is incredibly small and will be quite stifling in terms of friendships as they move up throughout the school, regardless of the gender split.

I wouldn't be worried about her not being bonded to particular children yet, as 4 is still very young for that sort of intense friendship, but I would be looking to the future and consider moving. The earlier the better. It will be far better for her in the long run to be in a class of 20+. Do the other school definitely have space for her?

The school is highly unlikely to be able to afford to keep a class of 9 running through primary. Do they mix year groups higher up or is your year an anomaly? I'd be worried about a school that small closing, merging or being taken into an academy anyway if in England. Funding is per pupil and there's no way 9 pupils can pay for a teacher.

Does the school with 20 in the class actually have spaces, or is its PAN (published admission) only 20? If the latter, it cannot just accept your DD.

Or have you already been offered a place and are just agonising over whether to accept it?

The new school have said they are full but they would accept her so it's likely to go to the governors with an anticipated good chance of success.

I don't expect her to have hugely bonded relationships today, but thinking about the future and her opportunity worries me.

Current school is mixed year groups. 1&2 3&4 etc. There is only 1 other girl in the year above, not sure on year below final numbers as they are still pre school.