Families are leaving our primary school. What can we do?

[Gruffalowings]

Does anybody have any experience of significant numbers of families leaving a primary school? And is there anything we remaining parents can do about it?

It seems that 10% of our year group left at the end of this term (to neighbouring schools), and I think there are others to follow.

It is two-form entry. Gets very good results - the best in the area. Is long-established in the community.

I am feeling a bit shocked about the movement. Is there anything those of us remaining can do to support the school community?

Yes sadly. I work for Southwark and schools are closing because of falling numbers. Normal families can’t afford to live in the area so they have to move out of London. Also we have a falling birth rate.

@Aprilrainagainagain is it true that Southwark have pledged not to close any more primary schools in the foreseeable future?

You don’t make clear if it’s private or state?

It’s a state school. And no one is leaving for the independent sector.

is it true that Southwark have pledged not to close any more primary schools in the foreseeable future

I can't see how they can promise that.

We had this at my dc’s primary school. In DS’s class, 8 children left between end of Reception and Year 3. In a school where people pay inflated house prices to get in the door. Fast forward 3 years, not one child from DD’s class left between Reception and Year 6. I think both of those situations are a little odd but neither impacted my own dc.

Lots of left our school. It's lacklustre and has many SEN children and unfortunately many are violent. I would say of the 60 kids who started around 8 to 10 have left.

Oh and with the falling birth rate, it is much easier to move schools now as a fair percentage of schools will have vacancies at any one time. Southwark does seem to be particularly badly hit by falling birth rate, cost of living and visa changes from what I hear.

Well that's short sighted, unless you know why people are leaving you can't do anything to stop it. Easier to retain what you have, rather than attract new people. Also parents talk, so if people are leaving for a reason others will think there's something wrong with the school (and maybe there is as you don't seem to have an idea what's going on)

Yes most people don’t change schools on a whim, there will be a reason! Is it certain year groups particularly plus their siblings, mostly boys or girls? I know of one primary which lost 10% of children and 80% of the staff, turned out the head was a dick to children and adults.

I’m not the headteacher @Isitreallysohard !

Erm no, but if you're genuinely concerned there's nothing to stop you being proactive rather than passive and "hoping for the best" 🤷🏻‍♀️

You’ve nothing to lose by asking these parents or their friends why they left.

My kids are at a very good school, in London, and people who leave tend to be moving out. But the people replacing them are often upsizing locally or living nearby but just out of catchment/distance admitted and move to ours from other local schools which are fine but not seen as as high achieving or well resourced.

I am having some conversations with both those who are leaving and those who are staying, but one of the things that I do value about our school is that we are not gossips and we don’t spread negativity as a parent group.

You can do a lot of damage to a school and your children’s perception of their school if you fan the flames of dissatisfaction.

No need to gossip, just ask those families (ideally) or their friends - "I'm getting a bit disconcerted by x number families leaving at the end of this year. If it's not too personal to share, could I ask why Bob left?"

Would that be gossip, to you?

This is happening at our school. It isn't in a great area, lots of challenges in the local community, but it's a truly wonderful school with great teaching, a nurturing pastoral and send team and gets great results. Outstanding Ofsted. Kids leaving in droves, all due to the local secondary. Secondary is awful, behaviour is a disaster and getting worse. Parents leaving to go to other primaries that feed into better schools. Pretty heartbreaking and nothing the school can do.

A few years ago we were one of 12 families in a year group of 30ish who left the school. Everyone left for reasons specific to their child but there was certainly a feeling of “you’re leaving so actually I will too”. In my child’s case, he had been bullied horrendously for 3 years. There was a significant problem in the school with bullying and favouritism, and the bully was a favourite. The final straw was when my child was suspended for an incident that hadn’t actually happened and was fabricated by the bully. We told the headteacher that our child was leaving because the school couldn’t keep him safe, which was entirely true. Others left for a variety of other reasons, which the school had failed to address.

A school near us gets extremely good results... but lots of people aren't happy with how its being achieved. They are wanting go love for a healthier environment.

We are in S London. On the face of it, its a good school. Oversubscribed and in a good area. I am seriously considering moving DTs (just finished reception). Another child left mid year. I dislike the (newish) headteacher, as do many other parents.

PS interestingly, 3 out of 4 reception teachers left this year (all 3 from our class…).

We removed one of our children from their school last year for home education. Not because we wanted to home educate. But after a serious incident enough was enough.

we was the second family in a week to leave after Easter. By May half term a large percentage of year 5 had also left.

we had serious safeguarding concerns after a serious head injury the school left untreated. (Skull fracture)

this was the tipping of the iceberg after numerous complaints about staff, SEN, LADO complaints. The leadership team all left the Christmas prior suddently after it came to light that the children were using a public field at lunch time with no supervision. Then a new leadership team took over.

comments from the SENCO about bullying “she is asking for it for being different” they didn’t last long before she was moved positions.

long standing issues with staff bullying, particularly we had issues surrounding the constant ripping of work up because of handwriting. This is a child with dyspraxia.

A recent social media post from the school shows that the leadership team is going into early retirement again.

It's not gossip to ask why they are leaving and if lots are leaving they will already be talking to others about it.

It could be - it depends how the conversations go. There are some schools where parents only seem to converse through the medium of criticising their school, and that is toxic for everyone (especially the children, and it can hugely impact on teachers).

I do take your point that some well-positioned questions might help and I am doing a bit of that.

I should admit that I feel angry and let down about it. I also know that I am totally wrong to feel this way and that nobody makes this decision lightly. It is a horrible thing to move a child from their school, so no one is doing that casually.

Somewhat naively, I think that we should make our choices, stick with them and stick together through adversity.

You seem really over-invested and I can’t quite wrap my head around some of your views.

I don’t know anyone this invested in their child’s school, certainly no one refers to it as their school rather than the school their child goes to.

You feel angry and let down because people you hardly know, and for reasons you say you don’t currently know, have put their child in a different school?

Why on earth should another person stick to their choice if it’s not longer in their child’s best interest? Why should they stick through the adversity because it makes you angry if they leave??