Advice on whether it is worth changing school

[ChangeSchool]

I have 2 dc, 20 months apart but just one year difference at school.
dc1 will be Y2 next year. Excellent teacher this year. Will have the same one next year. dc1 is settled, has lots of friends. This year she was in a mixed class Y1/Y2. Most of her friends are Y2 so she won't be with them next year.
dc2 will be in Y1 next year. Teacher this year was bad. Ended up going to see the head about one problem which really couldn't be ignored. It sort of got better on that point of view but her teaching is still not good. dc2 struggled all year to settle in part due to the problems during the year, she just isn't confortable/doesn't fully trust her teacher. Academically there is alot to be desired (eg pushing the children a lot to do things way over their abilities which didn't go down well with dc2 who isn't self confident)

So next year,there will have again 2 split class. A reception/Y1 class with dc2 teacher. A Y1/Y2 class with dc1 teacher.
That means the choice is for dc2 to either be the same teacher than this year or to be with a very good teacher but with dc1.
Both of them being in the class isn't an option for lots of different reasons (dc1 is very competitive, dc2 is too reliant on dc1 so needs to take her independance and most of all after 4 weeks together they are at each other throat and need their space - don't want to think what would happen if they were spending the whole day together).
Last option is to move everybody to another school with all the problems that it can create.
So the choice is really between dc2 having another year being unhappy/struggling with school/ not learning as much as she could do and chnaging schools and making dc1 unhappy in the process. WWYD?

Bump for you as I haven't a clue. Could you get them both into another school? All the good schools around here are over subcribed and people are on waiting lists. I would check that first.

Thanks .

I am lucky that the schools around here are not oversubscribed. There are 2 schools where they could both go. Both are rated outstanding...

difficult one. Go and visit both schools and go with gut feeling...is it possible for DC2 only to change schools and maybe more DC1 there later on?

Their current school is walking distance.

one of the other two is a bit further but still walking distance. I have visited that one and my gut feeling says No.
The other one isn;t walking distance and I haven't visited it yet (However, all the children in dc1 & 2 class who have left the school these last 2 years have gone into that one) but I DO know that if I am going to visit it, I will have the head on my back within a couple of days (Are you going to leave us? Why????)

bump

Bump for today as I would really appreciate any insight / experiences

If I were you, I would speak to the teachers at your current school first. Ask DC1 teacher how things would work if both DCs were in the same class. Im sure they have delt with similar situations before. Your DD2 might actually work better in that situation. It might help her confidence, knowing her sister is there but having her own friends.

Is there no other Y2 class? Im surprised that there is only one shared class for Y2 if other years are split over two classes. Unless it was a particulary small intake that year.

Look at the other schools as well and weigh up your options. Try and look further than the next twelve months when making your desisions. What do the schools offer when they go up to the next key stage, will they be able to make new friends easily if they change schools and stay in touch with friends they have.

I was in mixed classes with my brother (16mo older) most of primary school. It wasn't an issue, we mostly ignored each other and had our own friends. We have some very fond memories of it.