Changing private school

[surprisinglysunny]

Hi there,

I'm looking for advice from anyone who might have been through this situation before.

DC is in year 1 in private school. They are very happy at the school, have friends and I have no complaints about academics, pastoral, sports, teaching. We have received an occasional place offer at another private school. This one is very similar in all aspects, except that it has significantly better facilities and is much closer to home.

Would you move a happy and settled child for a shorter commute and better facilities? Has anyone done a move for similar reasons?

I wouldn’t move them if they are happy. Is the location of the current school a big problem, if it’s doable I would stay put. If things change I’m sure a place would still be available at the other choice. If your child is settled you are winning. Does your child want to move?

Thanks for your helpful reply! The current commute is doable, but the new one is significantly shorter. My child has never expressed a desire to move, or had any issues of note at the current school.

Would they stay all the way to Y11 at new school? If so, I would move. Y1 is still very young, people move house all the time (I moved my kids end of Y1 due to house move and they were fine, my Y5 child much less so). If you're thinking of moving house in the future or he would need to move school again for Y7 then maybe not.

What year do both schools run up to?

What years do the schools go up to? If you are thinking of moving her now to a school that goes right through to 18,bear the following in mind: a new head can make or break a school very quickly. Also a lot of private schools are vulnerable right now. Which school looks more likely to be able to survive long-term? Many schools are changing and amalgamating so what you go for now may be very different in a few years time.

Definitely. Think of all of the time you will save over the next few years! And it might be that the other parents live more locally which is easier for play dates, lift shares & all of those sorts of thing

I would change. A very local private school makes life so much easier and it's nice having it as part of the community. We did things the other way around, we moved house to be closer to DD's prep school and it made life much easier when going back for concerts, assemblies, multiple pickups (as we have 2 dcs), after school playdates. Year 1 is still very early in the time a child is at prep/primary, they have only spent 1 and a half years there (if they started in reception) and have more than 5 years in the new school if they switch now. I would say the better facilities will make a big difference from Year 3 onwards.

I think it would totally depend on the commute 'gains'.

Travelling 10 mins to new school vs 20 mins to existing? Meh.

Travelling 10 mins to new school vs 75 mins to existing? Absolutely, quality of life for the whole family would be improved.