Move DS from prep at 7+ or not?

[bluerabbit79]

DS2 (6) is in a very lovely local prep school which he loves and is very happy at. I love it too, it's very nurturing and inclusive and he is doing extremely well academically. Teachers are all great. It is not a selective school but class sizes are small. Our older DS1 (10) went to state primary and we moved him at 7+ to a through school as we were advised to avoid 11+ and didn't want to move him twice.

I am now in a bit of a dilemma and am stagnating hence needing advice. DH is keen to move DS2 at 7+ to the same school as DS1 is at, not for convenience (as by that time DS1 will be getting himself to school) but I think basically as it's a great school and he just thinks rinse and repeat. Which is not a bad idea! However, DS2 is extremely happy and settled at his prep school, it's local and I LOVE the walk to school every day with him, which I really miss with DS1 as his school is a car drive though rush hour every day.

In lots of ways I would like to keep DS2 at his prep the whole way as he is so happy and I am so happy with it, but then I realise he has to sit 11+, also DH thinks we are not doing the best for him as it's not a selective school and he is a very bright child (I realise this sounds biased but he genuinely is, more so than DS1!) so we should move him to a selective school. I just think it will shorten his childhood; I saw DS1 grow up so fast when we did this and I want to preserve that.

Plus I'm not entirely sure the through school is right for him, and if we kept him at local prep for longer we'd have a better idea at 11+ of which school might suit him? (admittedly he might not get in!)

Any thoughts welcomed.....

thank you :-)

That’s a tough one, and I’m not sure there’s any right answer!

If he’s very bright then you can probably bet on him getting into a selective at 11 if that’s what you want then, so I’d maybe keep him where he is for now.

Are his friends likely to move now, or later?

Such a tricky situation. The 11+ does sound stressful, why not move him AND try for the 11+ for other schools? That way he’s always got a good back up school to remain at if the 11+ for the more selective schools don’t work out.
Having not experienced the 11+, but hearing first hand accounts from friends and family, it does sound awfully brutally and he will likely loose some of his pleasant childhood just getting ready for it any way!

thanks both for response! His friends will probs in the main move later although I reckon there will be a few (maybe 20% or so of the class) who will do the 7+ move, to avoid the 11+

This is my worry too about the 11+ being brutal!!!

Can you ask him - what does he think? Would he like to go to the school that his big brother is at? I think it sounds like there are pros and cons each side. It would be good to avoid the 11+ but equally being able to walk your child to school each day is a gift and that time you won't get back