Is it better to move during the primary years or after year 6?

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After a rough couple of years due to bereavement, redundancy, health issues and lots more reasons we are thinking of moving to a different part of the country. Where we live is going downhill, there’s now nothing keeping us here (except school) and we feel like we need a fresh start.

We (DH and me) have a 7yr old in Yr3. He loves school and is very happy there. We also love the school and have a nice network of parents.

Is it better to move during the primary years or wait until my son finishes Yr6 with a look to starting secondary school in a new area.
For added context, at our primary school people go on to multiple different secondary schools. It’s not like everyone all goes to the same one.

It would be a big thing moving away from our current town where we were born and grew up, so I would love to hear from anyone who’s done it with children this age and how it worked out?

Generally I would say the younger they are, the easier they adapt. Year 6 can also be a natural transition point but it is complicated if you are moving out of area as you have to put your application in the previous year from your current address. If the schools in the area you are looking at tend to be oversubscribed, you wouldn't get a space and would have to see what was available once you moved to your new address.

When I had to move due to becoming disabled my dc were primary and secondary.
In terms of education and socialisation and just generally settling the two dc in primary did so much easier. I'd say the sooner the better.

Moving post year 6 can be tricky due to how school admissions work. You usually can't apply for a school place until you have moved in. That might not be a problem if you are moving to an area with schools with plenty of space. But it could be an issue if your preferred school is full as your child would go on the waiting list and you could be allocated a school a long way away.

Think very carefully whether a fresh start will be what you hope for - will you have friends and family in this new place?
what do you mean by “going downhill” ?
it sounds like the community of friends you have currently might not be easy to find from scratch elsewhere?

I don't think it really matters other then not doing it when they've already started/established at high school. The high school years are where they really cement friendships.
My DC ended up in an entirely different school to all his peers at his junior school even though we lived in the same area. I appealed to no avail. Loads of excuses, just outside the boundary, too many existing pupils had siblings joining etc etc.
So, you've got a few years to make your mind up and move OP. Wishing you the best of luck.

You’ve either got to do it before Y5 or in Y8 onwards otherwise school admissions will be a nightmare.

I would go earlier - it’s unfair to make a child do two secondary transitions

We had no choice but to move when in year 6, we tried to move in year 5 but the process took 8 months and we missed the admissions cut off and could only apply with our old address. It’s was very stressful. Do you realise you have to apply almost a year in advance for secondary places?

Move in primary, definitely don’t leave it late.

I think the younger the better really. Kids settle easily in primary so i’d go sooner rather than later.

We moved in Summer term Yr5 and it worked well.

The one thing we didn't count on though... we weren't actually counted in admissions as being ina Feeder School, as that was 12 months before the deadline. However that is a point on the admissions in the area we move ro, that has a Feeder and Catchment system for Secondary admissions. Fortunately she got in to the Secondary as we lived in the Catchment area.

We moved at the end of Year 5. School admissions applications need to be submitted by 31 October of Year 6 so we needed to have moved by then, but with delays in conveyancing (if you are buying) you want to be settled earlier than that. A lot of secondary school open days only take place in the autumn so you need to time those accordingly too. We were aiming for a sought-after comp and places rarely come up after Year 7, so if we moved later we wouldn't be able to get a place. We were moving from one part of London to another, so we kept dc in the same primary school for Year 6 and just commuted.

I think primary is best as you are still collecting a child from the playground so a chance to meet other parents, arrange play dates and a time to make friends etc. Once they get to secondary you don't meet your child at the school gates, you don't see any of their teachers until parents' evening and you are far more cut off. There is no playground hub of parents. Now this may sound like bliss but it can also mean you have no one to ask questions of.

For us we moved whilst DC were still in primary but kept them in their primary. I understand you are moving away but I just did the commute. Once they joined the secondary we moved for, we knew no one to say hello to at any event at the school because all the children came from completely different primary schools to our children.

I would say look to move asap but as someone who has relocated a couple of times I would honestly recommend renting for 6 months because local knowledge is a brilliant thing to have. Or spend as much time in the new area as possible before your move. Book a holiday. We actually collared parents with children to ask what were the best schools but you can always post on here too to get some brutally honest opinions about areas or schools.

Thank you for all the replies.
I didn’t factor in the fact that Yr5 is when I would need to be thinking about admissions to a secondary school and how that process would work. So some good points there.

Yes please do check all your admissions dates and factor in moving delays.
we moved when my child was in year 6 and it was super stressful thinking we weren’t going to be in our new address by the cut off.
luckily we only moved within the county so could keep my child in their primary with their friends for their last year with all the year 6 activities and commute back and forward until they started secondary.

Primary.

Primary is much easier for making new friendships.

Definitely change schools so they have years 5 & 6 at their new school.