Transferring schools

[Kcrab83]

Hi all,

My son is in year 8 and his school recently got a 4 (inadequate) in their Ofsted inspections. I am thinking about transfering schools to a better one which is a bus ride away and not in our local area.

Has anyone experienced this? How did your child cope?

Also do I have a legal right to change schools if his current education is deemed as inadequate? And would i be able to claim back travel expenses for him?

Many thanks

You can transfer him without issue if there is a space in his Year. You don't have a right to a space if there isn't one, although you can appeal - but "current school is ofsted inadequate" is not grounds for appeal.
Transport costs are only payable for secondary school children if they are attending the nearest suitable school with space and the journey is over 3 miles. So no, you won't get that as he doesn't have to go there - the school he is currently attending is presumably nearer.

IMO changing school is not the worst thing that you can do as a parent although a lot of people think it is. However, I would urge you to act cautiously. A poor ofsted now can see a school turn around in five years and going through the process with your current school can still benefit your son's education.

Does your ds want to move school? Do you agree with the ofsted report? What particular concerns do you have regarding your ds? I think these are really important questions to ask before you do anything.

You will only be able to move your ds to another school if they have a place in his year group. You should be able to sit on a waiting list though although if you live some distance away you may struggle to get a place as those living closer will have a greater priority.

Thank you for your replies.

On the whole I do agree with the report and I was hoping to see some improvement in the most recent one but I didn't and all the issues are still there from the previous inspection are still there

I understand the school may improve over the coming years but by this time my son will be in year 10 or 11 and have already begun gcse preparations so I feel like I'm crossing my fingers and risking his education in the process. My son himself recognises the school is not up to standard (his primary was rated 1) and while he would be sad to leave friends understands it would be for the greater good.

We are going through something similar and considering moving.

However our reasons are due to the environment and other reasons rather than Ofsted.

Our Ofsted is outstanding but the results are not great and the environment/behaviour/progress is not. I would rather be at a school that offered those things rather than its Ofsted rating so be cautious: Ofsted does not equal the whole picture by any means.

However, if you are not happy then you can go on waiting lists. Are there other schools in the area? What are they like? We are on the waiting list for a school that would not look 'much' on the surface (the current Outstanding one has all the whistles and bells) but the results are great, ofsted good and I know many go who are happy and aspirational. But we are still on list and not sure we will ever get in.

Again, look for more than Ofsted. Will your DS be happy there? Schools have cycles with Ofsted - one in our area went from outstanding to RI yet is on the rise again.

You are right - it is a risk to move or not to move. We have recently moved teen dd from a RI academy to another with a RI grading from Ofsted. However, Ofsted have highlighted very different issues at the school and we knew when she started there, three years ago, that it wasn't a brilliant school.
The difference in dd is unbelievable, her attitude and general happiness has changed so much in the short time since she moved we know we have done the right thing.

Do visit other schools and ask yourself what it is you want for your son. Where we live there is not a great choice (in that there are lots of schools but all very similar). I think it is important to identify what it is that you are looking for apart from the Ofsted grading because I do believe that Ofsted don't always get it right and other things need to be taken into account when deciding.

Good luck.