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Secondary education

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Original poster

Moving before GCSE

16 replies

Pepperpot69 · 23/12/2019 22:58

We have a chance to move DC from highly academic boarding school where he is sitting 11 GCSEs and struggling, to a smaller less academic school where he will def go for 6th form anyway and could sit only 7 GCSEs. Only trouble is GCSEs are in May! Would we be totally mad?

OP posts:
GreenTulips · 23/12/2019 23:01

You need to check which exam board they sit and if they are the same. They maybe in a difference schedule as well.

Saying that they recap march to June

Just a thought

Will he be ok making friends?

ElizabethinherGermanGarden · 23/12/2019 23:02

Many schools refuse to accept Y11 admissions after Xmas so you would need to check whether this is the case at that school.

StarlightGold · 24/12/2019 01:20

Yes OP it would be completely mad! I can understand why you want to move him, but he is more likely to achieve if he stays where he is for a host of reasons (mainly he could potentially have to learn a new syllabus in four months!)

MarchingFrogs · 24/12/2019 07:17

Presumably you have tried and failed to get your DS's current school to let him drop one or two subjects, or at least not enter him for the actual GCSE(s)? The cut-off for entering students for the exams isn't for a couple of months yet.

And yes, moving him now would be a mad (and expensive? Paying twice for the coming term?) idea. He would risk doing very badly in practically everything.

Ginfordinner · 24/12/2019 07:20

It would be a very silly and counterproductive idea. You can't assume the exam boards are the same or that the same topics will be covered in the humanities subjects, or that they are covered in the same order. Please don't do this.

BillywilliamV · 24/12/2019 07:25

Don’t be silly, leave him where he is.

Original poster
Pepperpot69 · 24/12/2019 07:25

Ok, good advice from all. Thanks, I’m probably just panicking and some sensible perspective is clearly useful.

OP posts:
KittenVsXmastree · 24/12/2019 07:38

Yes, you'd be absolutely mad (talking as a parent whose child attended 4 primary schools due to moves and one incompetent school).
Talk to this school about withdrawing from one or 2 GCSE's.
Move him in the summer (and remember to give the current school the appropriate notice).

Michaelahpurple · 24/12/2019 07:55

Can’t you secure a place at this other school for sixth form so that he has it as a back up if he doesn’t satisfy the requirements of his current one, or indeed commit to moving to if you think it will suit him better irrespective of results.

Then he’ll him get his head down to do as well as he can for this last term. GCSEs start about two weeks after the summer starts (at least, my son’s did last year - he only has 10 days of teaching in the summer term). You simply cannot contemplate moving him.

Agree with pp’s about dropping subjects (but check the requirements of the new sixth form) - be very insistent if there is an obvious non-core outlier that could be peeled off. dad’s school is also a high achieving boarding school here most take 11, but there were some who has discretely stripped away the odd science or whatever, down to 9.

And consider finding ways to help him study on Sundays if you live near enough.

And invest in CGP where available!

TeenPlusTwenties · 24/12/2019 08:52

Yes you would be mad.

7 GCSEs is maybe not enough, 8 would be the minimum really unless he's not going to pass them anyway.
Get current school to let him drop 1 or 2.

As a matter of interest, what's your definition of struggling? Is it compared with peers, only getting 7s not 8s and 9s, or is it mental health struggling and only looking to scrape 4s?

insanepizza · 24/12/2019 08:54

You would be mad. His current teachers know him and know where he's struggling and he will have some good relationships with some of them. He will have none of this at his new school.

Get him to focus on his seven GCSE's and tell him not to worry about the two he would have dropped.

TreeSwayer · 27/12/2019 16:54

Yes crazy mad to move him. As above talk to the school about him dropping some subjects to concentrate on bringing up the grades of the other ones.

Also what are the school doing to support him?

Smoothbananagram · 28/12/2019 09:50

I think I would cry if a new student was admitted to my current Year 11 English class! Even if he was studying the same texts for lit, it's unlikely the order would be the same and I'll be teaching new material ( final anthology poems mainly) at end of April. If he moves, it's quite possible he'd miss some course content.

ExpletiveFairylighted · 28/12/2019 10:00

I'd be surprised if a school would take him at this point in time, also surprised if they were all doing the same exam boards. New teachers, new timetable, new classmates, new school to navigate, new uniform
for two terms, just don't do it.

Original poster
Pepperpot69 · 28/12/2019 11:14

It’s ok, I got the msg from the first few answers. I was only thinking out loud and just asking for some support in my thoughts!!! Crikey. I did also point out in my OP that the school I was thinking of moving him to IS the school he would be going to in Sept for 6th form so was not moving for just 2 terms...I’m not that daft!!!
Thank you for all the supportive msgs, he will stay where he is and I will take the advice to try to drop 1 or 2 subjects.

OP posts:
maddy68 · 28/12/2019 11:25

I wouldn't move him. Even if they are studying the same exam boards (which they probably aren't) they have different options within those eg study different texts wait until after his exams then move for 6th form

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