Moving an unhappy child mid year. Any experiences please?

[parrotonmyshoulder]

DD y8. I am out of ideas to help improve things for her at school (no friends, no support for her SEND, little academic challenge). Nothing is changing.
Has anyone had success, or otherwise, in moving their child for these sorts of reasons?
I know that the initial move will be very hard for an anxious child, but she thinks that’s what she wants.

If she thinks it is what she wants then she must be desperate and is almost certainly right. A more usual situation is a miserable child clinging to what they know.

I suggest you start visiting possible schools. Talk to them quite specifically about the issues she's had and what you are looking for (support, smoothing the transition). Then if you can identify a few you like she can choose, or go on the waiting list or appeal if there isnt a space.

It's not something I've done but Ive seen it done with great effect. The only time I've known it not to work was when no effort was made to address the child's underlying issues (aggression/hostility) when the same problems just manifested themselves again (he moved again, no idea what happened after that).

We moved in the summer term of Year 9, for similar reasons. The benefit was one term to settle in before GCSE's. Obviously for schools that do three years of GCSE's, year 8 would be better.

It worked for us - no point in leaving them there to stick it out if it's not working

If this is what she needs, then do it. I recommend you start looking at other local schools for her. Talk about the issues she has had with them openly and also describe her academic ability as well etc. View schools with her in tow too and then make a informed decision.

Her SEND requirements will be what you need to discuss. What has been identified as the support required? Can other schools help with this? Do they have spaces? If she doesn’t have a named school you are hoping their SEND department will be able to help. So this aspect is key in my view.

I've moved two of mine, one year 8 Feb half term one may year 7 half term.

One we moved for their safety, other add they hated their school and were starting to refuse.

Both have flourished, if DD is instigating so much easier

Will the new school have the support she needs though?

If she thinks it is what she wants then she must be desperate and is almost certainly right. A more usual situation is a miserable child clinging to what they know.

Not always. One of mine is very much a "grass is greener" child and asked to move at the same age. She didn't move and within a year was very glad she had stayed. If she'd moved it would have reinforced the "I can't cope" feeling and I suspect (with experience) she'd have been feeling the same at the new school within a couple of terms.

OP knows her child though, and it sounds like the best option for her.

We moved one to the local state school halfway through year 8 due to being unhappy with their private school (so perhaps an even bigger change). Best decision we ever made.

Thanks for the varied perspectives. I think that DD has worked as hard as she can to improve things for herself, so this isn’t a ‘grass is greener’ situation. In fact, she’s very aware of how difficult it might be to start again. But I think the possibility that is giving her some hope, which is keeping her going.
The two schools she’d hoped for (definitely a long shot which I tried to make clear, but whether she believed that or not, I don’t know), have no places - I was told this yesterday. I will make appointments at some others. We don’t have any simple, local choices here. It’s all going to involve a lot of travel.

They may not have places now but they will get places, can they give you an idea of how quickly their list tends to move and where you would likely be on the list? When we applied we were told no places and it would be a while, three weeks later he had started there.

From year 8 and above I think you can be on multiple waiting lists at the same time as each school deals with its own Admissions.

Thank you. She is on the waiting lists for her two preferred - but they are out of county grammars so I think there’s very little chance.
I am going to book visits for others. Anyone got experience of visiting during the school day? She hates to be ‘looked at’ but I think is going to have to deal with that! She also hates being invisible!

Would you move in county? Might increase the chance.

Do you mean move house? No, that isn’t an option for us.