Moving school. Y9. Immediately/ by Christmas.

[EverythingSortsEventually]

DC, Y9, started the school they are at in September.

We’ve had some good things and some very bad things. There have been problems with the school which have made DC a bit unhappy, I’ve been trying to resolve for a couple of months but the school aren’t doing anything about it and it’s driving me around the bend.

I started looking at other schools and we have an offer for another school. It’s local and definitely not the best in the area. People from ‘naice’ areas avoid it normally. Previously inadequate and now an academy. I liked the school. It was a very lovely place, happy children, the teachers and staff were all extremely helpful. They are not results focussed and happy to change/adapt the curriculum offer to each child.

This school can provide the education DC needs. We’ve had in depth conversations about it.

On one hand, I am ready for moving DC tomorrow. This is a perfect school for some of what they need. Probably all of it. DC also seems happy to be having the chance to move.

On the other hand, I’m going to be taking them out of the closest/catchment school with is apparently very good (although I haven’t found that to be the case) and putting them into a school which is meant to be really bad and a bit further away. So although it meets the needs now, unsure about core academics in the longer term. It hasn’t got the best track record but has a reasonable number getting the 7/8/9 grades and doing the ‘right subject combinations’. However, the previous track record isn’t with the new academy. The MAT has other academies that are doing really well which also had bad backgrounds.
Also, DC has already had one move this year, and now I’m going to subject them to another one. They have only just settled with friends etc. About to choose GCSE options and it’s a weird time to move and try to settle in.

I’m just a bit conflicted.

Do right by your kids ffsake.

Happy kids learn, unhappy kids don't.

Firstly, see what your DC says. It's very hard to get a kid that age to engage if they really really don't want to be there.

And then make your mind up quickly. So if you decide to stay where you are, there's time for the staff to make an offer to the next kid down the waiting list.

What does DC want to do?

If you’re going to do it, do it as soon as you can, because option choices are usually made in the spring term.

Why has she already had one move? Where was she is year 7 and year 8?

When was it judged inadequate ? Have they had a monitoring inspection ? Do they have the same head since academising ?

DC thinks they want to move.

Moved for start of Y9 because we weren’t living in the current area.

Inadequate twice and two academy changes. Last one was 2018.
Now has joined another MAT, has new head, new management, new everything. The old management were basically driven out by the staff and pupils for how rubbish they were (we’re talking kids went on strike/protested) before the new MAT stepped in and took over. Been new academy for about 3 years now.

I would expect a child at that age to be very opposed to moving again. The fact they are not is maybe telling?

I sometimes think they like you to make the decision to take the pressure off them having to actively choose something.

If you word it as 'i am going to enroll you at the new school unless you tell me that you don't want me to' see what their answer is.

I would generally say don't move but it sounds like something isn't right with how things are now and your child has doubts this will be resolved.

What do you think their longer term options might be? Are they academic and you see university or more likely to choose another path where results matter a bit less?

The grass is not always greener. No school is going to be perfect. Other students will be unpleasant etc etc. If your child is genuinely unhappy at the current school then move. However, consider what you will do if this school does not measure up either.

Actually. What is wrong with me? Why am I even questioning this? Why am I even caring about what people think about a school when it’s the school that will do the right thing for DC?

The current school are complete and utter a*holes. They don’t solve problems other schools would. They haven’t being doing right by my DC. I’ve been fighting them every step of the way. DC not progressing as they should be, not particularly happy and as getting up for school this morning demonstrated, getting less happy.

Already this morning I’ve had a response to something that was raised higher (governor level, after going to though the proper routes) and the response was that it was for the individual teachers to deal with not them. Well if the teachers had dealt with this in the first place I wouldn’t have got the form teacher, heads of departments, head of year, head and now governors involved!!!!

I started looking at other schools for a reason. I’m being an idiot. I’d rather a rubbish school than cooperates with DC happy and progressing than what’s supposed to be a good one which doesn’t with DC unhappy and stalling.

We have 14 days (so until 14th December) to accept the place and then must have started 14 days after accepting. (Although the email says that’s the 28th December so latest start is 4th January).

I’m going to speak to this potential new school about the past issues and what they are doing/ have done about them and the position they are in now/ going forward.

I think I’ll try this, thanks @Calmdown14
I sometimes think they like you to make the decision to take the pressure off them having to actively choose something. If you word it as 'i am going to enroll you at the new school unless you tell me that you don't want me to' see what their answer is.