Changing School - Safeguarding Concerns

[MoleOfKingTyre]

How easy is it to change schools? I have safeguarding concerns about my children's current school and I do not feel able to manage my child's safety. How easy is it to change generally, and in the middle of GCSE courses?

In the middle of gcses its impossible- at least if you want them to pass anything. Even a school able to offer them a place with the same subjects with the same board may have covered the content in a different order, studied different texts etc You'd be better off home schooling for a year then looking at 6th forms/college.

I agree moving schools at this time would impact GCSEs.
They would probably need to drop some subjects to have spaces in the timetable to allow them to catch up where things have been taught in a different order.

However depending on circumstances that might be preferable to staying at the existing school or attempting to Home Ed.

If you wanted to attempt this, contact local schools to talk to them.
Have a list of subjects, boards, and units already covered to hand. If you know someone in same school year for possible school already you could get bits of info from them.

Remember for Eng Lit that if the new school has chosen different set books, then provided the ones your DC has studied are on the syllabus for the new schools board they could still choose to use the old one. e.g I DC has studied Romeo&Juliet in y10 but new school did Macbeth.

Thanks. I am weighing up the harm of staying where we are with the harm of moving. Such impossible choices.

You shouldn't have to move schools because of safeguarding.
I'm not asking you to disclose why but bullying, SN or medical things should all be addressed properly. I am guessing however that you have tried multiple times and the school has been unable / unwilling.

School admin people may be in daily over the holidays anyway. Also if a potential school goes to 18 then they may well be open today (A level results) and next week (GCSE results).

Schools often have Insets at the start of the school year, so you could try to arrange to talk to someone then.

Also depends on your child - those who a particularly bright would be ok and catch up.

If they are more middle, you may want to start year 10 again which is possible or they move and resit in college.

How do they feel about it all?

Would you consider part time core subjects only?

What concerns?

If you’re talking about moving between year 10 and 11, very slim, because the courses will be two thirds through and a different school may not offer the same options or even the same boards. Most schools would be reluctant to accept someone at that stage.

You could see if they can start year 10 again, but it might have to be with different options, because they would have been chosen in the spring term and groups will have been allocated.

Depends really. DD has just finished Y10 and is moving to a new school this Sept. Also mainly safeguarding concerns. However, she's retaking Y10 as she's a summer born and her new school is a small independent so options have been easy.

Also note that some practical courses may be full due to equipment limitations, e.g. Food tech.

I have never heard of somebody starting y10 again

Private schools will allow things like this in some cases. State school its practically unheard of.

That must mean it doesn't happen than? What a strange comment.
I'm not going to say it happens daily but it's by no means uncommon. Before we started the process for DD we did lots of research and actually it happens often enough that information is fairly easy to find. Tons of threads on here on it. I spoke to quite a few parents via PM. Our LA had no problem with it as our DD is born after April so could've started a year later anyway.

It's really not 'practically unheard of'.

To resit year 10 in a state school? What are the figures for kids doing that then?

Do I look like some sort of statistics robot? It's really not practically unheard of. My DD is doing it this year! We've heard from lots of families, there's even a Facebook group. I'm not saying it's a super common thing, but it's really not unheard of. A lot of LAs seem to be fine with it, as these kids would've been able to defer reception anyway. I can't speak for all LAs but it's ultimately up to them, not the state school.
I have no idea how often it happens in private schools, DD is coming from a state.

We don’t allow it - bog standard secondary! Causes issues later if they decide to leave at 16 (as is the law, at least to move on to further Ed, training etc.,) and don’t sit their GCSEs. This is why schools don’t do it any more. Assistant Head btw.

Most schools are academies now, and can do what they like! No links to LA anymore.

Interesting. In that case what are you doing with the kids who deferred entry to reception?

Almost all academies in our area still have admissions through the LA. I don't know any that do it themselves.

My DD changed end of year 10 from one comp to another comp. Similar GCSE courses but not identical and some taught in reverse. Move went very well and got 12 GCSEs at almost perfect grades and an A in level 3, all during my chemotherapy for breast cancer as well. Got lots of friends and support at new school. Old school was awful. But she was able to self teach and very bright and also new school were flexible unlike old one. It took about 3 weeks to move with pressure on LA, both academies with LA doing admissions. Head of old school said not possible she will fail but would make no adjustments to help her.

Unless it is a maintained school &/or the pupil has an EHCP it is up to school itself as to whether they allow deceleration as they are their own admissions authority even if the LA co-ordinates admissions.

I know of a student who was allowed to repeat Y10 in a state school, due to suddenly having to move schools at the end of Y10. If you don't ask the question, you'll never know.

The knock on impact is that once they're 18, they can't usually start a new FE course and get funded all the way through, so they couldn't retake a year at sixth form, like a lot of DC do.

State schools also can't refuse admission into Y11 if they have places.

I agree it will have an academic impact, if they have to go straight into Y11 and they may end up with a reduced number of GCSEs- but presumably there will be a severe impact if they stay where they are, as well?

I cannot imagine a school would prefer a child going into Y11 than retaking Y10. As mentioned, if they have a space, they have to admit into Y11. If I was a head of an academy and had a parent with a summer born, asking if they can retake Y10 Vs the upheaval of entering Y11, I know which option I would prefer.
I appreciate there are worries about it regards age etc and future post 16 options but still, if we're just talking what's better for the school, I can't see how entering into Y11 would be.

I did not comment on whether a school would prefer a pupil repeat Y10 or not, nor did I mention admissions to Y11. I commented on you stating it was the LA’s decision even for academies. It isn’t.

@Postapocalypticcowgirl I agree the FE consequences are ones that are important to consider. No safety net left in essence. However, that's the same when children are deferred for entry into reception. My DD has 2 friends from the school she has just left who will be sitting their GCSEs age 17 as they were deferred. That was a state academy. I don't believe schools can discriminate those kids age 11.
And as you say, anyone even considering this is most likely going to be in a worse position if they stay where they are. No one happy is going to be moving at the end of Y10 unless theres significant extenuating circumstances .