Moving schools in Y10

[Teaallday]

DS1 is 15 and just finishing Y10. His school (a grammar, if that matters) is having huge staffing issues and 38% of teaching cohort are leaving at the end of this year - 5 out of 10 of his current GCSE subject teachers. The teaching to date has been patchy at best, no Spanish teacher for Y8, 9 maths teachers during Y9 (!) and the sudden firing of his Physics teacher earlier this year has meant covers in this subject (something he aims to study at A Level) for the last 6 months. Despite this, DS works hard and is doing well, but he’s seriously fed up and stressed about Y11. The school have been refusing to engage with us since we raised concerns last week (politely and respectfully, fully appreciate retention is a massive issue nationally - I work in a school myself and really feel for them.)

We met with another local school today who have offered a place for Y11 on the proviso that DS commits to catch up on parts of the curriculum he’s missed due to a couple of subjects (English and History) being taught to different exam boards. He’s willing but understandably anxious. It would also mean dropping one of his options and instead taking RS as the potential new school is a faith school and the subject is compulsory. He’s sad about the work he’s put into this original option going to waste, but not too daunted by the prospect of picking up RS.

I’m worried about the social aspect too, but he’s friendly and very into music, so hopefully joining a music club would help build a new network. And the bus to school would stay the same so he’d still have his bus mates.

Are we insane to consider moving him? Has anyone done this? It feels so risky, but equally risky keeping him where he is when the staffing is such an issue. Help!

I would say it's a very risky move.

New exam boards, new school, new subjects... that is a huge amount to take on in an exam year.

I would stay where he is. Can you get together with other parents (set up a WhatsApp group) and send a delegation to read the riot act to the SLT on what they are putting in place to rectify things for next year.

Maybe organise small groups to share a tutor over the summer and Y11?

I did this - moved schools at the very beginning of year 11. I went from state comp to private boarding.

I had 2 drop 2 subjects and the others were different exam boards.

I went from all A*s/As to B/Cs in my actual GCSEs.

It was a difficult time as not only did all my school work change, I had to try and fit in with already established social groups.

I wouldnt reccomend it unless aboslutley necessary;.

My dd left year 10 last year - she was at boarding school and became unwell so had to come home - she joined one of our local schools in September in year 11, and has just done her GCSEs. She fortunately managed to keep all her subjects going but a couple of them were difference exams boards (geography and PE) so she struggled a bit with those - we also got her English and maths tutors as they had done things in different orders so some topics were missing. She’s not hugely academic (predicted 5s & 6s) but she worked consistently hard and I don’t think it’ll have made much difference ultimately - we’ll find out next month I guess!
socially she was fine, but she’s brilliant at making friends and was quite excited at the prospect. I can appreciate she is lucky in that regard, it’s not an easy time to move on the whole but she has been incredible.
If you can perhaps get tutors if you need to fill in the gaps that definitely helps - it wasn’t cheap but worth it and gave us and her confidence. We were also lucky her new school were really really helpful and have gone out of their way to support her which is amazing given how stretched they are. Much better than her (private) boarding school ever was 🙄
Good luck with whatever you choose - it isn’t ideal, but I just wanted to say that it can be done and it needn’t be as hard as people make out if your child is positive about the change and everyone is on board with it being a bit difficult at times!