Move to Highgate Wood School

[Magnificentkitteh]

My dd1 has just started year 10. She's had her names on waiting lists for around a year as was getting increasingly frustrated with her current school/ high rates of absence, turnover and SEN support, and more recently an inability to accommodate her options choices for GCSE. However, after carefully considering the alternative options offered and after her current school managed to rejig things so she can do some options she's reasonably happy with, she decided to stay. I had basically thought we were past the point of no return. I understood the council had reset the waiting lists at the start of term and I hadn't reapplied.

However, they've just emailed me to offer a place at Highgate wood and I'm a bit torn. It's not my dream school, but it feels like it's in a better place than her current school, and is equally local. It's an important year for her and staying where she is has involved a bit of a leap of faith that they'll up their game for the GCSE years. On the other hand moving is an upheaval and another roll of the dice to move.

Her friends are in a similar boat and are considering jumping to a different ship but I don't yet know what they'll decide. She's recently admitted that some of her drive to move schools was about not wanting to be left behind and to steer her own ship. There have also been two recent tragedies at her school which have complicated things emotionally.

I haven't yet told DD about the offer and will obviously be guided by her but just trying to get my head round how to approach it with her. Is it a definite no to moving at this stage, or worth a serious chat with Highgate wood about options, sets etc before making a decision?

@Magnificentkitteh if your DD is worried about violence at HHS than I would definitely stay away from most of the coed schools. I include APS in that. There is sadly a lot of violence in them. Only one that's not so rife is Fortismere. But APS, HHS and HGW all have their fair share of violence. My DD moved from one of them in Y10 to a girls school and she was shocked at how few physical fights there were.
Having moved a child in Y10, I would suggest you stay put unless you have absolutely no other choice. It's unlikely your DD will get the same exam boards even if she gets the same subjects and it's a massive pain.

Thanks @Foxesandsquirrels. I'm sorry to hear that. I think i am leaning towards leaving her be, and may have no choice anyway if she's not on board with moving. She's not unhappy as such at school and that's not to be taken for granted. I think she invested a lot of emotional energy into deciding whether to move last term and is reacting badly to the question being reopened. I guess I'll just focus on supporting her through GCSEs in all the ways I can and looking forward to 6th form.

Have you had a look at St Thomas More. I know girls who have moved from Hornsey and have really found their feet there. I know it's a bit of a trip but the individual support they have received has been worth the bus ride.

Thanks interesting, I think I did put it on the list but it needed a SIF to find out where you are on the waiting list and I had a change of heart. You have to invest quite a lot of emotional energy even to establish there's no chance of a space!

Anyway I think my real dilemma is about moving her at all at this stage and I think I'm thinking no. I'll probably have another wobble next week but she's not great at transitions generally and even though she's acting kind of unhappy now so it's tempting to think there's nothing to lose, in fact she always has a difficult few weeks at this time of year but then is more settled, and with her SEN I probably ought to count my blessings she's not school refusing.

I deleted my earlier message as it seemed unhelpful, but having read your updates, I would really second the tutoring advice. There are small pockets of adequate-to-good teaching, but there is so much that is a shambles and I would still warn against hoping that they will suddenly magically pull it all together for GCSE years. If your aim is just to get her to a good sixth form and you can pick up the slack, I am sure it will be fine. But I wouldn't rely on the school for much, unfortunately. And your last post about transitions/this time of year are very familiar, so I understand why you would stay. Good luck.

Like I said before, I wouldn't move her unless she was refusing to go to school. You can ask about a managed move, usually used for behaviour but can be used for SEN. However the upheaval of moving now is really not to be underestimated. Most schools push their best teachers to GCSE years as well so you may find things are a bit better this year and next