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Secondary education

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Yr10 DD's school closing - please help me think it through.

78 replies

TheCheeseTax · 23/04/2026 21:29

My girl is Y10 at an independent school. It's sadly closing at the end of the academic year.

DD has autism, diagnosed, but does well. She's academic, strong, stubborn. She loves hard and has friends. She is quirky, can come across as aloof.

We are considering school, both private and state. But here's the thing - we can't find anywhere which matches her current subject's boards exactly.

The school we'd like to send her to has her friends there and more will likely
join. But none, not one, of the subjects match the current board.

Our boys' school matches the subject spec for only 1 bit at least she'd have 2 friends there and her brothers (but she might not ever see those friends).

There's another school which matches the specs (not sure if all, but a lot of them) but she knows no one there at all.

There's a school which would be v diff to anything she's known which can match all but one and we'd have to take her through somehow (but we could make it work).

Does anyone have any insight on how damaging it can be for a Y10 to move schools and have to start her subjects again for the new boards? The schools are all confident (save for the last one) that they can manage her (and whoever joins her in the move) and they have the space, time and man-power to do so.

Help, please. I am so sorry for my lovely girl. She's putting on a brave front but the thought of moving schools is eating her up.

Thanks guy x

OP posts:
PinkFrogss · Yesterday 17:52

Would you be open to online schooling?

Araminta1003 · Today 16:00

If there is a state school that will take her which will support the boards mostly, I would move her now and not wait a day longer. Content in Maths and Sciences are largely the same and English language is not too different. English lit may be totally different texts. Languages she should be able to adapt too. Unless she wants to do Geography for A level, would either do it online or drop it. Whatever you do, focus on what she needs for A levels and beyond. It does seem horrible at the time, but once they have done their GCSEs, they really do just move on to the next stage.
Once she is at the new school, I would probably also get up to speed over the summer holidays.

drspouse · Today 19:02

Shinyandnew1 · 23/04/2026 22:42

I’d look closely at the two schools which can match the specs/all but one, and not worry so much if she knows nobody. What do you mean by ‘We’d have to take her through somehow’ ? Through what?

I took this to mean the school is far away, and they are in Scotland where two cities are often said to be "through" as in "I'm going through to Glasgow".
OP I have nothing useful to add but wanted to send some sympathy as a fellow SEN mum who is looking at a school move (Y9 and probably to another specialist school if we can find one that will actually take DS).

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