Would you move your young child from one school to another?

advice_please_2

We are currently selling our house, mainly for more space and second get closer to better schools

Having a debate with other half and she says if our little one starts one school she would prefer just to look at houses nearby and not move him out.

However there is an area we quite like still relatively close to where we are now, so not sure on rules about moving kids out if we move closer to other (possibly better schools)

Would you move your child?

dizsiebubba

I moved twice at primary (so went to 3 different schools)... done me no harm! You are so young at primary that you make friends instantly.

aliasojo

Imo, the younger they are, they easier they adapt. They haven't formed firm friendships then and tend to integrate easily with new kids when young.

So moving schools in the first couple of years is better than later.

My daughter moved when she started secondary school and it affected her badly. If I could turn the clock back, I would do things differently.

That said, many kids are flexible and able to cope well with change, just depends on the child I think.

advice_please_2

Thanks

Just my thought too
Kids at young primary are more adaptable

But the place we would like to move to is only a couple of miles away an the school is known to be good and oversubscribed, so the chances of us getting in are slim if we did move and would be further away from original school

mrcow

Loads of children of all ages move schools.

If it's a good school, I wouldn't hesitate.

balletshoes

mrcow wrote: »

Loads of children of all ages move schools.

If it's a good school, I wouldn't hesitate.

yep, agree with this, and the younger the child, the easier they adapt to the changes .

annie_d

it would be sad though if the child had formed a relationship that really mattered to them and then they were wrenched from it.
When are we saying that relationships "matter"? 5, 16, 30?
i was moved to another school why i was 7. I found it VERY difficult. Where were my friends? Why did these people speak with a different accent? Why had what I was being teaching suddenly changed?
I was fine, I managed. All I am saying is, it is something to be considered. Children/adults "adapt" because there is no option

*Louise*

I wouldn't move mine, but I understand that sometimes its necessary for the good of the family unit.

It's hard enough for my DD losing her friends in the move from nursery to primary school (there are 3 schools it feeds into) just because she is only 5, it doesn't mean her friendships mean less.
It's also harder at that age to keep in touch, when kids are older they have phones and facebook etc so it's much easier

I have no intention of moving from this area until all 3 have finished primary. High School doesn't matter, there are school buses from all areas of the County that go there.

JC9297

*Louise* wrote: »

I wouldn't move mine, but I understand that sometimes its necessary for the good of the family unit.

It's hard enough for my DD losing her friends in the move from nursery to primary school (there are 3 schools it feeds into) just because she is only 5, it doesn't mean her friendships mean less.
It's also harder at that age to keep in touch, when kids are older they have phones and facebook etc so it's much easier

I have no intention of moving from this area until all 3 have finished primary. High School doesn't matter, there are school buses from all areas of the County that go there.

Sorry, I do think that the friendship of a couple of 4 year olds is less meaningful than,for example, that of a couple of 15 year olds. There just isn't the same level of investment in the relationship and parents are still the main focus of a small child's life rather than friends.


We did move just before my son started year 5, he didn't want to change school so he stayed where he was as we only moved a couple of miles away, although too far to walk so had to drive to school and back. It meant that when he went to secondary school only one other boy from his school went with him, our catchment school is outstanding and oversubscribed and nobody else from his primary would get in. If he had changed primary school he would have gone to secondary with a group of children he already knew, however he soon made lots of friends.

jpmummy

I moved my son when he was 7 in year 2 of primary (last year), moved him as the school that I had had my heart on 15 years back when we moved here turned out to have nosedived downhill rapidly during the first few years there! I think seriously it has been one of the best things I have done for my Son and don't regret it for a minute, in fact I am gutted I didn't do it sooner he has wonderful new friends and rarely speaks about his old school pals. Hope this helps as I know its different circumstances.

aliasojo

annie_d wrote: »

it would be sad though if the child had formed a relationship that really mattered to them and then they were wrenched from it.
When are we saying that relationships "matter"? 5, 16, 30?

From my pov, I think relationships matter at all ages.

However I do believe that when children are young, they do tend to be more 'open' and 'receptive' on the whole and are able to form new friendships more easily than an older child would.

My preference would be to not move a child at all tbh, but if moving is on the cards then it's better to do it earlier rather than later.

Moving at 7 was a problem for you but I wonder if it would have been even worse if you were older?