11 Plus Exams Forum

DD announced one of the girls in her year is about to leave, six months after starting year 7, and thus a space will open up for someone else.

It got me thinking about whether or not, if dd was still on the waiting list, I'd be wanting to move her now and decided it was a real moral dilemma - thankfully not one we have to decide!!

So the question is, 'What would you do????

I do so hope I've covered all possible questions - I'm off out for the afternoon so will check on you all when I get back

It depends on the school DC would be at.

If its a comp like most of the ones in my neck of woods, I would not hesitate to move her and its just year 7. I will happily move DC with a BIG grin. Its really past year 9 where I would think moving may not always be ideal. In my mind I keep thinking if we dont get the schools we want, we will try again at 13+

But my curiosity wants to know why they are leaving quite early, are they moving or just dissatisfied with the school?

If we are talking about moving from a good comp to a grammar school then I would definitely move them. Year 7 at a comp is generally not that musch different as the kids toe the line but a year in and poor behaviour and bullying of bright children starts to rear it's head.

If it was from an inde to a GS then my decision would be based on finances and how well (or not) they were doing at the inde. If they were thriving in small class sizes and all the teachers knew DC very well then it may be a risk to move them to a school, however good, with 30+ in the class and where the pastoral care may not be as good due to the numbers in the class.

If the school with the place is really SO good, then I would move DC: short term pain for long term gain.

However, as Sherry said, if it was a couple of years later, the current school would have to be REALLY bad to make a move before A levels viable.

We actually found ourselves in this situation recently, though my DD is Year 8. She failed to get a place at a local indie that we desperately wanted, but although we were (well, I was) gutted, she was happy with her offered school, an all-girl's faith comprehensive that gets consistently good results.

Just before Christmas we received a letter saying a place was coming up in Year 8 and if we were interested we could put her forward - though she would have to sit tests in English, Maths and French.

She is well settled in at her current school, has a good friendship group which makes her really happy, and had no interest at all in applying for the indie. And even though it was the school I always wanted for her, I didn't spend more than 30 seconds deciding that she was best left where she is.

Year 7 ? Definitely

Ha! There was another option which hasn't shown up - the option was along the lines of I'd have to think long and hard, but wouldn't dismiss it out of hand.

Myself, if the school my dd was attending was a good school and she was settled, even though another place came up at a better school, then I'd have to think very long and very hard about it - I'd even consult dd. And I'm still not sure which decision I'd make.

Looking for help wrote:Year 7 ? Definitely

Poor LFH. But you did make me laugh!

We're in the postion of having our 2nd choice school, which is really good and DS will be happy and do well, But by Setember we're most likely to be 1st or 2nd on the waiting list for our 1st choice school. So would I switch schools half way into a school year? Maybe, Maybe Not! Until you're in the situation of having to make choice, you can't say want your answer will be

T.i.p.s.y wrote: Poor LFH. But you did make me laugh!

Hey don't worry we are - although we would move if we got a call , my son's words, not mine