Changing schools in September? Advice for parents and carers
September is the most popular time for a change of school. Of course, there are those children starting school for the first time or moving up to secondary school. But there are also many other families who choose the start of the new school year as the best time to move children in other years too, perhaps because of a change in family situation, or a house move. Joining a new class in September avoids disrupting the school year, and it’s a fresh start for everyone.
So, if you expect your child to be switching schools in September, and there aren’t any formal support or transition activities in place, what can you do to support them? Here’s our top 3 tips:
- Talk about the move with your child. Give them as much information as is appropriate for their age, answer all their questions and involve them in some of the planning. Try to be positive about the move, even if it wasn’t your choice or if you have reservations.
- Go and visit the new school or area. Covid-19 might mean that access to the new school is limited, but you can still take your child to visit the school from outside. You could walk around the neighbourhood or visit the local park. Or spend some time looking at online information about the new school; visit their website or follow their social media accounts.
- Check the place is confirmed. Once you’ve had your offer of a school place and told the School Admissions team that you want to accept it, you’ll need to contact the new school and agree a date for your child to join them. You’ll also need to let the existing school know that your child is leaving, so that they are no longer on their register. Don’t forget that most schools will close completely for the school holiday, so this will all need to be done before term finishes in July.
Finally, if you want your child to move schools in September but haven’t yet started the process, you will need to act fast. The deadline for applications is 7 July. Any applications received after this, including through the summer holidays, are unlikely to be processed until the start of the autumn term, due to the unavailability of schools for much of the summer break.