Growth and progress
Find out about how learning may be different in your child/young person’s new school.
Children and young people can have very different experiences of learning after moving school. How well they do in school can depend on many things, including their previous education, whether they have missed any schooling, their age, their level of English language, the reason for the move and how often they have changed schools.
When a child or young person moves school, it can take time for information to be transferred from the old school. This means that the new school may not immediately know your child/young person’s strengths, achievements or support needs. Some schools may ask children and young people to complete assessments in their first week, while others prefer to give them time to settle in first.
Some schools have a lot of children and young people joining throughout the year. They may need time to arrange the right support for new pupils. It can take time for funding and support from a child/young person’s old school to be transferred to their new school.
Different schools teach different topics at different times. Because of this, children and young people who move during the school year may miss some learning or repeat work they have already done.
Moving school close to exams
Moving school can be especially difficult for pupils who are close to taking exams. Different schools may study different topics, books or offer different exam subjects. You should be able to find information about the topics the school is teaching on the school website. You can also find information about the British national curriculum and the topics taught in different stages here.
If your child/young person is preparing for exams, it is important to speak to both schools about any concerns and what support may be available. If your child/young person is in Year 10 or 11, you may also want to talk to their previous school to ensure any coursework they have already done as part of their GCSE is transferred to the new school.
Lewis’ Story
Lewis was in primary school when his family moved to a new area because his dad was in the Armed Forces. He had moved schools before, but he still found it difficult leaving friends and starting somewhere new.
One thing Lewis noticed was that different schools taught topics at different times. In his old school, he had already learned about the Romans. When he arrived at his new school, his class was studying the same topic again. At first, Lewis felt frustrated because he thought he was repeating work he already knew. Later, he realised that knowing the topic helped him feel more confident in lessons.
When Lewis started at his new school, teachers did not yet have all the information about his learning. Until they could find out more, he was placed in a lower set. This worried Lewis because he felt it did not show what he could do. After completing some assessments, teachers were able to see his strengths and moved him to a set that was a better fit. As his teachers learned more about him, Lewis settled in, made new friends and grew in confidence at his new school.
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