We're moving in the middle of the school year and I'm anxious about the kids just… not having a school for weeks. For those who've done a mid-year move, how did enrolment go and what should I be doing now?
Enrolment took about three weeks for us. We covered the gap informally with home learning and a tutor a few hours a week, which was better than nothing.
Following, moving in October and this is my biggest worry.
If the school allows remote submission, start the enrolment paperwork before you even arrive — saved us real time compared to friends who waited until landing.
Did your kids find it socially harder starting mid-year versus at the normal start of term, or did that not end up mattering much?
Elena's question is the one I'd have asked too. Our son joined his class in March, and socially it was harder at first, because the friendships were already formed and the other children had their groups. What changed it was the teacher giving him a small responsibility in the class, handing out materials, which meant everyone had to talk to him every day. By the summer he was fine. Our daughter started at the beginning of the following year and found it easier, but she also had a year more of German by then, so it's hard to compare.
For ours it was almost the opposite. Arriving mid-year made them a small event in the class. Everyone wanted to sit with the new kids for the first weeks, and by the time the novelty wore off they had two friends each. I think it depends a lot on the class and the teacher more than the timing. If you can, ask the teacher to prepare the class before the first day. Ours did a little lesson about Italy, and our two arrived as the interesting new kids rather than the strange ones.
Update for Elena and anyone reading this later: ours started after the spring holiday. The youngest cried every morning for the first two weeks and then, one Monday, simply stopped. The eldest found a best friend on day three and has barely spoken to us since. We filled the three weeks before a place came through with library visits and a few hours with a tutor, as someone suggested here, and it kept the routine going. Thank you all.
That's so reassuring to read, Aisha. The one Monday when the crying simply stops is what I needed to hear this week.