(1) If your other school option is public school, everybody can remember - if things don't go well after two months the family can decide to go back. Seven is pretty young to have the pressure of being responsible. And it would be good if she could shadow ...
(2) Having done this at that age - we always tell other kids switching schools but not "moving" means you end up with MORE friends. You can still play soccer, have sleepovers, etc. with anyone who is your friend. Real friendships even among the little people aren't made or broken by school day schedules (especially when typical public school schedules keeps them moving so fast from one thing to the next vs through context that their isn't a ton of time to socialize.
We left a posh and lovely and supremely ranked public school for a little, low budget charter school. The trade-offs are everywhere. But in the end, I pick a real "year's growth" for my kids. And the friendships they've made for being with likeminded kids is HUGE. And yes, what we once said held true... we still all have friendships with local friends - and friends from school.
It is hard. I know. And in the end you will have to just decide what you feel is best for all of you knowing kids are resilient and survive in spite of their parents ;-) We did have the great fortune of shadowing after which no army could have gotten my kids out of the self contained gt school.
