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AIBU?

To only visit one school?

52 replies

KwaziisEyepatch · 21/10/2014 13:45

Ds1 starts school next September. We live 150metres from a great school, one of the reasons we bought this house. We're on the boundary of the catchment for the next closest, equally great school - some years we'd get in, some we wouldn't.

I've never been to either school but know lots of local mums who speak well of them both. Aibu not to bother visiting the one further away, when ds is bound to get into the closer one, and all his friends will go there? We're never going to choose the further school, but everyone keeps telling me I should visit more than one 'for comparison'. I don't get it!

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Thebodyloveschocolateandwine · 21/10/2014 13:47

Hedge your bets and visit.

You can never be absolutely sure in catchments.

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TimeForAnotherNameChange · 21/10/2014 13:48

I didn't visit any primary schools, there's little point where I live. Because of the sheer volume of numbers, effective catchments are so tight that unless you live within about 200 metres of a school you can't guarantee a place, and there's certainly no 'choice', so you simply get what you're given and that's that.

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Finola1step · 21/10/2014 13:49

Visit both. What's a couple oh hours out of your day?

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Contraryish · 21/10/2014 13:49

We only visited one school, for much the same reasons. It was our catchment school and we were happy with it.

While the school was good and our children settled well, we did end up moving them to the next nearest school a couple of years down the line as we felt it suited them better. Maybe with hindsight we should have looked at both!

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starlight1234 · 21/10/2014 13:53

I didn't visit more than one school... People will consider different things important for their children. .. IF you are sure this is the right school for your child no need to

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SaucyJack · 21/10/2014 13:54

I just sent mine to the nearest school. Both of the schools in walking distance here are much of a muchness.

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FrenchJunebug · 21/10/2014 14:19

your child is going to be at primary school for at least 7 years of his/her life and you can't be bother to spend 1h to visit to schools?! It is a chance to see the other kid, ask questions and generally be prepared to help you child to enter primary school. YABU.

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KwaziisEyepatch · 21/10/2014 14:28

I think that's a bit unfair! Both schools have outstanding ofsted and great reputations, it's not like we're consigning him to the scrap heap! It's just because our local school is in the centre of our community, he could walk there in 2 mins instead of a car ride, all his friends will live in walking distance etc. Those things are important too, so I really can't think of a situation where we'd choose the other school based on something we'd see on a 1 hour visit.

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Thebodyloveschocolateandwine · 21/10/2014 14:32

Sounds like a great position to be in op. How nice to have such a near school. And a good one too. Smile

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BirdintheWings · 21/10/2014 14:35

Go and see both because if something unexpected happens, the midst of a crisis, when things suddenly blow up in your face, is not the best time to rush round assessing the other local schools and anyway I'm nosy--.

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ElephantsNeverForgive · 21/10/2014 14:36

I didn't visit DDs primary, she went to the attached nursery, and I'd been in bits of the main school on occasion. There was no places issue for in catchment DCs and it was the only school with a bus service.

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3bunnies · 21/10/2014 14:47

I would go just in case this is the year when two sets of triplets move in either side of the school etc. Often the school allocations come out in Easter holidays - you don't want to be scrabbling around to view it then. Also around here if you applied for a school then you can go on the waiting list for that school earlier than any others.

You don't have to put the other one first but you should put more than one choice on the form and why not go and look around. If anything did change (new head, ofsted, bullying etc) then at least you have seen the other one.

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BirdintheWings · 21/10/2014 15:03

Are you at our school, Bunnies? That actually pretty much happened to our neighbours -- their twins had to go to two different schools because the local school acquired triplets in Reception (with older siblings in the school, hence higher priority).

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trulybadlydeeply · 21/10/2014 15:39

We were in a similar position last year, very good school 100m up the road, and a church school, so we were guaranteed a place. We knew we didn't want to look elsewhere.

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shushpenfold · 21/10/2014 15:40

We had 3 schools to visit for DS....we visited the first and thought 'meh', and then after number 2 came out beaming. We stopped at that point and hoped beyond hope that he would get in (he did thankfully!)

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tess73 · 21/10/2014 15:48

i only looked at the one they went to.
depends how much you really think you find out on open days - i knew the one i visited was the one she would get into and the one we wanted .

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LL12 · 21/10/2014 15:49

Unless you are say Catholic and have a Catholic school near you aswell then I wouldn't bother looking at anymore.
I found it strange when I visited a local secondary school recently and the head said to visit other schools to see which one suits your child best.
I don't see the point as we would never get a place in any other school due to where we live so it would be a waste of time,

I could look at a school 5 miles away that is oversubscribed and love it but there would be no point in putting it down as a preference (remember it is a preference not a choice) as we would never get a place anyway.

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Sidge · 21/10/2014 16:01

I find it strange that you wouldn't at least go and have a look around both schools.

Just because they're Ofsted Outstanding and are great schools doesn't necessarily mean they'd be great for YOUR child.

However unlikely it is that your child wouldn't get in to your nearest school you may want to visit the other one just in case.

School admissions is a funny old world - you never really know what's going to happen.

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hiccupgirl · 21/10/2014 16:17

I would go just because it's an hour out of your day and you might need to know about the other school if your child doesn't get on at the nearest school or you don't get a place. Unlikely I know but if children with older siblings have priority and there's lots of siblings and maybe a set or 2 of twins then it could happen even at 150m away.

School I know of locally only takes 15 into Reception and this year has 3 sets of twins.

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Frustrated101 · 21/10/2014 16:40

I only visited one primary school and it was one in a different LEA and a number of miles away. There are at least 4 or 5 schools closer but i didnt visit any of them.

I got the school i visited as it was a little known school and not usually full but i could have been unlucky

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BearFeet · 21/10/2014 17:00

We didn't visit any Shock

We moved to the area with 3 good primary schools, we put them in order of closest to our house.
The school is brilliant.

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Purplepixiedust · 21/10/2014 17:25

I didn't visit any! I did talk to other parents and read wbout 20 ofsted reports before going for our catchment one. Out of all the local ones I prefered it and it had the added bonus of being local. Trust your instincts.

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ConcreteElephant · 21/10/2014 17:34

I visited 2 -
Our closest school, which given the ever shrinking catchments was quite likely but by no means a dead cert if it had been a freaky year,

...and the next closest, larger so a dead cert for admission.

But I only did that as the closest school wasn't a sure thing. I wouldn't have bothered otherwise. I do know some people who seem to have visited every school in town just out of nosiness, rather than parental or professional interest. Seems a bit OTT to do that.

If you are sure you want your closest one and DS will definitely get in, then I might not worry about visiting the other. You have to be sure though. I'd go just for a sanity check that the school would suit my DC.

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LittleprincessinGOLDrocks · 21/10/2014 17:34

I only visited the pre-school of my first choice of school, and it wasn't even an official visit, I was actually at an open day for the new sure start centre which was opening next door. They had put on a few activities in the pre-school room, so we had a nosy round whilst we were there. I got such a good feeling from it I signed DD up there and then.
She was very happy there, and progressed in to the school, where both she and her younger brother are doing well.
It was the only school I visited, and it wasn't a proper visit. I just got a feeling for it and knew it was right.
I would say go look around your first choice and see how you feel, if it doesn't feel right then go look elsewhere.

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I8toys · 21/10/2014 17:36

Didn't visit any - ofsted and parental recommendation was fine for me. Fab school.

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