Online Gossip/Informal Info about Local Schools?... -Norwich!

[zebra]

Is there somewhere online where we can find out "local" info about primary schools in particular places? We want to move to another city, and are trying to figure out where to buy partly on the basis of which primary schools our children would attend. The house prices in the "best" school's catchment area are extortionate; I feel sure that some of the nearby schools must be good enough, and we'd get a lot more house for a money, but how to tell? Have read Ofsted reports, but they are all years old and can't tell the whole story. What we need is local parent info, gossip, opinions. Upmystreet has some chat boards, but they aren't much used. Are there any online places for school gossip?

[lucy123]

I think Mumsnet is the best place!

There are several good schools in Norwich (know this because friends' kids go there). But as it goes, I think you can never really tell which schools are any good until your child goes there, or at least until you visit the place.

When are you moving?

[marialuisa]

zebra, if you can spare the time it is probably best to go to Norwich and have a look at the schools yourself. We bought a house in an area which has a church school (what we wanted) with an excellent reputation locally, great SATS, Ofsted etc..When we looker around DH and I both came away saying "over my dead body". We had the same response to several highly thought of schools around here

Sometimes schools which aren't local favourites can be better suited to a particular child. I'm a bit wary of other parents' opinions as they don't necessarily keep pace with changes and if you're looking around their house they will tell you what you want to hear!

[marialuisa]

Just a few more thought, it might be better to concentrate on the catchment areas of acceptable senior schools, as these take a lot longer to change. A really good school will not turn bad in 5 years and vice versa. It's also easier to get a child into a primary outside the catchment area than a secondary.

Also, from bitter experience. Have you thought about renting for 6 months and having agood nose round then? Obviously not so great if your kids need to start school straight away...

[zebra]

We were going to rent for 4-6 months, but then our house sale fell thru & now we have decided the rent cost is so high we should go ahead & buy. Secondary schools is too far way for me to think about, just now we can always move again in 6 years or so. We need to be in the catchments by March to get DS into a school of our choosing, and since we don't even have an offer for our house at the moment, we just have to try to buy in the "right" place. We are going to go visit schools personally next week, but realistically we may only have half an hour at very most to look at any school and is that enough to really tell if the school has a good atmosphere?

Lucy123: The schools we are looking at are all middle schools: The Avenues, Bignold, Fairway, Wensum, Colman, Kinsale and Lakenham. Ring any bells?

Lakenham & Wensum are biggest question marks. Avenues has wildly high test results, but I am very nervous that high achieving schools only care about & truly support children who will help maintain their high test results (this is the horrible story I repeatedly hear about one of the local "good" schools where we live now). I know for a fact that Avenues are extremely strict about their Catchment area.

[zebra]

Oh, and Bullying. The tradition in British schools of "Swots" being bullied makes me very nervous, too, just in case my kids do turn out to be high achievers.

So, I'm afraid they'll do badly at a "good" school if they are not high achievers, and badly at a "mediocre" Council-estate school if they are high achievers. You can tell I was badly bullied, for being eccentric (to the great recent amusement of Mnetters). If every school had a bullying rating, I'd probably choose that over any other indicator.

[lucy123]

sorry Zebra - can't remember! I think my friends' kids go to Bignold (having looked on a map), but not sure. Whichever one it is, it's serving them well anyway.

Agree about high test results sometimes being the result of questionable teaching practices though.

I'll find out more for you if I can. I'd be interested to know what you find out though as my long-term plan is to move back to Norwich sometime in the next few years. It's a great city!

[lucy123]

yes but bullying is not as simple as that. I was bullied at school (I was also a high acheiver but that wasn't why I was bullied). I have friends who were high-acheivers in slum schools who weren't bullied and vice versa (IYSWIM). I think just making sure the school has some sort of policy on it is all you can do.

One of the reasons I like Norwich anyway is that its a bit of a city of misfits. When you visit, look out for all the goths - it's one of the last places you'll see them!

[Philly]

We lived in norwich for about 6 years but left before ds started school,we are going up to see friends this weekend though so will ask around about schools.It is a fantastic place to live and I would return like a shot if I could,in fact it is not beyond the bounds of possibility.

From memory the Avenues has a very good reputation and is in a lovelly area to live in close to the City.Colman Middle and Bignold also have good names I think.You should be aware that in the City they have the middle school system.

I have found schoolsnet a useful source on schools they have a regional guide listing all the schools in an area and guides to them.

If I find out anything useful this weekend I will post again.

[motherinferior]

I went to the Avenues, but about 30 years ago. Wouldn't mind moving back to Norwich myself in some ways, I find myself realising somewhat to my surprise when visiting my parents...