Primary schools - where/how to start researching?

[togarama]

This is very much early thinking since DD is only coming up to 2 and I don't even know if I will still be working in the UK when she reaches school age.

However, I am someone who likes to think through decisions very thoroughly. Since DD is our first child I know very little about local schools or admissions criteria. Grateful for some thoughts from more experienced parents on my stupid questions below and generally how you decide/apply to primary schools.

How do you know which state school catchment area you fall into? I've looked through the local council website and found a school catchment map for secondary schools but not for primary schools. I have the impression that all other parents somehow automatically know this information...

Is there any way of rating state primary schools apart from SATs results? I'm pretty ambivalent about academic tests for little kids and am not sure how reliable a test they are of teaching quality.

Are there any good websites where you can see parent feedback / review on both state and independent schools?

Thanks!

[InaraSerra]

You need to draw up a list of local schools, upmystreet will tell you, and local council websites will often have an interactive map where you can put in your postcode and they'll tell you the nearest schools.

You then need to look at the types of school - some will be Church schools, and each school could have a different admission criteria. The council website should tell you what the admission criteria is for each school, or you can get that information direct from the schools website.

Your best bet is probably to start with the nearest schools, and then exclude those that you are not interested in. Draw up a shortlist, read the Ofsted reports, but most importantly go and see them.

[Wigeon]

My DD is only 2.5 and I am only just worrying about nurseries and pre-schools!

But...

Catchment - in our area we don't have catchments, we have admission on basis of various rules (eg priority to children in care, etc etc, and finally, priority in order of closest distance to school). So in 2009 your child might have got into a primary half a mile away, but in 2010 your child might not have, if that year there were lots of applications from children living nearer. Might this be the case in your area? (what area is it?)

Rating primary schools - every primary is inspected by OFSTED. Search for inspection reports here.

Applications process in general - our council has a whole dedicated section on their website about nursery, primary and secondary admissions. Just search on their website and all will be explained.

Final piece of advice - start thinking about pre-schools and nurseries before you think about primary schools! Again, information on your council website about what the local process is. For my DD (born June 2008) we have to apply online by 1 April this year for her to start nursery in January 2012.

Good luck - it is very confusing! Most of my intial information on all this came from chatting to mums at toddler groups etc with older children - they are more than happy to share their knowledge of the system, and their views on the local schools / pre-schools / nurseries.

[togarama]

Thanks both - this looks like a good start but quite complicated. I was hoping it would be much simpler, I think. (Perhaps a single website with a form you fill in which then generates a list of local schools you are eligible for...)

I've read all the schools info on the council website but it doesn't answer my questions. I think it presupposes a degree of knowledge I don't have. I also don't know many other parents in real life and those I do know live in completely different cities so it's helpful to get MN input.

Hopefully I don't need to think about preschools etc.. at all. I've worked f/t since DD was 6 months and she is currently very happy at a local nursery with our ex-au pair babysitting for any extra hours outside nursery days. I plan to keep this arrangement for as long as possible since it's working so well.

[Wigeon]

Yup, quite complicated!

Again, in our area there is no such thing as "schools you are eligible for" because there is no such thing as catchment. But you are more likely to get into schools nearer to you. So you just have to find out where your nearest schools are - this generates a map based on your postcode - and then there should be an explanation of applications / admissions processes on the council website.

Again, in my area there is a degree of simplicity - you do apply online, once, to several schools at once (see here in case you are in Herts). What doesn't make sense on your council website? What council is it?

That's good that you don't need to worry about pre-schools and glad you have a good arrangment already!

[InaraSerra]

Surrey schools info here

[mrsscoob]

There are sites like upmystreet where you put in your postcode and it lists all the schools near you by distance. It has their SATs grades on there I think too. You can also do a distance search through Google too.

[Ooopsadaisy]

Personally I think Ofsteds/SATs and league tables are horribly misleading.

They don't make a school right for your child.

Ask your mates about where their dcs go.

Visit the schools outside of "open days".

Go with your gut instinct (ie, not league tables or where the richest people go).