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Help! Which Primary School??? (Very long, sorry)

13 replies

walkingprimrose · 22/11/2008 01:06

Hi, got to apply for primary school and can not decide between 2. Our original plan was to send dd to St Josephs RC Primary School as we lived in a catchment area for a really dodgy school (I know, I know - terrible and wrong, send to local school etc). Anyway, so we have sent her to the feeder nursery for the catholic primary school, so that she would know plenty of children already when she started. However we have just moved house and we are now in the catchment area for the local, excellent Westfield Infant School which is within walking distance. Both husband and I just don't know which route to take. Any opinions?

Here are some points we are considering about each school:

St Josephs RC Positive*
-'Good' ofsted.
-Easy to get to from home (short car journey)
-Everyone whose children I know who have been there have loved it.
-DD goes to the feeder nursery.
-School is feeder school to the best secondary in the town.
-Seems more racially mixed that most schools in this area.
-Stresses that there is a really caring emphasis / school ethos.
-Dds cousins already at school.
-Wouldn't have to change schools as it is infants & juniors.
-Uniform.

Negative
-I didn't like the feel of the school when I went round, it seemed daunting to me.
-Catholic school- although we are catholic we're not really proper practising catholics anymore. How confusing will this be? Surely its wrong to send one's child to a religious school when one isn't truly committed to that religion..? Although know plenty who have done this & children seem fine.
-Not walking distance.
-Not attractive outdoor space.
-September intake so dd will only be 4yrs 2mths.
-Seems very traditional in its approach (is this good or bad?)
-Crazy dinnerhall, have heard the little ones sometimes struggle with it as its so noisey etc.

Westfield Infants (reception - yr 2)
Positive
-'Outstanding' Ofsted
-Very nice friendly feel to the school,does not seem at all daunting.I really liked it.
-Appears very relaxed approach compared to St Josephs more tradional style.
-Walking distance of home
-Never heard a bad word about it.
-2 intakes so dd will be 4yrs 6mths.
-Lovely outdoor space

Negative
-Dd wouldn't be going with all the children she knows.
-Most of the other children at her nursery will go to school in September as they will go to St Josephs (including her cousin) whereas she would stay there for another 4 months if we took this route.
-Will have to change in schools to go to junior school (walking distance too); local one is fine but possibly not as good as St Josephs ('Satisfactory' Ofsted).
-This route is not the one to the 'best secondary' in town (which is Catholic) most of the children who go to this school go on to another secondary (good but not as good).
-No uniform.
-Very white middle class, not culturally / racilly mixed at all.

(Am aware that things can change with regards to the secondary schools, probably thinking too far ahead there.)

Do we continue down the route we've started, or go really local? Can't work out why I didn't like St Josephs when I first went round - have been back twice, feel abit better but still...??? I don't know...tense... maybe??? So much consider, how do I make that choice, can't think straight anymore. Need some opinions. Thanks in advance. x

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ScummyMummy · 22/11/2008 04:59

This is not very helpful in terms of making the choice, I know, but it sounds to me like both are good schools and your daughter is likely to be happy at either one.

I would go local if it was my decision- friendliness, relaxed feel, walking distance would be my key reasons. However, I'm not religious, so would pretty much discount St Js on that account. I think your key question should be: do you want dd to have a Catholic education? If not, it seems a no-brainer to pick the nearer one since it sounds so nice.

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twentypence · 22/11/2008 07:04

I realised that it was important to me that ds could sing carols at Christmas, and so he goes to a church school.

And this means a car trip each day and that most of his classmates don't live on the next street.

It is a feeder for an incredibly posh school which I can't really see myself getting me head around sending ds to - but like you say a lot can change.

If you didn't like the "feel" of St Josephs I would say that would be enough that you shouldn't send your child there.

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piscesmoon · 22/11/2008 08:07

If you haven't already visited Westfield juniors I would go and see them before you decide.

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seeker · 22/11/2008 08:08

Never send you child to a school you don't like the "feel" of.

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Dragonbutter · 22/11/2008 08:32

i agree with seeker

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piscesmoon · 22/11/2008 09:25

The feel is the most impostant, which is why you need to see Westfields junior (the infant yrs are short).

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cory · 22/11/2008 09:37

Seems to me there is quite a lot going for Westfields there. The big one of course being that you didn't like the feel of St Joseph's. The proximity of Westfields could also be quite important. Think about those mornings when you've been up all night with D&V and you still have to get your lo to school. I would worry about the best secondary when you get to that stage- things change. The important thing for now is to give her a good start.

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pickie · 22/11/2008 09:54

agree with Seeker too. Its what we did and it has been the right decision for us. We still see the other children at playdates & holidays

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walkingprimrose · 22/11/2008 09:54

thanks for your replies everyone ...
piscesmoon - have been to the junior school (Old Hall) and it seems v. nice too, but it didn't get as good an ofsted as St Josephs. This is what makes it so hard - if the junior school was as good as the infants there'd be no contest. Should I go for: outstanding infants, ok juniors or good infants & juniors?!

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sarararararah · 22/11/2008 09:57

Wouldn't worry about the ofsteds too much if I were you! Anyway, it's a while till your dd will go to the jumiors so is extremely unlikely to be the same by then anyway!

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mrspnut · 22/11/2008 09:59

I wouldn't take any notice of the ofsted reports, go for the school that you think your child will be happy at.

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piscesmoon · 22/11/2008 10:06

I wouldn't take any notice of the ofsteds-I know some top ones that are miserable places! Go on gut feeling.

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seeker · 23/11/2008 08:58

My ds's school only has a "satisfactory" OFSTED. It is a big (420) primary school with a very very "mixed" catchment - ranging from children from what is officially one of the most deprived estates in the South East to children of "down-from-Lunnon-commuter-bodenistas" . Results aren't brilliant on paper, but it is a gloriously happy, buzzy place where the children are taught to be nice to each other, and where the grown-ups are nice to the children and where they are taught to care about themselves, their community and the wider world. I would love it to be higher up the League tables, but I wouldn't swap the atmosphere for more level 5s!

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