Would special measures secondary put you off a house even though DS isn't school age yet?

[waybuloony]

After two years of hunting we've found a perfect house to buy right by a grade 1 ofsted primary in a nice village between Milton Keynes and Northampton. Only thing is the local secondary is in 'special measures'. Would it put you off the house bearing in mind that Ds1 is currently only three years old? We really hope for this to be a long-term move!

The secondary in question is Roade (although I think it's now called Elizabeth Woodville after a merger with another school) - any local knowledge of the school would be much appreciated.

Also if anyone knows anything about Northampton School for Boys it would be useful too - is it a bit of a lottery to get in there?

Thanks mnetters!!

[CuddyMum]

What village are you moving to?

[waybuloony]

Aha CuddyMum! Yes thanks to your suggestion we visited Olney and love, love, loved it but just didn't feel we'd get enough house for our money. So we discovered nearby Hartwell.
It's obviously a village rather than a town but closer in terms of commute and more affordable. Do you know anything of it? Any luck with selling your house yet?

[suedpantsoffem]

I don't think it would worry me that far ahead. Schools can change a lot in just a few years. If its in special measures, it's probably getting a lot of attention and the only way is up. A few new teachers or head teacher can make a world of a difference.

[DontmindifIdo]

Can you afford private? Is it likely that you could start saving now while your DS is 3 for it to make private possible? The school might get better by the time your DS is ready to go, or it might not, so you then might have to move away from this 'forever' house or find the money for private.

If you could put aside a grand a month, you'd have at least the first 3 years of private secondary saved by the time your DS goes, then continue to save while he's in those years for the following ones/hope he gets a bursery.

If you aren't in the position to do this, then I'm not sure I'd want to buy in that area on the off chance the school improves, it's a big risk, and it'll be hard to leave that house in 7 or so years. (Although renting it out and renting near a better school might be an option, then long term you could move back in)

[CuddyMum]

Still on the market - just reduced the price. Won't leave the area because schools are very good. It's a long time away for your little one to go to Secondary school so I probably wouldn't worry too much. My girls are already at secondary school. If you are thinking private school, Wellingborough is good.

[2beornot]

It really wouldn't put me off. Secondary school is a long long time away and the school could turn around by then. Schools vary a lot depending on their head and one in special measures is likely to get funding it's way

[RCheshire]

It would (and has) put me off, but countering that, anecdotally I've seen a few schools go from special measures to 'good'. Given they'll have more of a focus maybe special measures is more attractive than 'satisfactory' in one sense?

[Cartoonjane]

The chances are it will improve in the time but by how much? I'd be very careful if that school is the only option. Maybe try and find out if there is a new head coming. My experience of a school in special measures is that it was absolutely terrible.

[tricot39]

If i didn't have a solid back up then yes it would put me off. It is not worth the years of worry or all the expense and hassle of moving if it didn't improve.

The one thing i would say is that if you have no grammar or private schools top slicing the intake and average or slightly above income (without a wide variation in that income) then the school is much more likely to come good than other circumstances.

No easy answers sorry - for me it comes down to the calibre of the local intake as well as the school. But i am aiming for a good state comp education for my two which mmight not be what you are after.

[auntpetunia]

It wouldn't and didn't the local state secondary was dire when we moved but decided the primaries where good and it was 7 years till secondary, and it paid off ds is now in year 8 of a good with outstanding features secondary, waiting list's for year 7 this year and we couldn't be happier with the school, gcse results are on the up. 7 years is a long time in the life of a school . If you like the house don't let secondary school stop you.

[waybuloony]

Thanks for all your thoughts.
tricot39 - I'm intrigued by what you say about how grammar/private schools in the area affect the turnaround of a special measures school. Can you explain a bit further? We're also after a good state comp education.

[crazyhead]

Depends whether you really are set on getting your 'forever' house now, and whether you think your finances would have improved enough to buy a grander residence by the time your LO is about 9.

My baby isn't even 1, and I admit we did clock the secondaries where we are buying, but can't quite be bothered to think that far ahead....

[Mandy21]

Absolutely unless there was a possibility of catchment for another school (a very good school) or I could afford private. We moved when our eldest was 3 predominantly for secondary schools. We could have stayed where we were for primary schools, but the secondary school was awful (and the only alternative was private which we're unlikely to afford). Even though we might not be in forever house, I didn't want to move areas again so the house had to be right for at least 10-15 years.

If you're prepared to move again, or take a chance on a poor school improving (it might improve but I'd guess not significantly) the fine, but I definitely wouldn't consider it.

[tricot39]

Well its only a theory and a pretty crude one inspired by a book called School Daze by Andrew Penman.

It is not at all a PC book but it helped cut through all the various reports and performance measures for me.

Schools can change quite quickly in terms of the effectiveness and motivation of staff - for good or bad. So the longer term and more stable influence is the intake and whether they share similar aims and values to your family.

speaking as someone who went to a comp in a deprived city, i have experience of what it is like when the bottom end dominates (for whatever reason). I can't see that outstanding teaching would have changed that much! A failing school with able pupils will be a very different place to a failing school in a deprived area with disenfranchised families. Grammar and private schools will undoubtedly affect the mix at your local school. The question is whether that matters and whether the school would suit you even if it carried the outstanding label!

[StrangerintheNight]

Our nearest secondary school was put in special measures and merged with a more successful school. In the 3 years since DS born its results and morale have significantly improved and it's somewhere that local parents seem happy to send their children.
So give it a chance, and if you still unhappy in a few years then you can reassess options.

[CuddyMum]

Looks like you get a lot of house for your money in Hartwell. I'm not sure I've ever been there but it seems lovely.

[TalkinPeace2]

Special measures rarely lasts over a year or two and schools (unless they are sponsored academies) come out the other side better ....

[HecateHarshPants]

wouldn't bother me at all.

The best school can turn crap in 8 years and the worst school can become outstanding.

Don't make a decision based on something that is eight years away and which you have no way of predicting anyway!

[MurderOfProse]

My local primary was in special measures 5 or so years ago. It's now Outstanding with decent results after the special measures triggered a superhead to the rescue. Maybe that would happen here?