Kerr mackie, gledhow or spring bank?

[elkobadelko]

Hello
I am moving with a four year old, and we have been offered a choice of three primary schools to send him to. I feel like we have very little information to go on, the ofsted reports are not very up to date. Does anyone have any knowledge of Kerr mackie, gledhow or spring bank?
He is a very bright, confident and energetic little boy, can be disruptive. What are the teachers like? The other parents?
Thanks!

[whatsthecomingoverthehill]

No personal experience but I've heard that Spring Bank is good. Are you walking distance to any of them (makes life much easy day to day and for socialising). To be honest to be given a choice of 3 is pretty lucky, most of north Leeds it's pretty much wherever you get landed with!

[Curlyshabtree]

Gledhow just had a bad Ofsted if you're worried about stuff like that.

[ApocalypseNowt]

Hi, DD1 goes to Kerr Mackie. We were interested in Gledhow to start with but I got a much better feel from Kerr Mackie - seemed really friendly and a lovely caring environment.

Gledhow have changed HT, had a bad ofsted and are going to 3 form entry. I'm really glad we changed our minds.

DD is only in year 1 but I've been really impressed so far. Her reception teacher was great and her yr 1 teacher seems very good too. Parents are really friendly.

It had a big mix of children from different backgrounds which I think is a really good thing (i.e. in my DD's class there's no one group that's massively bigger than any others).

Don't know much about spring bank though.

Any further questions just shout!

[ApocalypseNowt]

Whereabouts will you be living btw? Gledhow and Kerr Mackie are pretty much round the corner from each other but Sprink Bank is Headingly way?

[Feenie]

Spring Bank is an excellent school, but as a previous poster said, it's not near the other two.

[astrotel]

If any of those schools have a reception place then I would snap it up quickly as they will go very quickly.

[elkobadelko]

Thanks so much for the replies!
The situation is that we currently have a place at spring bank but its a 40 minute drive every morning (we moved house in July!)
Its also not going very well - three weeks in he seems to be getting into trouble a lot so far.
He has now been offered a place at kerr mackie and we only get 48 hours to decide! I think we're going to go for it. it was nerve wracking that we didnt have any word of mouth on the place, so i especially thank apocalypsenowt for the feedback!
Fingers crossed he will be a better fit for kerr mackie and we can have less painful mornings to boot.

[ApocalypseNowt]

40 min drive!? I think you're making the right decision to change OP.

As i've said i've got DD in yr 1 at Kerr Mackie - her teacher in reception was amazing. If you want to chat any more or have any other questions do send me a message. Hope you and your DS find Kerr Makie a better fit xx

[Rita76]

You're definitely right to go to your closest school if you can.

What was he getting into trouble for though? Depending on what it was, it's unlikely to change at a new school and could even be exacerbated by a change of settings so soon - he's only 4. Something to keep an eye on if you can.

[MrsWooster]

Kerr Mackie is feeder for Roundhay which is a good bet...

[Feenie]

There's not really such a thing as a feeder school - depends on living in the catchment area, which is ridiculously small for Roundhay.

[MrsWooster]

You know what I mean.

[Feenie]

But it's of no relevance unless the OP lives within the catchment, so it's better to be clear. Half my child's class went to Roundhay - we were the other side of Chapel Allerton so no chance. Feeder schools do not exist.

[Normalserviceissuspended]

Feeder schools exist for the Catholic High Schools.

[Feenie]

Which Roundhay is not (for clarification).

[ApocalypseNowt]

Roundhay does have a feeder school in effect - Roundhay Primary which opened a few years ago. All those children are guaranteed a place where previously a lot of them wouldn't have fallen within the catchment.

[Feenie]

That's the same school!

[Feenie]

www.roundhayschool.org.uk

[ApocalypseNowt]

That's why I said 'in effect'.

The primary site is about 2 miles away from the high school and because it's on the edge of the park its catchment is even further away. So if you're in the catchment of roundhay primary you get a guaranteed place a the high school even though there will be plenty of children living closer who won't.

[Serialweightwatcher]

Definitely Roundhay Primary if you can - I would personally avoid Kerr Mackie but can't go into reasons - Moor Allerton is a good school and not far from Gledhow Primary

[Feenie]

She hasn't been offered a place at either of those schools...

[ApocalypseNowt]

You can't go into reasons but suggest she avoids Kerr Mackie? Then suggest 2 schools OP hasn't been offered a place at?

What an odd post.

[Dontwanttodoanything]

Why avoid Kerr Mackie?? serial, are you a teacher there? We're in the catchment and we're going to choose it over Gledhow. It seems to be a lovely school. Children from diverse backgrounds. I'm genuinely intrigued to know what the problem is...