Choosing Schools - WWYD?

[LondonSuperTrooper]

Hello all,

I need some help please! I would love some help in reaching my decision in which order to rank my DS choices for reception. I have visited all schools in question; I have looked at OFSTED report and league tables...... And I am no closer in choosing a school for my DS! As a single parent I feel the weight of responsibility of choosing the school and have not got anyone to talk this through with. I have just recently moved into the area and do not know any local mums either

School 1 - outstanding OFSTED but is an infant only school with no junior school attached to it, one class of 30 per year and is located 0.8 miles from my house. It's a fabulous school and I really like it but I am not too happy with the junior school that DS will have to transfer to - currently have 99 kids per year!! Local junior 0.5miles away and is ranked 53 in the league table for the county (out of 198 schools).

School 2 - good OFSTED, 4-11 years old, lovely small school, one class of 30 per year and is located 1.2 miles from my house. It's ranked 120 in the league table for the county. The only negative thing that I have heard about it is that 10% of the kids are from the traveller?s camp across the road (long term settlers).

School 3 - Good OFSTED, ranked 11th in league tables for the county (out of 198), 2 classes of 30 per year and is located 5 miles from my house.

DS is quite shy and takes him a while to settle into his surroundings. I am not sure whether I should choose a school based on what he needs now, which is School 1 or what is best in the long term, which is School 3. I want to choose School 3 as I am happy with DS attending there; he will be settled in there from 4-11 years old and has a fantastic reputation. The only down side for me is that it's 5 miles away. I am planning on picking up DS from school 1-2 days a week and having his friends over etc. I am not put off of the distance or the drive.

I should mention that DS hasn't settled or set root anywhere - IYSWIM. He was taken out of nursery after 7 months due to 2 kids picking on him on daily basis. He is currently attending a pre-school in County A but will have to move to County B due to my recent job change. Hence the reason that I would like him to feel settled.

Which schools would you choose? The scary thing is that I am 95% certain that I will get my first choice - based on the last 4 years of admission figures. Many people at work have made much of friendship forged at 4-7 years old etc and that kids suffer when they move over to a different junior schools without their group of friends etc. Also, some have mentioned that DS will not have any local friends. But our life is so busy trying to cram in horse riding and swimming lessons, spending some time alone together and meeting up with my family that I fail to appreciate the impact of him not having any local friends.

I'm rambling now aren?t I? Can you see why I'm confused?! Essentially I am asking - What would you do?

Many thanks if you have read the post & got this far x

[Alaro]

If school 3 is your gut instinct that it is the right one for your dc then go with that. Don't be put off by settled travellers at school 2. In my limited experience there is no problem.

[Snuppeline]

Hi, I think based on continuation of care and your son being allowed to settle into the environment I would, personally, go for choice 3. It has a good ofsted rating and a good rank in the county leage table and will furthermore allow your son to stay in one environment for his whole primary education. You said school 1 was right choice for now but don't forget most schools are very protective of their reception class(es) and they tend not to share any school activities with the larger year groups (so eat lunch and have recess separate from the rest of the school). Which means he should have a safe environment in which to mature. In terms of meeting up with school friends I don't think 5 miles is that far away, at least not prohibitive to having play dates. On balance, given that it seems a good school (Ofsted rating and ranking in county) plus your desire that your ds can put down roots I would go for school 3. Good luck!

[LondonSuperTrooper]

Alaro, the travellers aren't really putting me off from choosing School 2. School 3 being so high up in the league table has swayed me somewhat.

Snuppeline, your reasurance means alot - thank you I feel better aas your post just reinforced what I was thinking.

[rabbitstew]

If you want or need to rely on OFSTEDs, then I would look a bit closer at them and find out what the schools are supposed to be particularly good at and what less good, then ask yourself what you actually want most for your ds? Is your main focus the school's final academic results, the amount by which children's skills improve from start to finish (which is not the same thing), or, provided standards of attainment are acceptable and indicate that children are improving OK on the skills they start with when they enter the school, are you most worried about your ds not having friends or being bullied - in which case, you need to know a bit about pastoral care and children's attitudes and behaviours (which are linked more to the ethos created by the school than the background of the children in a genuinely outstanding school). And then accept that some OFSTED reports are good and some are useless and totally fail to understand the real picture - so you are at a real disadvantage not being able to talk to a few parents from the schools in question. I MIGHT even be cheeky enough to ask the schools whether they could suggest any ways in which you could get to meet local parents so that you can get a better idea of what the schools are like from a parent's point of view...

But of course, more important than anything you need to have been around each school. How did you feel when you did? What was the atmosphere like? Were some of the children showing you around or did you only get access to the headteacher or teaching staff? Did the children look like they enjoyed being in the school? What did the classrooms look like? Did you see any lessons going on, or assemblies?

As for distance from home - I think you've already decided that isn't too vital from your point of view. The only-being-an-infant-school issue does sound like it is an issue for you, though.

[neuroticwhome]

I think Alaro is right about gut instinct. I would be inclined to go with school 3, if that is the one that stands out for you. I don't think 5 miles is that far, unless you are likely to be stuck in traffic every day. You might find the 'school run distance' thread I started useful to get a range of views.

I'm also finding it hard to choose a school - good luck

[rabbitstew]

I personally think value should be placed on whether a school is loved by its local community, which is why I'm a bit wary of OFSTED rankings.

[rabbitstew]

Not that OFSTED doesn't consider this, just that it isn't given much value in the rankings, so far as I'm aware.

[rabbitstew]

Sorry if this sounds a bit patronising! And based on not having had to do this myself for a long time... But you did say you lacked someone to talk it through with!

[rabbitstew]

Oh, one other thought... if the school or PTA does, eg, film nights and other fun activities, will the distance from your home be more of an issue, then? (ie occasionally unpredictable pick-up times or your child coming home and then wanting to go back into school for something).

[rabbitstew]

Oops. Might have made it even harder for you to decide, now. They all sound like perfectly reasonable schools from what you've said.

[LondonSuperTrooper]

Rabbitstew - Thanks for your input and for sharing your opinions. During all of my school visits I have been shown around by the headteachers. I have visited 6 schools in total and my favorites are the ones mentioned in this thread. You are right, I need to look ore closely at OFSTED and for me the most important is the pastoral care & the support and guidance given to the children. If judging from that perspective then I should choose School 1 or School 3.
Also, you are correct in picking up on the infant only school being an issue. It is only an issue in that as I want my DS to feel settled .... and I'm not that happy about him going from a school having a total of 90 pupils to in excess 450 at the junior school! Furthermore, I am not sure whether children of 7 years old make friends quickly or whether he'll have problem settling into the bigger junior school? During my 2 school visits to School 1, the headteacher assured that they have happy, confident children who are eager to learn and that she has never heard of any settling in issues once the children start at the junior school.

My head says School 3 (excellent pastoral care & great league ranking) but my heart says School 1 (had such a nice vibe and the headteacher was fab)

Neurotic - it isn't easy choosing is it?! Are you any closer to making a decision? Good luck to you as well.

[LondonSuperTrooper]

Rabbit, thanks for your thoughts and no I didn't find it patronising

The problem is that I purposely moved to an area with good schools.... I just didn't realise that choosing one would be so hard!

[LondonSuperTrooper]

Also, thanks for talking this through with me

[rabbitstew]

I have one thing to comment on with regard to size of schools. I worried about that, too when I was looking around, because my ds1 was exceptionally fearful and socially awkward. However, the atmosphere at his local 2-form entry school was fantastic and I am now fully converted to the idea that a 2-form entry school can actually be advantageous to a shy child at risk of being bullied.

[Bramshott]

I'd go for school 2 because it's closer to you than school 3 (5 miles to school and back, twice a day is 100 miles a week), also goes through to 11, and personally I prefer smaller schools. I wouldn't be swayed by a higher league table ranking if it meant driving so far.

[rabbitstew]

Now I come to think about it, I'm talking b*llocks about the local community - I don't think our local school is actually very valued, just taken for granted. It is valued by me, though!!!!!

[LondonSuperTrooper]

Rabbit, that's what i thought too. If someone is bullied they can have the option of changing forms. With the smaller school you are stuck!

FYI, local community support the local schools, i.e School 1 & 2. They all say School 3 is fantastic, but oh your son will not get in there

Brams, my mileage will be high. Granted it's not ideal but surely going to a school that is on par with the local private schools and with excellent academic results is worth it?

[Bramshott]

For Primary - no IMHO !

[rabbitstew]

Did you think your ds would fit into school 3, or is your heart not so sure because you think he wouldn't? I would ignore the "on a par with local private schools" feeling, because I think that takes you away from judging impartially what you say you think is more important - ie whether your ds will fit in and feel safe and secure.

Also, when you are sure you will get your ds in, have you considered how many people from as far away as you have actually got their child in there?

[LondonSuperTrooper]

LOL

I thought getting the academic grounding is important. Especially if I'm considering 11+ grammer or even private secondary (that is, if I won the lottery!!)

[LondonSuperTrooper]

Rabbit, I think that DS will probably fit into School 3 but I know that he will love School 1!! I am slightly worried about him being so small and sharing the playground with the older kids though.....

Yes, I have considered that scenario and hence that is how i know that he has a good chance of getting into School 3. I know that he will DEFINTELY get into School 1 & School 2..... unless the catchment area shrinks a hell alot more than the previous 3 years!

I live in an affluent area and half the parents seem to choose private for their DC and probably why there is a wide catchment area.

[rabbitstew]

But are you really saying your ds won't get the academic grounding in the other schools?

Maybe you need to consider your ds's secondary education, too, then - are the local secondaries any good? Would you only be happy if he got into grammar school? What do you actually want him to get out of life? (Do not let me go any further - I've spent an entire other thread giving the world my philosophy on what education is currently about and what in an ideal world it should be all about!!!!!!!).

[TheNextMrsDepp]

Ours went to a school which sounds very like School 1 - small village infant school, outstanding ofsted etc and it gave them an absolutely fantastic start. It was small enough to make them all feel special and they all came out very confident.

There were a choice of three junior schools to move onto, and as it happened, none of my three ended up at the same one as their closest friends, but it hasn't been a problem, they have all settled into the "bigger" environment at the junior school without any worries.

I think staying with your community is important, especially as the children grow up and get out and about by themselves, go round to friends' houses etc. I'm noticing this at the moment - we have recently moved to a new village about 5 miles from the dcs junior school. It wasn't worth transferring schools (mine are already Yr6, Yr5 and Yr3), but in many ways I wish they were actually at the school in the new village because I miss those community links. I don't think the commuting distance is really the issue, but having all their mates miles away will become a pain (trust me).

So I'm saying school 1!! You say you are not happy with the junior school he will have to move onto, but remember he'll be a big 7yo by then, and it won't be as scary a place as it seems now.

Good luck anyway, you'll be onto senior school selection soon enough!!

[earwicga]

School 2 would be my choice and yay to the diversity! A school 5 miles away is too far for your child to have local friends and you too.

I chose the wrong school for my children and had to change them half way through Year 1. It wasn't great.

[LondonSuperTrooper]

Rabbit, ummmm I believe that he will get better results at School 3 but OK results at School 2. I guess I'm more academically driven (how I was brought up) and believe that he must go to university etc. Ultimately, my aspirations for him is to have a professional job and a reliable income! I work in consultancy and his father is a doctor and I'm assuming that he will follow on with a good job theme..... have I opened up a can worms with that statement?!?

Mrs Depp, I sort of do agree with you and hence my dilemma. I would like it for him to walk down to his friends etc but then I weigh it up with achieveing better standards academically and end up getting confused as to which is more important
I have access to 3 good secondary schools.... but no doubt I will be posting on that when the time comes

Earwicga, I like School 2 and yes diversity is important. I am only worried that if DS is picked on/bullied there will be a potential problem as there is no option to change forms etc.
Just out of interest, how did you choose the wrong school? Why was it the wrong school?