What if the primary school does not have a website?

[Fiona2011231]

Dear all,

I'm preparing for my son's application as he is currently three years old.

We know our school of first choice; however, it is not the nearest school. So we think we should be careful to choose another comparable school as second choice.

This second school is judged as 'good' by Ofsted. However, it does not have a website and the Ofsted report was from 2009.

In this internet age, does it say anything if a school does not bother to have a website? Is it a negative factor to indicate the quality of that school?

Thank you.

[mrz]

Web sites can be expensive and can be more bother than they're worth.
We've just had a new one "professionally" created ... the front page has another school's logo on the banner and the information doesn't relate to us ...annoying to say the least

[Goldenjubilee10]

Our school website, only created in the last year, is pretty dire. Two other local schools have fantastic sites. I prefer our school and I have had a child there since 2000.

[Goldenjubilee10]

Not the same child by the way!

[piprabbit]

Visit the school and talk to other parents.

If that's where you want to send your DS, then you can volunteer to help with a website.
IMO a good website is worth it's weight in gold when it comes to communicating with parents and children. If a school didn't have a website, I'd worry about what other technologies are they failing to use appropriately and I'd want to know how they communicate with parents and share information. But those are really good questions to ask when you visit - and you might be pleasantly surprised by the answers.

[Pyrrah]

Considering the website at DD's school, which has so many spelling mistakes and grammatical errors that I wonder they can call themselves a school, it may be less worrying if there isn't one at all!

I do think it is pretty poor in this day and age that schools don't have decent websites. In the same way that it seems bizarre that you can't set up direct debits to pay for school lunches.

[Fiona2011231]

Thanks to everyone for your opinion. After some careful thought I decided to make it my second choice, because their 2011 test results were very good.

[roadkillbunny]

Please don't choose a school on ofsted and SATs alone! Go and see the school, talk to the head, ask the very good questions about lack of website given up thread!
I find it hard to imagine if I had a choice of accessible schools that I could access not going to view them.
The ofsted is years old, you don't know if the head or other staff have changed since then, the results for last year is just one cohort, it could have been s bright group with parents who paid tutors, if you are going to look at results at all you have to look at at least 5 years worth to get any real idea.
You can't pass judgment on a school or know if its the right one for you without visiting and if possible speaking to people with children currently at the school. You also need to check the admission arrangements for all your top options to see what your Likly chances of a place are, you don't want to list 3 schools you like the look of best if you don't meet enough admission criteria to gain a place, all will happen then is you will get given a place at the nearest school with places left after everyone else has had their preferences taken into account, this will often be an unpopular school a long way from home. Really it takes more then looking at ofsted, SATs results an a website to choose your school preferences and this is from somebody who didn't view my dc's school and only put one preference down but our situation is not very usual (rural village, only school I could get DC to, very high up criteria, outstanding school, fab results but most importantly very well regarded in the community, didnt get a bad word about it from a soul. It just never occurred to me to look around as I didn't have any choice. My situation is not normal!), please view the schools!

[TroublesomeEx]

Don't base your decision on SATs outcomes alone. Or even the Ofsted report. Or the absence of a website.

You really need to visit the school, meet the HT - are they friendly and approachable; interact with the children - do they hold the doors open? do they smile and say 'hello'?; look at the environment - are there displays of children's work? Is it an attractive environment?

The lack of a school website might just mean that they don't have a member of staff there who possess the time/skills necessary to create a website.