What would a "bad" schools' results be like?

[buckingfollocks]

I was planning on moving house due to a poor catchment school in relation to the others in my town but due to now separating from my husband, looks like we will not be able to move after all.
But now I wonder whether the nearby one is that bad after all in comparison to other schools nationally. I can find average national results but I guess they are swayed by very low and very high one's.
If it was just primary I would not be too concerned, but it's a middle (Yr 5 - Yr8) and can only find the schools KS2 results so is hard to judge.
So I was wondering if anyone would are to share the kind of results of schools near to them that are one's you would never send your child to. Many thanks

[mrz]

A "bad" school could have good results just as a "good" school may have "average" results there is a lot more to things to consider than NC levels IMHO.
Only KS2 results are published I'm afraid

[auntpetunia]

you are probably going to visit the school have a good look round if they will allow it during a normal school day, ask as many questions as you can and even ask any parents are the gate at home time what they think of the school. Does it have a website can you get a feel for what they do at the school and what the ethos is? for year 5 to 8 they will only publish the KS2 results as there are no other tests in that time frame, the tables usually show the national average the LEA average and the school score. What is so bad about it?

[Talkinpeace]

define "bad"
and define who for .....

I know of schools that MC white mums would run a mile from
BUT
who do astounding things with kids arriving in year R without a word of English (average SATS results ...)

I also know nice MC schools that are coasting and sitting back on their laurels so much that if they ever DID get a challenging pupil they would implode!

The MOST (bar none, regardless of finances) important factor in childrens academic outcomes is
maternal intelligence and engagement
provide that and you can overcome most other things.

[Haberdashery]

The results probably aren't the most important thing. Look at the cohort you think your kids are in (middle, low or high attainers) and also the value added measure rather than the raw results. And go and have a look at the school - you might be surprised.

[BetsyBoop]

Ditto what has already been said about it being about more than just SATS results - but check out the ofsted dashboard results for the schools in question, particularly the % of pupils making the expected level of progress in KS2 ( or not, as the case may be!)
dashboard
(hope link works, on my phone)

[trinity0097]

Be grateful it's a middle school which are generally fab and protect your children from older teens in yr 7 and 8! Middle schools often suffer at KS2 because the only data that a first school is judged on is there KS1 and so it's far easier for a school to massage those figures to make them look good, then children make little or no progress in yrs 3 and 4, the middle school then picks up the flack and their value added looks pants, but they have done amazing things in less than 2 years! I speak from experience working in a middle school whereby most children (from 5 first schools!) entered yr 5 having made one or no sulevels of progress since yr 2, so if we slightly missed their target it reflected badly on us, but by yr 8 they were working well above where they should be!

[RosemaryandThyme]

Maybe consider what you would be able to provide if they did attend this school.

It might be time - a local school where children can go home for tea then pop along to scouts, cook cakes with mum or head of to the park etc could make for a happier childhood than upheaval and longer school commute.
Could not changing schools mean you have more money to provide things that you think a better school would provide ? internet learning type games, wider choices of books, sports classes etc
If the social side is worrying, low level class disruption, swearing, generally difficult/unkind children that would concern me more.

[buckingfollocks]

Many thanks everyone for your replies.
Indeed, by staying where I am will have lots of time with the children before and after school and hopefully enough money to provide those extras.
It is more the social side of things, based on behaviour I have seen from children walking back from the local school. But maybe it is just because my DC's have not yet reached that age yet so find how older childrren behave slightly aargh! And when I think back to how I was at that age and the group I hung around with I suppose I just need to let go and hope she picks a good bunch of friends for herself, which she seems to be doing so far.

[auntpetunia]

I know what you mean about groups walking home but if you really watch at home time you will find you are only noticing a very small group who "misbehave " and not how many are just happily walking along chatting. Like anything you will notice the noisey ones. don't let them put you off.