I need to apply for my PFB eldest's school place. We have 3 choices and I'm really struggling to weigh up the pros and cons. DD has twin brothers 1 school year behind her so I really feel like I'm choosing for all 3.
school 1: our local village school. The only one in walking distance. 1 form entry and takes 35. Split up into mixed year groups for key stage 1 (though all together for music and PE). It has form for letting more in on appeal- has taken up to 39 in one class. They are then all together for key stage 2. It's a church school with an outstanding ofsted. lots of reward systems in place that im.not sure i like. Our concerns are class size especially as dt1 hates big and busy and that should it be a big year for DD (and there's 41 in the village preschool which feeds into it for school next year) and she struggles we won't be able to move into a smaller school as with the dts we'd be looking for 3 spaces in the same class.
school 2: smaller school in the next village over. 2 miles away but along winding single track country roads so not child-biking suitable I don't think. Takes 15. only 15 in reception then mixed year teaching from there in so a standard class of 30. Gets an ofsted good, has a newish head who seems great, not a religious school. They also do some forest school stuff but kind of as and when. Buses children to and from a bigger village school so does offer before and after school care. my concern is would it push them academically if they were bright, especially the older children of the mixed year class? it was pulled up in its ofsted for that- with the previous head though.
school 3: furthest away- 6.5 miles. but under subscribed so we would get in. They take up to 14 but never normally have more than 11 at the most. Reception alone then mixed year teaching . Well set up forest school programme, seems lovely, ofsted outstanding and they say there's nowhere they could improve. My concern is the distance there and no local friends.
So I can't weigh up in my mind which is most important; being able to walk to school? local friends? smaller classes? more academic? more fun and outdoors based?
seriously driving myself bonkers!
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Can someone give any primary school choice advice- and preferably knock some sense into me?!
48 replies
DreamingOfAFullNightsSleep · 02/12/2014 19:00
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