What to look for in a primary school?

If schools have lots of dc who cannot access secondary curriculum due to poor English and maths, that is a concern. Vibe tells you very little. Noisy would put me off. Plenty of activities such as sport and music are vital for me. Lots of Sen and school resources will be stretched. I guarantee it.

You need to consider your catchment and what schools are oversubscribed. Councils are, quite rightly reducing intake to encourage children into their catchment schools.

If you’re in an area with generally good schools then my experience is that primary schools are all much of a muchness.

@Needadvce In many areas you won’t get a wide “choice”. You need to be fairly sure DC will stand a chance of getting in. No point wasting your time and loving a school you cannot get into. First of all check the past admission data on your LA admissions web site. Then check the schools admissions policy. Do they select on religion, or do they have a catchment area? You must put a “banker” school within your preferences. If you only pick ones you are likely to be rejected from, and are, the LA will choose for you. Remember criteria and catchments can change. Make a reasonable shortlist (it might be very short) and then look in more detail. Ask parents about those schools. Apologies if you have already done this.

My main tip is look at the whole school. Look at sats, government data about attainment, Ofsted if within last 4 years, and Sen data. Then look at organisation of YR and, crucially, what’s on offer for KS2. It’s easy to love YR and never consider what’s it’s like for 11 year olds. Do they have lots going on? Are classrooms places where learning is purposeful or a mess?What is the head like? Do teachers seem competent and happy? Look at dc coming out of the schools and the parents. Would you see yourself there?

Most schools rated Good by Ofsted are good. Don’t seek out Outstanding. Look at RI rated if they have sustained improvement. Always look for happy and enthusiastic dc. A red flag for me is not getting average attainment. Below average would make me want to know what the school is doing about it.

Just vibe. Personally for primary school I wouldn't be looking at English and maths results, I'd be more concerned with pastoral care and an emphasis on children's qualities outside of test results.

Our school does a full day of forest school in P1 and P2 which is a huge plus for me. And we're in NI where the 11+ (by various other names) is a big deal, but after they sit the exams they have a forest school day where they burn the test papers and make smores.

But mainly we chose it as it's walkable from our house and well regarded locally. Job done.

Distance is vital. You want to be able to walk there and back.

Well supported (at home) children, will do well enough anywhere. Read lots, talk to your child about their day, and value education.

Kind and caring staff

Breakfast / afterschool club, if you need them

This might be irrelevant to your situation but my advise is to not get set on a particular school. We ended up with our fourth choice, due to a massively oversubscribed area. It's been fine, which leads me to believe most primary schools are basically fine.

Distance is the main thing I think. You'll be going there twice a day, being able to walk is a huge positive, better for the kids and the planet. As long as the school is decent you won't go far wrong. The biggest impact on a child's experience in primary school is their teacher, and that's the one thing you don't have any control over!

What your first impressions are on the open days

Ours are at a village school with about 200 students. However the headmistress on the way round was greeting every child by name. I also liked the school ethos and how most children seemed to have manners. With excuse me please miss or thank you etc. It's a very nurturing school and whilst aiming for the academics it is also clear on how the academy want to create rounded individuals.

Consider whether you’ll actually get in - no point setting your heart on somewhere you don’t stand a chance of being offered a place at. There’s a lot to be said for being able to walk to school and having very local friends.

Key stage results do tell you something but not everything, so use with caution. Eg a school near us gets very high results but part of that is they really discourage children with special educational needs (SEND) from attending the school. A more inclusive school may get lower results but focus more on diversity and empathy.

Ultimately your gut will tell you a lot when you go and look round. What are the people like? Are they warm & friendly? Can they answer your questions?

Available outdoor space. I really appreciate that my children’s primary school has a large field, great for after school football and also events such as sports day/summer fayre.