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Original poster

Would you choose your local secondary school or "shop about"?

27 replies

northernlass167 · 23/08/2015 23:38

My DS and DD (twins) will be starting secondary school next year (2016) I have been thinking about secondary schools and we don't really have that much choice in our area.

We have the local school which is an academy opening in September that is a merger of two failed schools in the town but is under a new head and new management. This could either go really well or really badly as the schools were known rivals (fights, bullying etc) and now they want them to get along :S
The catholic school which my DCs have no chance of going to because I refuse to "pretend to be religious" to get them in (I don't think its fare on real religious people if we steal there places by going for a few weeks when they've gone for years)
After that we can go to the next town which has the same choices just about or go further afield where there is a "good" school about 20 minutes away which is ok academically or an "Outstanding" school about 30 minutes away. The outstanding school is the where all the parents want there children and it is the best by far around here both academically and for what they offer extra curricular wise. However, it is really oversubscribed and when you do finally get in there is the problem of arranging the 40 mile round trip transport.

After thinking all of this I just thought, whats wrong with the local school? Is it worth it? Would it not just be as good an education as if they went to a school 20 miles away?

What would you do?
Have faith in the local comprehensive academy or shop around to get what is apparently "the best"?

Thank you

PS. We don't have the option of opting out and going private
a) the budget doesn't stretch
b) there are no private schools in a 40 mils radius so it wouldn't be an option if the budget did manage to stretch

OP posts:
ScentedJasmine · 24/08/2015 08:28

Interesting op.
I am going for our local school. It is a fairly new Academy and previous school failing pupils to extent all locals [esp middle class ones] avoided it like the plague. It seems to me on the up. Recent good ofsted, moving and shaking head teacher who has high aspirations for all pupils. However, bottom line results still below other schools [though rising] and consequently middle class jitters all round. Also for all parents the spectre of 'old' school remains. Apparently not big number of able students yet but ofsted made clear school does well by ALL pupils including more able ones.
I feel it will be ok for my ds. There is a determination at the school to do right by all children and a bubbling spirit of hope for all and my gut says go for it and don't jump ship.
So, it is local school for me and a thick skin to gasps of surprise from other parents. My ds keen too as will know a lot of children going there [although some very good friends won't be] and closest school to us and he is crap on a bike!!
Have you had chat with Head teacher? Maybe worth it if you have any concerns as well as attending open day.
Good luck...

noblegiraffe · 23/08/2015 23:47

It's hard because you don't know how the local school will turn out with the merger.

You need to look for the school that will most suit your DC. If they have SEN, you need to find the one that will give them the most support. If they are sporty, the one with the best teams and facilities. If they are academic, the ones that will stretch them and provide them with the best chance of getting into a top university.

Obviously it's not going to be as straightforward as that, so definitely attend open evenings, look at prospectuses and try to find the best fit for your DC. This won't necessarily be the "best".