Active discussions

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Secondary education

Connect with other parents whose children are starting secondary school on this forum.

Original poster

Really boring poncey dilemma about houses and schools. Please help.

37 replies

PeachesMcLean · 03/05/2007 21:46

I can't believe I've turned into a woman who writes a thread like this. I've also read this thread, hoping to find the answer, but frankly it's not helping. I still can't decide what to do and need some practical suggestions, please!

Not an unusual story: we're moving house and really really want to go to a lovely part of Cardiff. Beautiful old houses, trees, lots of playing out space, good shops, really lovely atmosphere. One problem, crap schools. The local comp is failing and the council want to close it. The alternative is a Church in Wales school with a good reputation. So do we join the other parents (I'm sure there are several) and start going to church to get him in there? Generally, I only go in churches to look at the architecture, DS isn't even christened.

Now, if the council gets its way with a rewriting of the catchment areas, our dream house will become catchment area for a very good state school. So all would be well. But that's a risk because the last council plan got thrown out. Or, DS could stay in his current lovely primary, which is fairly local to the dream house but there wouldn't be any other kids nearby who go there, and then he could go to the secondary that his school feeds into. Its reputation has been fairly average I think but it's had an excellent inspection report recently. However, I really want him to have school friends that live locally.

And, DS is only 6, so am I getting my knickers in a twist about something that's a long way off and all the schools could change anyway in that timeframe?

So, what do I do?
a) start going to church? And if so, how often do you have to go and for how many years (school admission policy doesn't specify - I think they're not very strict)
b) live in hope that the council will change the catchment areas after all
c) stick with the lovely primary / ok secondary across town
d) choose to live somewhere which isn't nearly as nice but has good schools (don't want to live anywhere else. Feel like sulking at the thought)

Anyone still awake after that? Sorry so long and complicated, I hope someone manages to work their way through it!

OP posts:
marialuisa · 04/05/2007 14:49

I'm from Cardiff and unless I'm miles off-track I think I know the areas and schools you are referring to. Most friends we have in the area have opted for Welsh medium schools as the CinW school does have a pretty rigorous policy on how long/regularly you should have been attending for. There's quite a bit going on for kids in the area I'm thinking of so if your DS could go to cubs or something je would soon make friends. Kids used to "play out" too.

rarrie · 04/05/2007 11:52

Option C and enrol him in the cubs where you live. Children are incredibly adept at having differnt friends in school to those outside. I went to school out of catchment, and never thought anything of having two sets of friends - I just had two best mates, that's all!
If the situation changes with the catachment, you can review the situation then.

Hulababy · 04/05/2007 11:24

I'd leave DS where he is for now. So long as you are prepared to be a taxi sevrice occasionally for playdates, etc. then it will be fine. At DD's school very few of the girls live in walking distance of each other, but it hasn't stopped them forging friendships in and out fo school. DD also has local friends as well, in addition to schoolf riends.

Ladymuck · 04/05/2007 11:22

Find a church with a decent kids program - you may need to shop around a bit but actually 10yos can have a great time at church esp if it is one with a flourishing youth program (complete with clubs etc). You may have to compromise on the architecture though!

I don't know Cardiff and I live in London. Perhaps it is due to the multi-ethnic mix that we have here, but it is really not typical for all the kids in one street to go to the same school ime. Even in the areas which have great primary schools, there will be a mix.

Perhaps Cardiff has far fewer schools therefore there is little option?

Original poster
PeachesMcLean · 04/05/2007 08:11

Thanks everyone. So no-one's suggesting D? that's interesting. I was thinking perhaps I really shouldn't be so fussy and just seek a compromise elsewhere.

I do really want DS to live in an area where the local children all go to the same school, but that's to do with my own paranoia about him being lonely. He's an only child with no cousins and DH and I aren't one for huge circles of friends, so the poor child is doomed really if we don't make every effort to ensure there's lots of potential friends around. Though Ladymuck, you're right in that you can never plan for sod's law.

The CiW school's admissions policy just says the school is for children of families which attend a church. Doesn't say for how long or whether you need a letter, and I suspect it's on the less strict, modern end of church schools, if you see what I mean.

Do you have to take your children to church with you? What chance will I have of getting a 10 year old boy there? What do you tell them? "Come on we're going to church. I know that makes mummy and daddy hypocrites but we're also snobs and want a nice middle class school for you"

OP posts:
DominiConnor · 04/05/2007 00:17

The change in boundaries only helps you if it happens before your child starts school.
If they change the boundaries after, then tough.

From what Peaches says, the council is faffing around, so odds are it won't make any difference.

Thus it does rather look like a no brainer, do what it takes your kid to get into a good school.

TheodoresMummy · 04/05/2007 00:13

Move to dream house.

Keep DS in lovely Primary for now.

Be prepared to ferry him about to play with friends if necessary.

Keep up with developments regarding other primaries, secondaries, catchment areas.

brimfull · 03/05/2007 23:37

I think I would go with option c ,you may have the option of changing senior schools later to the local one.
I DO think local schoolfriends are important,especially at the teen stage when they can walk everywhere.

Clary · 03/05/2007 23:35

Ladymuck I beg to differ on yr first point.

Both DH and I went to selective schools a fair way from home (6 miles in my case, more like 15 in his) and certainly most of my pals seemed to live 10 miles in the other direction. Any distance like that is huge when you are 13 with no transport.

I do think going to the school where the kids in yr street go to is important. Peaches, what will happen if the failing secondary school is closed? Plans for a new one? Or bigger catchment for another??

Bear in mind that in 5 years so much can change and a school that is failing now can turn itself around. I personally wdn't go to church to get into school but that's just me. Maybe I feel that because I do go to church (but not for that reason) IYSWIM.

Not sure if that's any help at all sorry.

Ladymuck · 03/05/2007 23:28

I'm not sure that I'm about to say anything helpful, but I would challenge as to how important this bit about local friends going to exactly the same school is? Kids seems to do a certain amount of commuting anyway and even if you go to the local school sods law says that your kid will be best friends with the kid who lives right at the far side of the catchment area. Also sometimes it is nice to have kids in the road who don't go to the same school - it gives you someone to play with who may not see any fo the payground politics - a godsend if you end up on the wrong side of a gang or whatever.

Church commitments are fotens not as long as the ten years quoted - you need to get more info fromthe school or other parents 9I have alwasy found church secretaries to be a great source of info). There are worse way of spending an hour a week than goign to church, and it does come with its own set of social activities etc which can be a way of getting involved in your lcoal community too. The CofE/W is deliberately a very broad organisation which encompasses a very wide range of beliefs.

Malaleche · 03/05/2007 23:20

Stick with lovely schools at present but try and find a way to help get the catchment area re-written, no friends in high places? Sorry if this offends, I live in Spain....

confusedandignorant · 03/05/2007 23:17

one of the church schools near us insists on seven years weekly attendance (and asks for proof from vicar, or church councils). It used to be ten years plus points for running various groups such as brownies, scouts or choir - so you may be too late on that score with a six year old

Swipe left for the next trending thread