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Original poster

'Better' town or 'better' school?

41 replies

stickygotstuck · 23/04/2018 11:33

We need to move. We like our current town but not our street.

We live semi-rually in small town A. The town is pleasant enough and has some services, a very limited bus service, but a decent train service, with a nearby village with a second station on a different line (important when you live rurally). Reasonable housing stock and you get a bit more house for your money.

The local secondary is OK. Ofsted rating is 'good'. It has 'required improvement in the past'. It's smallish - ar. 750 students. Reputation amongst locals is not unanimously good. But I know several kids who go there and both them and their parents are very happy with the school. I suspect that there is an element of snobbery as it's a more working class town - whatever that means.

Then there is another nearby small town, small town B, with another secondary.
I am not that keen on the town - fewer services, OK bus service, no train station. Not as pleasant (but bizarrely, better regarded locally). Very little choice of housing stock, more expensive than town A.

Their school's Ofsted is also 'good'. It has been 'outstanding' in the past. It's biggger - ar- 1500 students, and slightly more diverse, simply because it has a wider catchment and the majority children come from out of town. This one is very well regarded locally. It is a former grammar school, but currently it's just a comp that retains the name. I know kids who go there, both kids and parents happy.

I prefer school B, mostly on the grounds that it's larger and slightly more diverse (DC goes to small primary and we now consider that a mistake, so trying to get away from small schools if possible).
I prefer small town A to live in, DD has some friends here, goes to after school activities here, we know exactly what it's like to live in, and we could get a better house for our money.

The chances of DD getting to school B by staying in town A are very, very slim. That would be my ideal solution, unfortunatetly.

What would you do? Move or stay put? We need to make a decision and we are going round and round in circles! Sad

OP posts:
Battleax · 23/04/2018 14:00

The grass is always greener comes to mind!

Probably some truth in that.

C0untDucku1a · 23/04/2018 13:56

Go and view both schools on a school day. Ask for a tour. Also ask to see the yard at break / lunchtime. The head can prewarn staff about a walk around but they csnt change the students normals break behaviour.

That ight give you a clearer idea.

Original poster
stickygotstuck · 23/04/2018 13:55

Sorry, missed your other post Battleax.

I wish you good luck in peaceville. I think we could do with a bit of mayhem. The grass is always greener comes to mind! Grin

OP posts:
Original poster
stickygotstuck · 23/04/2018 13:52

That's just it Battleax, at the small primary we have become disillusioned with familiarity, I am now leaning toward the 'change is always good' school of thought. But as it happens, DD's classmates will all go to either school A or B, so she will know some people in either place. DD herself thinks smaller is better, but she would, her current school is tiny!

I went to the large, local secondary where most of my primary classmates went, but I was soon very glad only one of them was in my form.

OP posts:
Battleax · 23/04/2018 13:48

(I’m speaking here as someone whose eldest two did secondary transfer in the London schools mayhem. I’m looking forward to doing it out here in peaceville next time with much less “choice”, mich less hassle and much more continuity for DC#3. Don’t panic too much about theoretical “choice” you’re lucky enough not to need.)

Battleax · 23/04/2018 13:44

Well all other things being (almost) equal, surely the “best” thing is continuity and familiarity? So a smallish school in a pleasant town where presumably a lot of her friends will also go sounds really very good.

Original poster
stickygotstuck · 23/04/2018 13:41

Thanks Battleax. I agree, we think both schools are fine.

I feel like a right idiot because I know that on paper it's a non-dilemma: good school v. good school Hmm. But the pressure of the alleged 'choice' we parents have when sending kids to school is weighing down on us! You know that feeling of wanting to do what's best for your DC but can't decide what 'best' is? Just that! Angry

OP posts:
Battleax · 23/04/2018 13:34

School A doesn’t sound too much of a worry from that description and there are many benefits to smaller secondaries, not least that transition from primary is often easier.

Original poster
stickygotstuck · 23/04/2018 13:31

Thanks Allthebest, it certainly seems so, doesn't it?

To us, it's mostly the difference in size/diversity. Living rurally, we think it's important DD has a less 'insular' outlook. Not sure 'insular' is the best word but I hope YSWIM! As I said, the choice of a smaller primary didn't turn out as well as expected, so that may be colouring our view.

OP posts:
Original poster
stickygotstuck · 23/04/2018 13:27

Thanks Jaffa.

Sorry, I got mixed up. Current head of school B is the former head of school A. So your second scenario. And I think the current head of school A is the former assisstant head of school B.

It may be worth mentioning that both schools work closely, and some pupils attend specific courses at the other school (A level mostly). They both will also become academies within the same trust soon.

As far as I understand the RI thing with school A was a blip on a specific aspect. The new (current) head had recently taken over when this all happened. They had a second inspection within 12 months and went back to Good (ofsted very complimentary of how soon and effectively they sorted themselves out. Although I know that a report is just a report).

Does that change your recommendation at all?

OP posts:
Allthebestnamesareused · 23/04/2018 13:23

It sounds like school A is on the up

NotAnotherJaffaCake · 23/04/2018 13:07

When did the headteacher move? If the HT was head of school A when it was RI, then moved on, then stick with town A, as current school head has made the jump from RI to good. If headteacher transformed school A from RI to good, then moved on to school B, then probably go for B, or at least look very closely at track record of new school A head.

Original poster
stickygotstuck · 23/04/2018 13:02

Meant to say, DH thinks that there is more of a chance of the schools changing than there is of the towns changing in the short term.

We are obsessively worried about this. This move is a major financial committment for us (as in can barely afford it), and we are desperate to get it right for us as a family but also to choose the right school for DC.

DC would love to stay in this town too. DH leans slightly towards town B but realises that transport is worse and that will be an issue for DC when a bit older and more independent.

OP posts:
sheddooropen · 23/04/2018 13:00

In that case I would probably go for school A, the town seems a lot nicer and you can always encourage more homework/ tutoring or other help. Your child won't always be at school and you will appreciate the better area and you can get a bigger house for less money. That extra money could be used to go on education top up etc

Original poster
stickygotstuck · 23/04/2018 11:51

Thanks shed.

Class sizes are very similar. There are just more forms in the larger school.

They even have the same structure, divided into several houses. In fact, the current head of the larger school is the former head of the small school.

OP posts:
sheddooropen · 23/04/2018 11:35

Whats the class sizes like? The big school could have large classes sizes and less time per child. I'd go for the one with the class sizes are the smallest, towns change and schools can change

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