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

How early can you take a look around a potential secondary school?

32 replies

CarlaTheGnome · 01/07/2023 07:41

We're hoping to move house next year and we don't want to have to move again. This is hopefully going to be our 'forever' home. So DS who has only just started primary will be going to secondary school in the area we're about to move to. We have quite a wide area in mind covering several catchment areas. Would I be completely mad to view a few of the secondary schools now before we make a decision on our final location? Would they even let me view when DS isn't due to start secondary for another 5-6 years?! I realise a lot can change within a school during that time, but I feel like school is such a big consideration in this moving plan that I need to do what research I can.

OP posts:
Spendonsend · 01/07/2023 08:02

Im sure you could go to the open evenings.

Although id agree schools change a huge amount in 7 years.

Also your child will. Im not sure id have spotted the right things when my son started primary.

Figgygal · 01/07/2023 08:00

You'd be absolutely nutty op to do this
You can go open evenings in September or October but to do so this far in advance would be a waste of everyone's time

TheCheeseTray · 01/07/2023 07:58

I would ask locally other parents and teachers but no don’t visit yet 7 years is a long time in teaching - heads come and go.

I managed to get my daughter a place in an outstanding primary aged 4 although we were out of catchment due to a combination of factors. She thrives. A year before she left a new headteacher took over and within 6 months the cracks were there. My son started in reception due to sibling policy within another year the school was dire all the extra curricula stuff that had made it outstanding gone - totally gone. The new headteacher was solely focussed on academic achievement, the school had been one of the top ten primaries in the U.K. under the previous head - those of us with older kids hung in to get them finished the younger ones we had - we pulled them out. Today 6 years later, the school is full of vacancies, whereas there used to be 10 applicants for each space - the school is no longer full. The school has just been inspected - it’s not good. So my advice is to wait.

Sirzy · 01/07/2023 07:48

An awful lot can change in 7 years! When Ds was in reception we had one great school and one very poor school in the town.

change of leadership and things have done a complete 360 with the “poor” school now being over subscribed with a fantastic nurturing atmosphere. The other school sadly is struggling massively and is at risk of being forced into becoming an academy.

pizzaHeart · 01/07/2023 07:47

I don’t think secondary do 1:1 visits as such. If you are thinking of moving next year just go to open evenings this autumn to all schools in the area plus research extra information online. It’s true that a lot can change on 5 years but the tendency of being a good school will stay, I’m not using “good” as Ofsted term just in common sense good.

fiftyandfat · 01/07/2023 07:47

Anyone can go to an open day/ evening. We did several in year 5, then reviewed in year 6.

Patchworksack · 01/07/2023 07:44

They don’t normally let you ‘view’ except at the open days in September/October. We did a few in Y5 as you don’t have much time to make a decision in Y6. I guess you can go and leave the 5yr old behind, nobody would know. I’d just ask for feedback on local Facebook groups.