The Real School Guide is popping up all over my social media platform; but I have some Questions? How is The Real School Guide put together? And do people actually take it seriously?
ps I am not a teacher, nor a governor, nor on any PTA etc, nor a fuck off Daily Mail journo...I am a habitually name changer....
-
not all sections are scored for each school, but the total of all sections (even where they haven’t got the information) forms the final score. Where do they actually get the information from? How do they get it for some schools and not others?
-
we have moved around a bit locally during the primary years, 3 primaries to be precise -always at Year not mid year.
Moved due to house moves requirements, and I never really thought too much about the difference between primaries ... until we hit a bad one.
A) school a, large, rural, ok, high turnover of staff and the head never said hello to anyone. Ran if she saw a parent type. But overall ok.
Scores a 3 consistently
B) school b, small, rural, dire, staff leaving left right and centre due to bullying head. Head would only surface to moan about school uniform or to make out calls for more paper, the school was broke.
Weird parent evening sessions, tried to categorise all students on either advanced status or requiring additional needs. Mine are ordinary - did not sit well, insisted my eldest DC was on some form of SEN report... bewildering. Report was never shared - do not believe it existed.
Numerous children that I know off on transfer to secondary have had to do remedial classes to make up for gaps in curriculum.
Half the parents in one year removed their DCs from the school due to concerns(it was around 6 children pulled out - it is a small school).
Consistently scores a 4
C) school c, large, rural, superb facilities and staff don’t leave, the head is awesome - everyone likes the head and has a healthy level of respect for them. Talks to children, talks to parents, runs free after school programmes (that she actively runs) for the children.
Extra lessons before school, for children who have transferred in from other local schools - who have got gaps in their curriculum (this was mine from school B). Very active PTA, and school is very active in the community. Children go from school C To the secondary easily.
School consistently scores a 2
Locally school C is the one everyone wants. And school B and A are the ones that if you have limited transport and live down that street you get stuck with.
So is it just my little corner of the world, or is the Real School Guide a pile of Crock? I know it’s a first world issue, but I am just intrigued and I don’t get it.