Which school would you choose?

[sweetcorneverywhere]

Tbh I think I have made my decision on which will be my first choice but I found people's perspectives really interesting when discussing it with family/friends.

School A - Cof E, very good results, outstanding OFSTED (although this was 10 years ago so doesn't really seem relevant), 'very strict' apparently according to others. Not much outdoor space and often use the local field close by for sports days.

School B - below average results in some areas, good OFSTED 2017 but in 2016 it got requires improvement. Lovely massive outdoor space.

Discussing it with friends I know from playgroups in the area all are choosing school B. It is actually over subscribed every year. They are say school A is too strict examples given include no ear piercing/hair must be tied up, pushing the children too much to get results. They also say how lovely the outdoor area is compared to school A.
However when discussing with family members (many of whom are of Asian descent and value education very highly) they thought I was mad to even consider school B. Also making abit of chitchat with senior work colleagues on a zoom meeting when waiting for others both of them said they would definitely choose school A.

I have chosen school A. But I do find it really interesting. One of my colleagues said the ones choosing school B are putting 'fun' above education. I wouldn't necessarily agree as I believe they very much want the best for their children and I also want my DC to enjoy school.

Anyway sorry for rambling just wanted some more opinions. TIA

Primary school?

Primary I’d choose B. I don’t like ‘very strict’, I’d avoid faith schools where possible (not possible in our area unfortunately) and personally I’m not all that bothered about OFSTED.

Yes primary @MustardMitt . Tbh I have disregarded the ofsted simply due to the year it was done. It's a shame I can't physically go and view the schools and try to get a feel of the place. I think I am questioning myself as so many parents seem to be choosing school B like yourself.

Are you on a local Facebook group?
You could ask opinions there.
In would say the newer OFSTED is a more accurate view of the respective schools.

That's a good idea @CherieBabySpliffUp I will do that thank you

Depends what you want, results or a good overall school experience.
At Primary I would say the latter is more important

Which is closer ?
Do you need wraparound care - if so, what are those facilities?
What is the homework policy ? (as in, I wouldn't want a school that set loads and 'punished' dc for not completing it)
What opportunities (in normal times) are there for extra curricular activities ? - sport, music, cookery, art, chess, whatever (as we don't know what our d will enjoy as they get older)
Do they set for any subjects ? (again, some will think this a pro and some a con)
How many form entry ?
What's the uniform like (you talk about strictness)

These are just a few of the things I would be asking. I wouldn't be taking any notice of a long out of date OFSTED, and I wouldn't be judging 'just' on the overall grade of a newer (but still quite old) OFSTED but would read the details.

Sooooo many other things to be making decisions on.

I would go with the one that felt right. Sounds like that’s B

I would want my children to be happy during their primary years. You can always help as parents or get tutors etc. Worst case you could move schools.

I think outside since is really important

Which one is nearer?

What is your dc's personality like? Which environment do you genuinely think would suit their personality and benefit them the most?

This isn't about 'the best school', it is about the best school for your child which may not necessarily be the same thing.

I would be leaning towards school B. The difference between good and outstanding is often paperwork/results (possibly driven by middle class parents paying for tutors) and miserable overworked staff. Plus, in 10 years the whole staff including head could have changed, so as you say, irrelevant. RI in 2016 quickly followed by a good in 2017 is fine, probably means it was a few minor things which pushed them in to RI and they’ve had support to sort them.

It is a shame you can’t look round, as a teacher (looking for jobs) I always felt I knew schools so much better from looking round and meeting the head than from the website.

At primary level, B. Pushing children academically too early can be counter productive. It’s important for them to develop a love of learning at that age, rather than view it as hard graft.

I’d also want to see plenty of sport, art, music; and a caring, friendly atmosphere.

Once they get to secondary they can knuckle down.

I think it also depends on the child. My DC1 (very academic, quiet, introvert, computer and science mad, hates sport, needs quiet and rules) would have probably been happiest in school A

DC2 is the complete opposite so may have preferred school B?

There are many schools which were outstanding 10 years ago that would struggle to scrape a Good now....

I’d pick school A - we send our son to a very similar school, we actually live out of catchment but got him in through church involvement, feel very lucky as it’s a very highly sought after school. Outstanding for years (even if original outstanding ofstead was 10 years ago they will still have had an update visit in the meantime to keep that rating), pushes children quite hard to get excellent results and is strict about uniform policy, long hair etc but still a very loving and nurturing environment. My point is just because the school policies are strict doesn’t mean the teachers are as strict in their interaction with the children.

B
I’ve heard from lots of teacher friends to choose ‘good’ over ‘outstanding’.
Outstanding means they prioritise grades and results over any sort of nurturing kids or working to individual abilities. Plus I thought once they’ve got their ‘outstanding’ rating they don’t have to be inspected as often as other schools and can often slip in quality.
‘Good’ can mean the schools work harder at improving to meet oftsted standards, and also probably a have more nurturing ethos and more child centred than results centred.

But there are other factors- how convenient the schools are. I love our local community primary school. DCs knew lots of kids before starting which really helped with settling in, we bump into friends at the park etc. It has a nice community feel plus it’s a short walk away

@DazzlePaintedBattlePants

There are many schools which were outstanding 10 years ago that would struggle to scrape a Good now....

Agreed.

The school I work next to was Outstanding for about ten years, next Ofsted was Requires Improvement and then eighteen months later it was Special Measures.

My kids are adults now but in their schooling I realised that sometimes it's best to be at a school which is on the way up with a positive trajectory.