Ranking schools for Reception application

[flinttttt]

I have to put three choices, so need to rank these schools, but don't love any of them.

For reference, when I toured schools I was asking about things like how they settle children who struggle in Reception. Also homework and prayer (the less the better), play time and forest school (the more the better). All three are religious and we are atheist, but have no other realistic choices.

Catchment school: 45 min walk. Nice facilities. Locals say it is an friendly and encouraging school. But I found the headteacher dismissive of my questions. The children looked bored. The teachers nervous, or grumpy. The classroom walls were bare and the choice of reading books dull. It was rated Requires Improvement several years back and not been inspected again since becoming an academy.

Village school: 30 min cycle. Headteacher gave great answers to all my questions. Seemed to value the same things I did. But the actual teachers seemed quite grumpy/snappy at the children and the children looked bored with little on classroom walls. Prayer at assembly. Mixed year classrooms. Facilities ok, but crowded. Consistently rated good by Ofsted.

River school: 10 min drive (not safe to cycle). Headteacher gave great answers to my questions. Not always the answer I was hoping for, but I understood her reasoning. She wasn't dismissive. Children happy. Teachers friendly. Classrooms had lots of work on walls. Mixed year classrooms. Facilities lovely, but moving to a new school building at some unspecified point in next 5 years. This seems like it could really change the character of the school and disrupt things? Usually rated good by Ofsted, but most recently rated Requires Improvement.

What's your gut feeling? I really would go with that. Think about which school you could see your children at and rank that first.

I went with my gut when we chose nurseries, and the outcome was fantastic. When we chose primary schools, I listened to everyone else. Even though I wasn't convinced by the village school, everyone told me it was great and I ignored my gut. Two years down the line, DS was very unhappy and we were hating it. We moved him to the school I had initially liked, but which others had raised they eyebrows about. Guess what? It's worked out really well.

None of them sound great really. Is there anything else if you accepted you are going to have to drive?

Based on what you have written:
Village
Rover
Catchment

Re things on walls: possibly early in the academic year there won't be much, and it will increases as the year goes on
Re snappy teachers: I suspect even the most laid back are very stressed this year with covid
Re your priorities: I'm a bit concerned all your priorities are very reception-based. So very little on y1-6, eg extra curricular, results, learning to read etc. You can always ask to be excused from worship (though that might include nativities...)

You also haven't stated whether you have any chance of getting in to the schools (ie distance last offered)

So these are the schools where we would likely have got a place in the past few years. There are other schools, but we would never have got a place at them. Not once in the past 5 years. They are in the city and very oversubscribed.

I’d go village school. I wouldn’t send my child to a school rated requires improvement.

RI schools can be fine. You need to read the reports and see why they are RI and go from there.

A school can be 'good' and still hopeless for your child.
e.g. They can be great and pushy and shiny, but if their SEN support is poor and you have a child with SEN....

My gut says: River, Village, Catchment.

But I don't like the idea of the river school moving to a new school site. Surely it will really change the character of the school. Plus I know my gut isn't really taking the commute into account.

I vote River school. Happy children, friendly teachers, a sensible head and work on walls. I'd prefer the above to the alternatives despite the Requires Improvement. RI can mean that outside help and funds are given to the school to improve things rapidly. Why did Ofsted give it this ranking? The reasons may be things that would worry you, or they may not.

I’d move house. River is the only one I’d consider sending my children to. Can you get there without a car if yours broke down?

I’d be looking at why the river school was rated RI. They can honestly get marked down on stuff you think ‘I honestly couldn’t give a shit about that’ and go from there.
I’d vote river school tbh. If it’s a 10 minute drive it’s closer than all your other options isn’t it?

God it's a bit blate for moving house. Applications are Nov-Jan!

I’m confused as well by your fixation on the school moving in 5 years?

Also if it really is 5 years (which in LA building/financing terms means 6-8!) then your child will be almost finished there anyway

Yes, as PP said, find out the reason for the Requires Improvement at both schools. It will be clear on the report. I would never walk to school 45 mins (each way?) as that's 3 hours per day! I wouldn't worry about moving buildings. The atmosphere of school will be set by head teacher, other teachers and parents. A building is fairly inconsequential though there may be a year with some disruption. It's not big on the grand scheme of things. A commute, however, can be a huge pain if it's bad or unpredictable in school rush hour. I'd look at that first, driving it at school rush hour (NB. Not in half term!).

Ok, that's reassuring. The move is in 1-3 years. So I said 'next 5 years' to account for inevitable delays

Are they moving to a new building? If so I’d see that as a positive. The children will be involved with various things it will be interesting and exciting rather than traumatic. New build schools can be fabulous as they are built for purpose.

Along, if they think they are moving in five years it could easily be far longer than that.

One of the few perks of renting, I suppose.

DD's primary school moved from site A (old infant) to refurbished & extended site B (old junior). They were within 10mins walk of each other.

Sum total of disruption was 2 extra days missed at the start of term.

I wouldn't put the catchment school down at all. There don't seem to be any positives, not least a 45 minute walk to get there seems crazy! Wouldn't you be able to cycle there?

Where will your neighbouring kids go?

I'd probably apply for the school you actually really want first (however unlikely you are to get it), Catchment then River.

Is you catchment school really a two mile walk away? That seems very far. Must take from a very large area. Surely there's a secular option near by?
Where will people living nearest you be going? Nice to have friends close by.
Are any of them near family or people who could do an emergency pick up? I put my mils closest school as one option thinking she could do pick ups if I was running late.

Yes the catchment school is that far away. It's a long, narrow catchment area. It is where the neighborhood kids go. We could scoot/cycle, or even drive to cut down the time though.

But if I'm going to drive, I think I'd rather drive to a different school!

There are one or two secular schools within a few miles. But totally oversubscribed. Even children with siblings at the school have missed out in recent years.

RI can mean that outside help and funds are given to the school to improve things rapidly. Why did Ofsted give it this ranking? The reasons may be things that would worry you, or they may not.

This. What does the ofsted report say?

River gets my vote, fwiw.

Do you have neighbours with kids in any of the schools? Going to the local school has its advantages with play dates etc

Ok, so for River, the Ofsted report basically says the quality of the teaching isn't great across the board. But it sounds like maybe they inspected at a time of big change for the school, all new teachers etc. There's a lot of talk about new plans etc. which Ofsted approve of, but which haven't had time to show results yet. W artish there was a more recent report.

For catchment school. Pupils not achieving expected standards, poor quality of teaching, pupils not focused. This report seems the more negative of the two.

Both reports quite old though.

@gogohm yes, all at the catchment school. I wanted to like it so badly.