Would you move from a town you like for a better high school elsewhere?

[SetTonguesWagging]

We live in a nice, normal but pleasant large town. It's a commuter town but it does have a thriving community and we like it here and feel like part of the community. The children go to a local primary which is a really nice school, and my family live nearby.

Eldest is 8yo and in primary 3, so has p4-p7 left. Middle child is primary 1 and youngest is in the preschool.

We're happy with pretty much everything except the high schools. There are 4 high schools in the town, each as dreadful as the last. The rankings in the league tables are appalling - I know they are not everything, but they are indicative, surely?

We could move to another commuter town which is a bit more expensive (therefore would have to downgrade our house a bit) and is further from family. We'd have to start afresh with the community. The appeal is that the high school is much, much more highly ranked. We're talking top 10 versus ranked 250+ for our local ones.

We're quite risk averse so not keen to uproot if it won't be worth it. I want to give the children the best academic opportunities I can, though.

Any thoughts? What would you do in our shoes?

If I only had 4 bad schools to pick from, I would 100% move.

Thanks. It does seem like a no-brainer I guess but the thought of leaving the town we like and our community of friends is hard. It's trading something we are happy with now, for something we may or may not be happy with in the future - if that makes sense?

What does everyone else do? If it’s a nice area with decent families where do they send their kids? Schools do change…

Go and visit them for yourself before you do anything drastic.

No, I wouldn't.
Community is really important. You don't know how the schools will have changed by the time your eldest is ready to go. Look for some decent extra curricular activities, music, sport so they learn how to learn, be involved in their schooling and find them resources they need.

I would say, make sure you get a rounded picture of the schools before you decide (ie visit, talk to current parents, read Ofsted, look at progress 8, hang around at chucking out time and see what behaviour is like etc). BUT, if the schools really are that bad and education really is important to you, it's a no brainer.

My experience is that sometimes an area can be lovely, with decent families, but there is little aspiration and people don't particularly value education. So the bad schools don't get better. I do agree that community is very important, but if education is also important to you, you can't ignore that.

It's a gamble.

Having a community, friends, things other than school is important.

What if your kids don't find their feet in the new area? A school can be outstanding but no outstanding school is worth an unhappy kid the just wont thrive.

You can get tutors, encourage homework and further reading and study. You can do a lot to add on to a not great school, you can't get your kids friends and family they can enjoy and relax with.

Academic success comes in many different shapes. I would look at the published grades of the local schools by subject. If your kids are sporty or musical, one school might stand out, or scientific or mathematical.

Have you talked to your eldest?

It's a gamble. Personally I don't think I would move just for a high school.

I’d be asking parents of similar aged kids what they plan to do.

but I’d be considered moving, yeah.

we’re in England so different but round here schools are either on the up or on the down. And if a school is really failing then a turnaround team is brought in to improve matters. We thought we’d have to move for secondary (or pay for private) as it happened an academy took over the local high school and it’s vastly improved by all accounts in about 3 years.

Quite a large number of the wealthier people in the town send their children to private schools. This isn't something I'd really want to do for a myriad of reasons. .
The local schools are really, really mixed and I'm sure there are loads of lovely kids there. The academic results are just awful though. I know everyone thinks their own children are geniuses 😁 but I would be unhappy if I didn't think they were in an environment where they were encouraged to flourish academically.

It doesn't help that most of their cousins are at Jordanhill... (will make sense to the Scots on the board)

I appreciate the replies. I might speak to some of the parents I'm friendly with and see what they are thinking.

I know someone through work who lives in the town we are considering, so I could ask her what she thinks. Her sons are at the well-rated high school.

I moved for schools and have no regrets.

Before I moved I made sure my DC would definitely get into the school I wanted based on my new address. I researched all the surrounding villages and areas that were also in the catchment area and they all seemed nice areas with good primary school. My thinking was most DC were going to be at least reasonably behaved and entering secondary school with at least average ability.

I actually found it easy to make new friends and I joined local things.

My DC did well, made some lovely friends and went to good universities

With those ages it will be easy to integrate into a new community.

However, usually schools are representative of the community they are in, I can't really imagine a nice area with a bad school (this is in Scotland, I know choice makes it hugely different in England). Are you living somewhere with a lot of new houses and communities? If so, the high schools will adjust as the new demographics come through.

I think I'd move, but if the landscape is changing and I liked the people it'd be changing with, I'd stay.