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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To ask you how you really chose your child's secondary school?

76 replies

Giggle78 · 25/05/2011 15:17

Hi there,

How did you choose the secondary school that your child goes to?

Was it because of its reputation, open days, comparing the exam results on the internet, because children you know went there etc?

OP posts:

Hullygully · 25/05/2011 15:18

Tarot cards

Amaretti · 25/05/2011 15:19

Honestly? Gut feeling. Most people think we are mad to have sent him private when a) we live in a grammar school area and he passed and b) there is a more prestigious, more academic private alternative that he passed for too!

PissesGlitter · 25/05/2011 15:21

we live almost next door to it and it is the only one in our town

cantspel · 25/05/2011 15:24

my oldest goes to sen school so it was chosen to suit his needs.
my youngest is in a faith school. We had a choice of 2 faith schools, one good but small and the other outstanding but huge. We choose the good smaller school as it would suit him better than being lost in a huge school.

LadyOfTheManor · 25/05/2011 15:27

My son is too young for secondary school, but we've already looked into boarding facilities within 4 hours of where we live. Will select based on results and extra curriculum activities.

pingu2209 · 25/05/2011 15:30

My dc will go to the local secondary school, there is only 1 here, so they will go to it.

HOWEVER! I chose where I live based upon the secondary school. I chose to live in an area that is a lot more expensive than other areas, because the secondary school has a good reputation, has an outstanding and is very over subscribed.

I would not live in an area where the schools are rubbish. I would move and ensure I am in the catchment of a better school - either I live in a smaller house or I have a bigger mortgage to make this choice.

CogitoErgoSometimes · 25/05/2011 15:31

We visited all the local secondary schools last year on their open days and decided which ones we liked the look of best. Asked around friends and neighbours with older children already at the schools. Looked at the league tables. Luckily the one we liked best was pretty close to where we live....

IndigoBell · 25/05/2011 15:31

First criteria was he could walk to school. That narrowed it down to 2 (state) schools.

Then we chose the school which the nasty snobby parents wouldn't go to because we were sick of talking to them

We've chosen the school with worse exam league tables, but improving results, because we hope it will have better pastoral results than the 'good school' with the 'middle class' parents and the exceptionally high exam results.

DS is clever. He'll do well academically at any school - as long as he's happy.

exoticfruits · 25/05/2011 15:32

a, he wanted to go-the primary school was the main feeder school.
b, knew and liked DCs who went there.
c, good results
d, very impressed with the 6th formers who showed us around.
e, pupils seen on the way to school and home looked reasonably smart
f, good facilities
g, the toilets were clean and clear of graffiti
h, the school was clean and litter free
i, teachers were approachable and friendly
j, spoke to the Head and felt that he knew what was going on, he was able to answer questions.
k, opportunities for out of school activities.
l, allowed to wander anywhere on a normal school day and classes were well behaved and focussed on learning.

These are in no particular order,in fact the last would probably be the first. I may have missed things. Basically down to 'gut' feeling.
It was a comprehensive. I saw 3 others to compare.

WhereYouLeftIt · 25/05/2011 15:32

We were in its cachement area. It seemed OK when I visited it and no-ne had any horror stories about it.

TBH I'd have been OK about pretty much every school in this town.

manicbmc · 25/05/2011 16:21

I'm in a city and there was no choice. She didn't want to try for a scholarship (and I'm glad). So dd went to the nearest comp. She could have gone to a different state school but their results and reputation were no better anyway and it would have meant her leaving at 7.15 and taking 2 buses.

TobyLerone · 25/05/2011 16:22

Grammar school, so he passed the 11+ and he's going in Sept.

sue52 · 25/05/2011 16:24

It's reputation, results and leavers destinations.

maypole1 · 25/05/2011 16:28

we weeded out all the schools that didn't have outstanding ofstead they were crossed off which left us with 6 schools , then we looked at the exam results of each of the outstanding schools and also what unis the students ened up in.

we looked at what they had to offer our child for what los needs are which narrowed it down to 4 schools then we looked at how easy it was to get their which left us with 3 so the closet one out of the 3 that matched los needs

maypole1 · 25/05/2011 16:31

also i really liked the head he was very pragmatic took no joshing expectations are high and expects full parent involvement in the school

seeker · 25/05/2011 16:34

OK exam results - when looked at in the context of Value Added.

Kids looked us in the face and smiled when they encountered us in the corridor.

Good music and drama.

School happy to let us pop in and visit with only half an hour's warning.

A sense of busy purpose - quiet but not too quiet.

Clean loos.

Reasonably litter free inside and out.

Lockers for everyone.

Dd loved it.

And, crucially, the answer the girl showing us round gave to the kiler question "Would you want your little sister to come to this school?

sparkle12mar08 · 25/05/2011 16:35

We didn't, it's the only one we have any chance at all of getting into, given where we live. Without moving house, all others a vastly oversubscribed (as indeed this one is) and we'd get nothing.

LieInsAreRarerThanTigers · 25/05/2011 16:37

Like pingu we moved to where the schools are good, 'outstanding' actually! Very lucky to be able to do this, I know. Still much cheaper than going private, which we would not be able to afford.
Of the 3 in our town the one she is going to is the one 90% + of her year are going to, the nearest, and arguably has the best facilities. Also the biggest, which I don't think will bother her.

LeQueen · 25/05/2011 16:38

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

toughdecisions · 25/05/2011 16:45

Not got there yet but no choice as can't afford private. 2 state secondaries with tight geographic intakes, no selective element. Will be single sex which I'm not sure about.

Jonnyfan · 25/05/2011 17:10

Academic reputation and results,smart pupils and we could (almost) afford it. Don't give a toss about sport or extra curricular, they were involved in lots outside school and met a whole different set of children/teens- although they did get involved in music/drama/house activities anyway.

bigTillyMint · 25/05/2011 17:12

FWIW, if you are going for state schools, you don't choose, you express a preference in the order that you put them in on the application form. Then you get what you are given.

seeker · 25/05/2011 17:16

And if you live in a grammar school area, be brave enough to consider not going to the grammar school. They don't suit all children - even if they pass the 11÷.

SpringHeeledJack · 25/05/2011 17:20

chose our secondary school?

chose????

roffle roffle

[disclaimer: we live in London where there is manifestly No Such Thing]

usualsuspect · 25/05/2011 17:23

Local enough for them to walk to
Excellent music dept and sixth form
Easy going uniform (no ties or blazers)
Ok exam results
students multicultural and from mixed backgrounds

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