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

[Giggle78]

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?

Exoticfruit's point L is the best way to tell if you are looking at schools. Most schools are fabulous at covering up what really goes on- even the good ones. If they will let you wander anywhere during the school day that's a good sign- I would visit the loos at break.

I once worked in an appalling, out of control school which on open evening looked OK. It was really scary as parents couldn't really tell what it was like at all on the night. studying exam results would have given some clue if they knew what they were looking for but the headline figures can look all right if they have a certain catchment. I don't think most teenagers really let on to their parents what goes on at school, if they did there would be far more complaints. They keep quite because the last thing they want is their parents complaining.

We have the choice between 3 comps, 2 of which have better exam results. We looked round all 3. Discounted the bottom performing one as unimpressed by the staff.

The better performing comp is further away - 30 min bus ride rather that 10 min bus ride. We'd heard really good reports about both of them from people who have kids there. I told dd she could choose and she chose the neaer one with the slightly worse exam results, I suspect because it has a pasta bar in the canteen.

I would be very surprised if they allowed you to visit the loos at break, elf 'n'safety, you know; you could be a peeed-oh-file (no pun intended).

it was local and he could walk so i knew he wouldn't have to rely of me or busses to take him there

all his friends were going there

i support the local school and think everyone else should

Cos dd asked to go there, as someone who fought tooth and nail to go to the school of my choice, I can't exactly say no to my children

Both passed the 11+ so both went to the Grammar.

Even if it's poor/crap/hell on earth?

Sorry that was in reply to southeastastra

I never understood people who base their childs education on were their friends are going

Regardless of the status of the good or weather it meets their Childs needs

i never really understand why parents get their knickers in such a twist about schooling

Me neither SEA

but I don't live in a grammar school area ,thank god ,so all the kids round here go to the local comps

What choice? Really, there isn't much of one

usualsuspect your pick sounds fab

whereabouts are you?

"I never understand why parents get their knickers in such a twist about schooling". Really? It is very important to get it right- look at the research.

I'm in Leicester

There doesn't seem to be all this angst over schools here

Not all the schools are perfect ..but most kids go to their local comp

we had a choice of 3 within walking distance

DS2- (going into yr 6 soon so assuming this)- local comp, school a feeder

DS1- realised he won;t cope at comp on open day when smell of food cooking became a physical barrier (ASD). Applied for two palces at ASD Base with 2 places, as did 39 others. Fought ahrd, prayed hard, was lucky.

DS3- there isn't a comp to suit his SN; either we go for he-can't-cope-there and watch him fail or worse be made vulnerable, or we go for sever SNUw atch his life chances vanish in the miracle he got a palce anyway.

Hmm, choices choices

there's only angst down south if you let yourself get carried away with it.

nah, not everywhere, SEA

we only have one comp, and now the mcs have cottoned onto it (after years of it struggling), it's massively oversubscribed

the rest are all church or single sex, and not a Bog Standard Comp to be found anywhere. It's rotten.

Now, apparently, we are going to get a Free School

the whole system stinks

What ever is closest providing that it doesn't have a violent reputation.

I never read ofsted reports as they are not worth the paper they are written on imo.

Also I'm a firm believer in a child will do as well as they will no matter what school they are in

I never read the ofsted reports either

Seeker - was '11÷' a typo, a Freudian slip or a sly comment on the grammar school system? Whichever, I can see it catching on in discussions!

Anyway, to answer the OP... we decided on the basis of:
a) DH obtaining all GCSE/A-level results for the schools we were interested in, and analyzing it in amazing detail - rebasing to allow for the intakes (so, local comp could beat a mediocre private despite that having ostensibly better league table results.)
b)open days - get a feel for the schools
c) visits in school time
d) reputation - one private girls school struck off list because of reports of bullying.

The destination of DDs friends did not enter into consideration at all. The faith schools were also out of the picture as we wouldn't qualify (DH did actually analyse the supposedly really good CofE and after rebasing he reckoned it was no better than the comp anyway)

At the end of all, it came down to a choice of 2 - grammar vs a selective private. The results were broadly equivalent; the ethos of both schools was good; rather similar intake (the private has lots of bursaries). We'd have been happy with either, so it was DDs choice - she fell in love with the grammar when we visited it in school hours. She just felt she'd be totally at home there, and thus far so it is proving.

It was gut feeling.
DS walked into the school at open night and said "I want to go here"

It wasn't even a school we had even considered, because it was not very local. We loved the way the teachers interacted with the children. The headmaster seemed genuinely fond of the children even if they were strangely alien to him. He had turned the school around from a very badly failing school.

DS had to pass an aptitude test for this school which he thankfully did and dd got a sibling place. Now yr10 and 8 and the school is everything we wanted. It has excellent pastoral care and both my dcs have really thrived there.

first school, to talk to them about anything you had to make appointments.

Not unreasonable but second school I was driving past one day and pulled into the car park on a whim. Walked into reception, accosted a bloke there and asked him if he had an information pack or something. He showed me ino his office instead and had a chat with me. turned out he's the Head.

first school - sprawling building, very posh looking. feels 'cold'

second school - old and scruffy. feels comfy and warm and welcoming

First school - over 1600 pupils

second school - around 600

pupils at both schools perform very well

Met with the senco of both schools. Had a chat.

Senco of first school was very much 'this is how we do things. our school is fantastic. we are Never Wrong, this procedure, that view, this is how your son will be moulded to fit into our school'

Senco of second school was interested in my son and his needs and talked about how they might meet his needs. (including changing things if that would meet his needs!)

second school won. hands down