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AIBU?

To only visit one school?

52 replies

KwaziisEyepatch · 21/10/2014 13:45

Ds1 starts school next September. We live 150metres from a great school, one of the reasons we bought this house. We're on the boundary of the catchment for the next closest, equally great school - some years we'd get in, some we wouldn't.

I've never been to either school but know lots of local mums who speak well of them both. Aibu not to bother visiting the one further away, when ds is bound to get into the closer one, and all his friends will go there? We're never going to choose the further school, but everyone keeps telling me I should visit more than one 'for comparison'. I don't get it!

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doobledootch · 21/10/2014 17:41

If you're so sure about only looking round one school why have you started this thread?

On the basis that you did start it I think you should go to both.

Thumbcat · 21/10/2014 17:46

We live very near to a primary but DS goes to one a little further away. Both were rated outstanding and we assumed there wouldn't be much difference between them, but visited both. They were so different in so many ways. We felt the further school was perfect for DS and luckily he got a place. I personally would invest a bit of time and thought into choosing a school, but I know plenty of people who just put down the nearest.

aero9485429 · 21/10/2014 17:52

All schools have different strengths and weaknesses, it's not one size fit all. Why not visit both schools and decide for yourself which is the best fit for your son. Its very easy to be a sheep but it better to assess all the options thoroughly and make the right decision after careful consideration

I visited a few schools and oddly some of the schools spoken very highly of, I really disliked and would have been the wrong place for my DS.

tuesday0813 · 21/10/2014 17:54

Hope for the best, prepare for the worst.

Pico2 · 21/10/2014 17:58

We're only seeing one. It's our village school (though other villages are pretty close). The school's ok, not perfect, but I'd rather DD had a short walk and local friends.

TreadSoftlyOnMyDreams · 21/10/2014 18:04

YANBU at all. BUT you'll have nightmares beforehand or actual kittens if for some reason he is assigned the other school and you haven't darkened the door of the place

Lucky people!

FrenchJunebug · 22/10/2014 14:48

Am I the only person to live in no-mans land (inner London) where there are no schools so near that I am sure to get in?!

Floggingmolly · 22/10/2014 14:51

Why are you so sure you're getting a place? If their admittance policy places siblings above catchment; you could be in for a rude shock...

Pico2 · 22/10/2014 15:30

It is possible to be sure of getting a place. Obviously that isn't the case for everyone, but it does work in some areas.

KwaziisEyepatch · 22/10/2014 15:37

Of course it's not guaranteed but we're about 500m closer than the edge of the catchment in any of the recent years. I know we're lucky, but as I said that's one of the reasons we chose this house when we moved- primary places round here are really tricky so we wanted to be as sure as possible of getting in. I hope it works now! Thanks everyone for the replies.

OP posts:

Bunnyjo · 22/10/2014 15:45

I would visit the schools you plan on putting down as your preferences - outstanding Ofsted and reputation don't necessarily equate to a good school suited to your DC.

Interestingly, a school where I live was graded outstanding for 10+ years and was considered to be the crème de la crème by many. It is in a lovely middle class leafy suburb and was hideously oversubscribed for years, to the point where being a catchment sibling didn't guarantee entry! In mid 2012 Ofsted revisited the school and it was downgraded to good; the Ofsted report also alluded to the school resting on its laurels and relying on having a good intake of pupils. Said school was not oversubscribed for this September's intake - in fact, for the first time in a very long time, it was undersubscribed.

39steppesmum · 22/10/2014 15:49

sorry, reading quickly and don't know if this has been said, but even if you don't visit, please do not put just one school on your form.

Put your preferred school first, further away school second and any other school nearby 3rd/4th.

Every year there are people who only put one school as they thought it was definite and ended up mile away in another school.

RobinSparkles · 22/10/2014 15:58

I only looked round one school for DD1. I looked at the school I knew I wanted her to go to and that was it. I wasn't bothered about looking at any of the others.

There were three schools in the area - one was too far for us to get to by walking (I don't drive) and had a crappy Ofsted report and a bad reputation. The other two were closer and both had great Ofsted reports and great reputation. DD1 went to the Pre-school of the closest one and was settled and had made friends so that was the school I wanted her to go to. The second school is always oversubscribed and was a little bit further away so I didn't think we'd have any chance of getting in anyway so I didn't bother having a look.

Luckily she got into the school I wanted. I am extremely happy and she is happy so there was no harm done.

DD2 is due to start school in September and I'm not bothering to look at any schools. She'll be guaranteed a place at DD1's school anyway.

SocksRock · 22/10/2014 16:05

I only put one school on the form and didn't even visit it. But it is 127 yards from our house, and the catchment is several miles as it is a rural village primary. There is no way DD1 would have gone anywhere else, nor would we have got a place anywhere else. DS has followed, and I'm sure DD2 will in 3 years.

SomeSortOfDeliciousBiscuit · 22/10/2014 16:25

We only visited one school; the one literally a minute's walk from our house. We tried to visit a second but the secretary who answered the phone seemed utterly baffled at our request for a visit. 'Most parents look around when their place is confirmed.' She completely missed the point. DS has ASD and we needed the school to be engaged with us, so her attitude was a massive warning sign. DS goes to the school we visited and they couldn't be more helpful.

PenguinsIsSleepDeprived · 22/10/2014 16:29

"Of course it's not guaranteed but we're about 500m closer than the edge of the catchment in any of the recent years."

Yeah, that would have been us too. They year we applied, we were 50m outside the area. Not saying that will happen, but if it does, wouldn't you have rather seen your second choice school?

merlehaggard · 22/10/2014 16:33

I didn't visit any school for secondary because we just knew. Luckily got in as we were out of catchment.

AChickenCalledKorma · 22/10/2014 16:34

At the time of looking around primary schools, we had four "outstanding, highly sought after" schools on our doorstep. I'm very glad I visited them all, because they all had a totally different atmosphere. One of them I ruled out, despite the fact it had been high on the list, because even in Reception the children looked bored .

I also know lots of mums who speak very badly of the school that both my children ended up attending. They were wrong.

You need to do your own research and not rely on hearsay.

YesMudder · 22/10/2014 16:54

How do you know the catchment area for each year? I've looked on my council's website and I can find the parish boundary maps for Church schools, but not catchment area maps.

PenguinsIsSleepDeprived · 22/10/2014 17:03

Yes- You need to know whether it is an actual catchment area or an effective one. An actual one should be on a map somewhere - usually the local authority website. An effective one is just the last distance that a child admitted on the distance criteria got in on that year. Some areas publish theirs. Others you have to ask for the information.

YesMudder · 22/10/2014 17:04

Thanks Penguins, useful info, will email them :)

amothersplaceisinthewrong · 22/10/2014 17:07

I only ever looked at one primary school for mine. And only one senior school for each of them.

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MaryWestmacott · 22/10/2014 17:44

how many form entry is your close school? Just because I know one friend in London who didn't get her first choice school, as every place was filled with siblings. One in our town had only 4 places for none-sibling entries after all the siblings have been put to the top of the list, stuff like this happens, so visit school 2.

I also know 2 people who knew which school they'd be sending their DCs to, then visited others for comparasion and prefered the other schools (both being ofsted outstanding).

Just visit it, then put it as first or second place on your list depending on what you think afterwards.

halfdrunkcoffee · 22/10/2014 17:52

I haven't bothered visiting what would be my second choice school either. They don't do open mornings, but can show you around on request. I am not sure whether it is worth going or not as I think it is very unlikely that DS wouldn't get into our nearest school.

If you have time it could be worth a visit as it can be a good way of getting a feel for the school, but I doubt it will matter too much if you don't.

Stripyhoglets · 22/10/2014 18:06

No, I only visited one for infants and one for secondary, liked them, sent kids there - well big kid said he liked secondary and couldn't be bothered rushing to go elsewhere as they were all held the same evening - handy! They were catchment schools and I knew we would get in. I also know there's a better primary school nearish that is in another village and that we probably wouldn't get into. Why bother looking at something that you probably can't have and may have led to some dissatisfaction with what we were getting - which we were otherwise happy with.

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