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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To ask how many of you use your local/nearest school?

137 replies

monkeymamma · 17/02/2015 11:31

When we moved to our current house I was pregnant with dc1. I noticed there was a newish, nice looking school here and thought 'ah good, that's where the baby will go to school when the time comes.' Ds is now 3 and all anyone seems to talk about is the school question. Many people seem keen to avoid the local school (it Required Improvement at last offsted, has a new head, and a large intake from both social housing and local traveller community). Everyone wants to send their dc to an alternative school but the others round here are 'good'/'requires improvement' apart from one small village school (v.v small, middle class intake, not what I have in mind for my dc - I feel like they'll learn more about life in a more diverse environment) which is outstanding. No one ever gets their child in there anyway from where we live (ie nowhere near said village).
Anyway sorry to go off on detailed tangent - my thought ws that it seems the 'normal' thing to do to try to shop around rather than using the school nearest to you. Is that your experience also? Or did anyone find this whole business more straightforward?

OP posts:

ragged · 18/02/2015 12:01

When I was small child I resolved no matter what to live in walking distance of any primary school DC attended. Which we do, So far so good.

DC1 was bullied so wanted him to attend a high school further away, fresh start with other kids.

DC2 & DC3 preferred a high school further away, DC2 got in, still waiting on DC3's letter who may end up at local high school instead (walking distance).

I don't care what Ofsted ratings the schools have, but 3 DC at different secondaries is going to provoke some fierce rivalries.

BertieBotts · 18/02/2015 12:02

ohtheholiday, that's a new one on me. Why would SS have involvement with a school? I thought they dealt with individual families?

sherbetpips · 18/02/2015 12:10

Whilst I agree that a bit of diversity is good for ones upbringing I am not sure I would want that in my childs early years education. Its the basics they need not life lessons quite yet.
We struck lucky and moved with 2 mins of 3 outstanding schools so no worries. Senior school however is another matter with one failing and one outstanding in equal distance, we await the allocations in March

SomewhereIBelong · 18/02/2015 12:18

Primary, yes we went for local - their friends are all local, no ferrying about needed, they all "played out" in the neighbourhood - was quite idyllic. We struck lucky with the school - they had a great bunch of teachers - has gone downhill recently so may have had to make some hard choices if it were now.

Secondary - no - we went with the second closest - we are still in catchment, but preferred the ethos/pastoral care/technological bent of the further school.

ohtheholidays · 18/02/2015 12:18

Bertie no,a child or children can be put on an at risk register by the school.This means there's cause for concern about they're care/the environment they're living in or both.

Also if SS are involved with a child and they're family they'll want to contact the school to find out if there are any concerns that the school have about that child or the family.If there is any worrying behavior they've noticed by the child or the person/persons that are dropping of/collecting the child from school.

DrDre · 18/02/2015 12:20

My kids go to our local school. It shares it's name with a council estate, so people initially think it is not a good school because of that, whereas in fact it is a very good school. When one of my friends was pregnant she kept saying "I'm not sending my child to that school" etc. Guess where her child is going now!

cartoonsaveme · 18/02/2015 12:29

Sherbets why would you not want diversity in those critical formative years? Surely that is exactly when it's important when early friendships are formed and young children learn respect for others and other social skills?

minipie · 18/02/2015 12:35

Our nearest state primary is about 800 metres away.

We wouldn't get in. Admissions are on sibling priority and distance and last year the closest non sibling to get a place lived 190 metres away. That is not a typo.

Our next nearest state primary is about 1000 metres away. Similar situation, we wouldn't get into that one either on distance.

The closest state primary she would definitely get into is a (trafficky) drive away - leaving aside the question of whether it's any good.

We knew the school situation when we chose our house. DD will be going to a private primary school which she can walk to.

PtolemysNeedle · 18/02/2015 14:35

Diversity can mean different things.

When it means different skin tones, accents, languages, cultures, celebrations, traditions, then it is absolutely something that it's great for children to be exposed to in their early years.

When it means differences in behaviour, aspirations, manners, most of which are differences in a positive way, then that's not something children need to be exposed to in their early years.

Allegrogirl · 18/02/2015 14:55

My kids go to the local school 2 minutes walk away. It was rated good when DD1 started and has a good reputation for discipline and celebrating diversity. It is now 'needs improvement' but this doesn't appear to have any impact on my children. The children are kind to each other and it feels very warm and happy. It is only 1 behind in the league tables of the very 'naice' school up the road (where the parents look at you with pity when you tell them where your DC go). On my two non working afternoons we pile out of the playground and up to the park, or meet at each others houses for coffee if it's rainy. My children are learning lots and they are part of the community.

Some of my friends moved away from this area pre school applications and didn't get the schools they were desperately hoping for (ended up at schools far less popular schools than ours) so you do need to be careful.

WillBeatFebruaryBlues · 18/02/2015 16:18

I went to the local school, its was right next door and it was awful and I was moved.

People by their very nature are diverse, I can't help thinking of Labour buzz word when I hear it, Diversity and Fox Hunting.

LynetteScavo · 18/02/2015 16:32

My DC did....we picked a school then moved close to it. (Another school was then built very close, but we chose not to use it). The school didn't suit DS2, so we moved them, but it's still reasonably near, only a mile away. It's not everyone's cup of tea, but it's served my DC well.

The older two now go to secondary in the next town. Most people think I'm mad, but I think it's a fantastic school. I would move next to the school if we could afford it - the houses are lush, but ££££.

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