to ask for your help with choosing a school?

[hibbledibble]

I'm gutted that I didn't get the school I wanted. I'm now looking at other schools, something I didn't out much thought in before as I thought we would get a place in our first choice. I've viewed 3 options and have to make a decision quickly before the deadline (30 April!). Dd is awaiting assessment regarding SEN.

School A is local, around a 10 minute walk. It has has had a rather difficult history but I believe it is improving. It has a very deprived intake, with lots of temporary accommodation nearby. Very high FSM and EFL. The facilities are quite shabby, but should be redeveloped this summer. Very big classrooms and playground. Good SEN provision. I like that with a local school dd would have local friends etc. The school had a warm feel. Good value added.

School B is very big and felt rather impersonal on viewing it. It has a huge site but is 2/3 form entry, which I feel is a bit big for a primary school. However it has excellent facilities and value added scores, as well as excellent SEN provision. It is around 1 mile away. High EFL and FSM but not as high as school A.

School C is around a 30 minute drive. I loved the feel of the school. It is single form entry with a good community. Good facilities in some aspects, but poor in others. The school site is quite small but it has a good reception playground. The achievement is extremely high, but this is partially a reflection of the intake, with comparatively low FSM and EFL. I think their SEN provision is likely to be the least strong of the 3 schools however.

All 3 schools had excellent behaved pupils, and I think all are good schools. I'm really struggling to decide which one.

I would be thinking about that SEN provision. What is the difference between excellent and good? What might be your daughter's particular needs? Does the site/size matter in relation to her needs (autism, for example)?

I would also think about how you know that the provision is good or excellent or not. Have you spoken to other parents? Did the teachers talk to you about it when you visited?

Sorry you did not get the school you wanted.

I'd probably go for B (excellent SEN provision) with A (good provision) as runner up.

Both A and B are close enough for her to have local friends and to walk to school. And although B seems big when you are looking at your little pre-schooler, it's not that big and in general larger schools have more clubs, sports teams etc all of which I think increase in importance during the primary years.

SEN is a pretty wide classification to be able to judge to be honest.
What or what symptoms is she being assessed for specifically?
a) I'd want to know how they cope with it
b) I'd want to know what the outcome will be if it's a v mild form but they only have limited funding ?

I went to a primary school with a 3 form entry of at least 30 kids in a class. To be honest it didn't feel very large to me at all. Would have been about 750 children all in all. 30 mins is a long way to drive to school though so I'd avoid.