To judge a school on behaviour over facilities?

[Mabledoggly]

Looking at two favourite secondary schools for dd.
First has great facilities but lower ofsted score and pupils a bit rowdy but pretty normal teens.
Second has unbelievably good ofsted and pupil behaviour impeccable verging on strangely too good... But isn't as big so hasn't got as many amazing facilities...

Behaviour over facilities every time

Your DD won't be using the facilities all the time. However, she will be dealing with the behaviour of other pupils the whole time she's at school.

Facilities are good but a better Oftsed and behaviour of pupils and their desires to achieve/results are more important.

Thank you, that confirms it for me

Behaviour every time.

Absolutely right to choose behaviour. The worst school I've ever been in had amazing facilities because the council had thrown money at it to try and get it out of special measures. None of the staff had changed. No pupils were excluded despite some horrendous incidents. Surprisingly the lovely new building made no difference whatsoever to the behaviour there.

agree with behaviour. you can take up stuff outside of school or use public services/facilities.

however when you say impeccable behaviour being almost too good, the concern what do you mean?

does it feel "off" you don't want classes disrupted by kids who mess around/shout out etc but nor do you want a bunch of mindless drones afraid to offer different opinions either. ..

Behaviour every time
(Teacher & mother of 3)

Behaviour. Its a tough old life if you are a student who wants to achieve, when the general ethos is too piss about.

The pupils stood up whenever we entered a classroom and the teachers chatted to us. Lots of the pupils hands shot up when the teacher asked if they could explain what they were doing.
They also seemed very calm and confident.

When did you view the schools? I question why you put strangely too good - what made you think this?

sometimes a school will only allow the 'perfect kids' be on show, whilst those schools who are comfortable in what they are/what they do etc will allow a free for all sort of approach

As a secondary teacher, I would be more comfortable with a school that gave a true picture than one that tried to give a perfect one

Mable - just read your reply (didn't refresh the page!) If these was a planned tour then this was also planned (we do it at my school; we know that tours are going to happen and we go through several times what to say when people enter the room (I work in a top performing school with a waiting list, so we really don't have to go through this charade, but SLT like it)

Behaviour every time. I don't take much notice of Ofsted reports (teacher). They are mostly bollocks imo.

Another teacher here voting for behaviour over facilities.

I'm choosing schools too and have a similar dilema. Well, we don't have a dilema, we know our choice. But it's a less popular choice IYSWIM. Many people from DS primary will not even consider this school as it USED to have a bad reputation - but it has been totally revamped and now has excellent behaviour, really great staff, high expectations and ever improving results. The vast majority of parents write it off and don't even consider going to the open evenings! Based on a reputation of its former incarnation from 15 years ago.

Go,with behaviours unless the facilities are really really relevant to your child.

(Eg if you have a child who is a possible future Olympic swimmer who trains every morning and evening then a school with a pool that pupils can use out of school hours would be useful.)

Do you feel hat it's important for pupils to stand up when you enter?
Was it an organised open day or did you visit on a normal school day?

I would prefer to look at a school on a 'warts and all' day and would be wary of a school that wouldn't permit that. Having said that, I would always prefer a calm learning environment to facilities, but you need to be sure that what you saw is representative of what is usual.

I'm going on gut instinct with schools. I was already put off one where a neighbour's DS goes - he got detention for having his shirt untucked and the place has a very active cadet force. Might well suit some kids but that kind of petty, excessive discipline and militaristic mindset is not for my kid, thanks!

And if I thought the 'good' behaviour was down to the kids being terrified of the staff (and all the ones with SN/from poor familes difficult ones having been locked in the cellar for visiting hours) I wouldn't want to send a child there, either.

The school building programme at the end of the last labour government meant that some of the poorest performing school got new buildings and facilities - and good schools in poor facilities did not get them. This might be why there is a mismatch

Behaviour every time. You can learn a lot more with the right environment than you can with good facilities but poor behaviour.

Hmm - I would prioritise behaviour over facilities BUT one of our nearest schools also has unbelievably good Ofsted and spookily well-behaved children. And they achieve it by being absolutely draconian about petty rules and finding all sorts of ways to prevent students from sitting a GCSE unless they are going to get a result that will look good on the league tables. The Head admitted to a friend of ours (and prospective parent) that he prioritises results over interesting lessons.

I prefer the slightly (but not excessively) more rowdy school that DD1 attends. The students seem a bit more themselves and the school is more interested in them as individuals.