To wonder why when choosing a school parents go for the easiest option despite it not always being the best choice for their kids.

[Jackpack]

My Ds is due to start high school in September. We put down a catholic school with a great reputation, good feel to it and with excellent ofsted reports and results and for our second choice we put down an equally good community school, both around 2.5 miles away. My Ds does go to Catholic primary so he'll move up with the majority of his friends, most of whom live closer to the school but he'll also have kids in his year that live close by to us as one of our local primaries is a feeder to the secondary, so making friends local shouldn't be a problem.

The reason I chose these two schools is quite simple, the rest in our town are diabolical, in every way imaginable. I wouldn't ever want my child to go there and if we'd have been allocated one of these schools then I'd have quit my job to joke school him. That's how bad they are! So, there are I think seven children in our street in the same year as my Ds so they are going to secondary as well this year. Each of their parents have chosen one of the failing schools to send them to and two of my friends, and a family member have chosen to do the same.

Obviously it is their choice to send their child to whichever school they like but why on earth they have chosen these schools i don't know, but then it dawned on me, because it's easier for them, the parents not the child I mean.

Sending their kids to the nearest school means they won't have to get up early and drive them to school. One of my friends was on Facebook recently raving that she can stay in bed longer come September as she won't have to take her child to school. I mean come on. I realise that a lot of kids do go local and there are certainly advantages to that including walking with friends etc but what's more important, thier kids get to walk to school with friends or that they get a better education. If all the schools in the area are equally as good then o can see why parents would want their kids to go to the local school, but when they're all exceptionally bad why not try for a better school slightly further away. It's just seems like laziness to me.

A lot of parents will take what their children want into consideration, if most of their friends are going to the local school then they will want to go as well. It's a lot easier to settle in high school if you've got friends around you.
DS's school is closest and had dragged itself out of special measures only a couple of years before he went. It still had an awful reputation but we visited and loved the attitude of the staff and the opportunities they offered. He's not a school fan but he's on course to do well and we're hoping so send DD there in a couple of years despite it still being the 'lesser' choice for many parents.
It's not just that it's easier for us, it's been easier to settle in for him.

Not everyone chooses the easiest option. My ds will have a long commute at my expense to go to a grammar school that he really wants to attend. It would be easier and cheaper for him to go to the local tech but he got to choose.

Just thought of someone I knew.

She was my cleaner actually. She got into the grammar and her parents forced her to go to one of the worst schools in the borough because a) it was closer and b) they were too proud to apply for a school uniform subsidy.

She blames them now for having few qualifications and having gotten pregnant as a teenager.

And this is recently, early 90s.

I work two days during the week and at a weekend, not sure how that's relevant though.

Hahaha!!!

It's hugely relevant!

Now I know you're looking for a fight.

Also, it's the bestest type of patents like you that contribute to local schools' falling standards.

When your ilk are parachuting your kids into the 'better' schools because you can, you are helping to create the two tier schooling.

The poor folk who can't taxi their kids around everywhere or are unable to engineer their lives around the school run for whatever reason are stuck with the default.

Stately

What youre saying reminds me so much of one of our foster kids. Our first, wanted the best, sent to the best school in the area, had been the best for years.

They cared only about the League Tables and cared bugger all about pastoral care. He ended up in a primary on one of EUROPE's worst estates never mind the UK. LOVELY school.

It may be the easiest choice for them but that doesn't mean your friend is lazy. Less travelling and stress for parents means there's more time/money/energy for important family time or other enriching activities.

Ugh. My parents did loads of bloody research and sent me to the fabulous wonderful school a million miles away. (Which I had to pass a test to get in so I had to study every day after school) I wanted to go to the local comp with my friends. I hated secondary school. My friends who went to the comp got to do loads of cool stuff for free cos it was considered a deprived area. My parents couldn't afford to send me on the posh trips at my lovely shiny wonderful school in the nice part of town, so I missed out. Plus I had to get a coach every day which made me feel sick.

Maybe if more 'good parents' sent their 'good children' to the dire schools near their homes, it might improve the schools?

I work in approximately 150 schools across our local authority. One thing an OFSTED report will not tell you is how good the school is. It might tell you what the inspectors saw on the days they visited but it will not tell you how it will be day to day for your child.

LMAO at someone who doesn't have the grind of the school run ten times a week whilst trying to work...

My local 'dire' primary school just got the best SATS results in the county. I am so impressed with them. High social deprivation, very low incomes, lots of troubled students and they have blown the 'competition' out of the ballpark. I honestly couldn't be happier for them...but people will still avoid (if they can) thanks to ofsted.

(The same ofsted that gave another local first school an outstanding grade 4 years ago, haven't been back since, despite 3 HTs in 4 years, seriously bad 'issues' and kids that leave there with a stinking attitude and crappy work ethic)

Everyone has different priorities for their children's education. For example, I would never send my child to a Catholic school or any faith school for that matter. I don't judge people that do though.

Choosing a school is subjective. The best advise I got from a primary head teacher was to pretend you've heard nothing about any of the schools and look purely at where you think your child will settle and thrive best and watch their body language when you look round. OP it's great you are happy with your choice but it's unfair to judge others for their choices.

*advice.

Many years ago when I was at school we had a right go at the English teacher saying we had little chance of passing maths and English as our school had the poorest pass rate. It was then explained to us that the belief of the governors and staff was that every child deserves a chance so was entered regardless of ability. All the other schools selected who went on for the exams.

We then realised that we were going to the best school.

Bright and motivated children will not do well at any school, not if they have rubbish teachers that hate their jobs and are just there for a pay check or the school is filled with badly behaved children who take up all of the teacher's time. My sister in law says the same, all the time but i think she just says that to justify her decision to send her daughte to a failing school.

Sorry but I would,actively avoid sending my kids to a Catholic school, having been thought the system Myself, but, that in no way necessarily makes it a better school!!

But I'm not talking about grammar schools though. I want my children to do well and achieve but id never out that much pressure on them and make them study to such lengths every day just to get into a school.

If you had read my post properly you would've seen that ice already said in general catholic schools aren't better but I chose one for my children because it was best for them. I've said countless times I would have been happy with the community high school as it was just as good as the Catholic one but my Ds preferred the first one.

I know I've said I won't discuss the faith aspect of school but I will say one thing. I know tons of people who went go to faith schools, including my family and myself. They had a really positive school experience and aren't scarred for life due to the religious side of things. Some, now as adults go to church, some don't, but either way they all appear happy and fulfilled individuals, so don't give me any of that indoctrinated crap. Kids make their own minds up what they want to believe and what they don't and I fully encourage that with my own children.

You are sounding a little indoctrinated there OP

Gosh OP you are rather horrible! Your poor SIL