To have no idea what I'm looking out for in a primary school?

[giraffes2021]

HELP
Looking at primary schools for DD

What should I be looking out for ? Anything specific?

Try and speak to parents already there about what the communication is like.

@donkey86 my daughter goes to a school like you describe, call all teachers by first name, no uniform etc. She absolutely loves it and so do I. They're so in tune with the kids, they really know her and work to her strengths, there's a real sense of team.

I went on gut feeling as much as anything.
DS more or less made the decision for us though. He was very shy, and at every school we visited he would cling to my leg and refuse to interact with anyone. Except at one school, where within minutes he took the proffered hand of the TA in Reception and skipped off and sat on the carpet and joined in with the class. When we went to get him at the end our our tour/chat with the headteacher he didn't want to come home. That's where we picked. All 3 of our children went there and we never regretted it for a second even though it was not the best equipped, highest attaining or most sought after school in our area. It oozed happiness and warmth though, from the staff, the pupils and the parents and I am a strong believer in happiness being crucial for a good education.

Number of kids being dropped off by car = parents who can afford a car and are probably going to work Well this is really old-fashioned nonsense, many people are in hideous debt paying for cars for starters.

I think this is a view that belongs in the 60s/70s, when the plebs got the bus whilst managers drove. Now it is the elite who can afford not to drive. Many of the higher earners/professionals in my area wouldn't be seen dead doing the school run in a car, they cycle.

Parents tend to place undue importance on class size, studies show it's not as important a factor as we think it is. Children are better off in a large class with a good teacher than than they are in a small class with a poor one.

I will also add academy or maintained. I wanted a maintained school supported, funded and held to account by democratic control through a local authority.

I didn't want my local academy, where the school budget contributes to the CEO's £130,000 salary, whilst at the same time the school were sending 'begging letters' to parents to donate new reading books.

Yy to good Ofsted, not outstanding. You want a school that cares more about the children than jumping through Ofsted hoops.

Think about what your child needs.

• do they need great SEN support?
• if they are academically inclined, really consider what the intake and overall achievement is like. If it's an area where the intake is not high attaining, it is difficult for a teacher to challenge a more able child if most of the class are a long way behind.
• consider their educational "vibe". I have realised I hate the more extreme end of "progressive" style education which can be pervasive in schools and essentially believes teachers provide opportunity and kids will take it up - some kids simply need more direction. I wish I had opted for the more "traditional" school nearby.

Read the Ofsted report. Ignore the rating and read the whole report. You will see red flags as to why they didnt get outstanding - it might be they don't do enough to close the gap for pupil premium, it might be that behaviour isnt as good as it could be, it might be they don't stretch able pupils enough. Think about what actually matters to you.

I agree - walkable, outdoor space with plants etc as well as equipment etc, nice homely displays of children’s art work inside

I went for a sense of peace in the school during lessons times - some other schools had absolute riots of children roaming around all the time. I didn’t think it would suit Dd to be in a chaotic atmosphere. The school I chose had a lovely peaceful atmosphere - not horribly strict but just calm.

I echo those saying gut feeling. I was sure I would send my child to a particular school (private). Went for a visit and I hated it. Although I wanted an academic school this felt pushy and uncaring.

Went round the caring/holistic school which I thought I would find a bit wishy washy. Loved it. Son has gone there and thrived. Is doing brilliant academically but also happy and well rounded.

We went to a few Christmas/ summer fairs of schools to get a feel for the other families . Was quite surprising. Walkable also fab esp if small catchment as makes friends all super local.

Close so friends are local, more important as they get older. Then also a feeder for your catchment secondary so they go up to high school with friends from primary. There is less choice in secondary ime.

My advice is be realistic about where you'll get offers - where I live all the schools are so oversubscribed you will only be offered the closest one to you so there is no choice at all!

(Primary teacher here)
Don’t be seduced by outstanding ofsted reports. It can indicate that the school is more interested in pleasing inspectors than responding to the needs of the pupils and teachers. ‘Good’ is good enough.

Definitely check staff turnover. Low is good. Find out how many part-timers there are - too many can create lack of continuity for kids. You don’t want too many nqts but nor do you want too many old hacks who have been there for 25 years and should have left a decade ago. A combination of the two is great.

Watch how teachers react when senior management appear at the classroom door. If they seem frightened or defensive, beware.

Then there are the things that may or may not matter to you and your child: outdoor space, clubs, sports, out of hours provision, ict resources, dinners etc.

Above all trust your gut. If you feel comfortable there and leave feeling positive, it’s likely your child will too.