How did you choose primary school?

ineedastrongercoffee · 2023-01-09T14:56:42+00:00

How did you choose your child’s primary school place? we have 2 choices - DT’s currently go to a school nursery. The school is ofsted good, the girls have settled well, but the school is very run down, it’s like a Grange Hill 70’s relic that has been updated bit by bit. our other option is a CofE primary (we are active members of church and have been for a number of years but that’s never been our top school priority). The school is also good academically but the school is very modern with great facilities, wrap around care etc. I’m torn between the school where they are settled and which is a good school and the other school which, on the face of it looks much better but academically is the same, although the facilities are without a doubt better which one would you go for in that scenario?

milkymeg · 09/01/2023 14:58

Honestly I'd leave them where they're settled unless you'd really value the religious part of the CofE school as much as other parents whose children might not get in might. The cosmetic appearance of a school isn't as important as the environment inside and sounds like the kids are settled and well nurtured where they are

Hillarious · 09/01/2023 15:00

We didn't look any further than the local school, where their friends in the surrounding streets would be going.

Soubriquet · 09/01/2023 15:00

It’s the closet one to us. In walking distance. We are just lucky that it’s a good school.

Original poster

ineedastrongercoffee · 09/01/2023 15:01

I should add neither school is in catchment (our catchment school is awful) but both schools are within a mile of us

OP posts:

MrsTerryPratchett · 09/01/2023 15:07

They don't need facilities in primary. They need to feel safe, settled and like the people around them. I'd keep her where she is.

TheodoreMortlock · 09/01/2023 15:12

I'd go for the one with the wraparound care and better facilities - they will make friends in reception anyway, and even if they stay at the same school they probably won't keep the same friends they had in nursery, friendship groups change. But wraparound care would be the clincher for me.

Picklypickles · 09/01/2023 15:43

Mine go to the same primary school that I went to, its a 2 minute walk from our house and my own time there was very happy so it wasn't a difficult choice to make.

If the only difference between the 2 schools is how modern they are and your children are already settled where they are I'd leave them there.

AFS1 · 09/01/2023 15:48

We didn’t get a choice. Schools were massively over-subscribed in our area when we were applying for my daughter. We would only ever have got into our closest school. Luckily it’s a fantastic one.

In your position I would go for the one with good wraparound care.

MilkyYay · 09/01/2023 15:50

We moved to a village having considered the local school as one of the factors when we moved.

Local schools are largely full unless the school is poor so generally you won't get into anything that isn't your nearest school.

Ormally · 09/01/2023 15:54

With hindsight I would have been really relieved at having predictable wraparound care. The primary I chose did not have any breakfast club and after school clubs like sport or music were usually only in certain terms, and also did not run for the first or last week of a term, which could be quite a problem (and also even if you start one, the child may not like it or want to continue). There was paid after school childcare, but from the closest club not on the premises and you had to wait to be offered a place, usually. Again, if yours is little and most kids who go there are older, or vice-versa when they are older, it's not a choice that your child will automatically be very keen on.

Millionaireshortbread0 · 09/01/2023 16:03

How many form entry? My dt went to a small school (15 per year) and so ended up being together all the time which in the long run didn't do them any good (only school around as rural).
Also how will you get there?
Think of the long term not where their happy now (aesthetics mean nothing) but wrap around care may be important for you as they get older.
What's the ethos primary is not just about academics but also learning to socialise, become rounded, independent individuals. Which do you think will provide this?
What do local parents think?
What do you think about the school/staff, what, was your gut instinct?
Do you know type of dc do you have yet outgoing, quiet, sporty, academic, senco how do the schools provide for their individual needs?
What's the schools thoughts on twins (can parents have input into splitting them up or not and can this be changed if its not working)?

Frosty1000 · 09/01/2023 16:10

I'd go with your gut feel of the place when you visited. I wouldn't necessarily go for where they're settled now as they'll make new friends and soon settle when they do their settling in sessions. I sense the run down comment was you not being 100% about it.

For me, modern and good facilities win. Wrap around care is essential as you never know what may crop up if you don't need it immediately. We use a cofe school and I'd say that the morals that are taught are far superior to the other schools we visited.

LucyWhipple · 09/01/2023 16:11

How realistic is it that you will get into either of the schools if they’re not your catchment school. Start there. Parents are often a bit misled into thinking they have an actual choice when really it’s very limited.

We chose our catchment school because we wanted our dc to go to school within the community they lived in.

Frosty1000 · 09/01/2023 16:18

LucyWhipple · 09/01/2023 16:11

How realistic is it that you will get into either of the schools if they’re not your catchment school. Start there. Parents are often a bit misled into thinking they have an actual choice when really it’s very limited.

We chose our catchment school because we wanted our dc to go to school within the community they lived in.

OP this is actually a very good point. Because local authorities do catchment people first and you'll be way down the list. I would consider your catchment school as well as you're going to have to put a third choice.

Original poster

ineedastrongercoffee · 09/01/2023 16:35

LucyWhipple · 09/01/2023 16:11

How realistic is it that you will get into either of the schools if they’re not your catchment school. Start there. Parents are often a bit misled into thinking they have an actual choice when really it’s very limited.

We chose our catchment school because we wanted our dc to go to school within the community they lived in.

Well this is the tricky bit. The school they are currently at isn’t in catchment but they tell me that they aren’t oversubscribed, and they’ve never known nursery children not yet a place but there is no guarantee at all that they will get in.

The criteria for the CofE school is slightly different in that those who worship within the diocese come 2nd after children looked after by the state, so actually we’d stand a more guaranteed place at the 2nd school.

OP posts:

Original poster

ineedastrongercoffee · 09/01/2023 16:37

also the area where we live, there are 3 good rated schools all within a mile radius of each other so no matter which school they went to we’d be in the same area

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Original poster

ineedastrongercoffee · 09/01/2023 16:39

Frosty1000 · 09/01/2023 16:10

I'd go with your gut feel of the place when you visited. I wouldn't necessarily go for where they're settled now as they'll make new friends and soon settle when they do their settling in sessions. I sense the run down comment was you not being 100% about it.

For me, modern and good facilities win. Wrap around care is essential as you never know what may crop up if you don't need it immediately. We use a cofe school and I'd say that the morals that are taught are far superior to the other schools we visited.

This is what my gut is telling me at the moment

OP posts:

Original poster

ineedastrongercoffee · 09/01/2023 16:41

Millionaireshortbread0 · 09/01/2023 16:03

How many form entry? My dt went to a small school (15 per year) and so ended up being together all the time which in the long run didn't do them any good (only school around as rural).
Also how will you get there?
Think of the long term not where their happy now (aesthetics mean nothing) but wrap around care may be important for you as they get older.
What's the ethos primary is not just about academics but also learning to socialise, become rounded, independent individuals. Which do you think will provide this?
What do local parents think?
What do you think about the school/staff, what, was your gut instinct?
Do you know type of dc do you have yet outgoing, quiet, sporty, academic, senco how do the schools provide for their individual needs?
What's the schools thoughts on twins (can parents have input into splitting them up or not and can this be changed if its not working)?

It’s a 2 class intake. They told us today that if we wanted to start them off together that would be fine but if they/we felt that they would benefit for some separate time then they would be willing to put them into separate classes which was really reassuring

OP posts:

Susanthehappytrottingelf · 09/01/2023 17:12

We need wraparound so wouldn't even consider a school that didn't have it

PuttingDownRoots · 09/01/2023 17:18

We moved countries just before ours started reception (both times) and honestly the kids had forgotten within weeks who had been in the nursery and who hadn't... despite 95% of them being in the nursery class.

Which school do you like best and can imagine them being at? Lost that first, then the other, then the catchment school

Jimboscott0115 · 09/01/2023 17:23

Honestly? I went with which one gave me the best 'feeling' when I visited them. We had two in catchment area and chose the one which felt much more welcoming and had a grass outdoor area for playtime. Other than checking neither had horrific OFSTED reports (both were good), It was based on my kids comfort levels.

We were moving into the area and my middle child was in year 3 so we took her along on the visit too and we all agreed which helped.

Previously, my oldest and middle child went to the most local one to be with friends they'd made in nursery.

Outandover · 09/01/2023 17:32

We visited the five schools that we were in the catchment for to look at the facilities and get a general feeling of what we felt we liked. All but one of the schools had the open day during school time so we saw the classes and teachers in action so observed pupil/teacher interactions, did it feel kind and nurturing, pupil behaviour, how welcoming the classrooms and buildings were presented ie pupil work presented on walls, presentations about projects etc, the facilities available, general condition of the buildings etc.

Also looked at academic results, Ofsted, talked to some people we know whose DC go to the schools, looked at the schools websites etc, talked to the Head and one or two staff during the tour around the school. From that we had chosen our top three and discounted two of them.

You need to work out what is important to you, whether that’s wraparound care, a nurturing environment, academic results etc and make a judgement from that. Everyone has different values and no one’s wrong.

Ninnynonnynails · 09/01/2023 17:59

Location
Wrap around care
Language
Word of mouth
Gut feeling

Original poster

ineedastrongercoffee · 10/01/2023 11:52

Thanks everyone for your replies - we've decided to go with the CofE one as our first choice and then their current nursery as our 2nd choice.

I'm definitely an overthinker and this decision has been really hard - now the waiting game begins

OP posts:

AnotherNameChangeYes · 10/01/2023 12:08

Wrap around care is so important, it’s a logistical nightmare if you don’t have it.

That’s what would sway me anyway. They make new friends, friendships change over the years. Our primary mix up the classes every year to ensure they know everyone.