To not send child to a school just because it’s close

[CCW14]

i will be starting to look for a primary school soon for DS to start Reception next Sept. We have a primary school that is round the corner from us, less than a minute walk which DH says we should send DS to because its close, but even though it is ofsted rated Good, whenever I speak to other parents or the local Fb group, they all say ‘It’s fine’ or ‘It’s okay’. Isn’t that code for its not great but I don’t want to be rude? They also still have spaces for this september and have been advertising a lot that they have spaces open, where other schools all had theirs spaces filled

We have another school that is well recommended and about 15mins walk away so will probably put that as my first preference, but was thinking of putting a school that we would have to drive to as a second preference as they also seem highly recommended and have a good after school programme

Ds is very curious, loves learning and I have been told by nursery and others that he is very smart. I think we should send him to a better school as education takes priority over convenience, and I don’t want him to get bored at school if he is learning stuff he already knows. DH thinks convenience takes priority and primary school won’t make much difference

I will obviously visit all schools and have a look but think it’s quite hard to judge on an open day as everyone is on their best behaviour. And I know just because I put a school down, it doesn’t guarantee I will get a spot.

so what do you think?

YABU - Husband is right! Make your life easier and send him to the closer school
YANBU - Primary school is the foundation of learning and will have an impact on later education

I didn't send mine to the closest primary or secondary. There are more important factors to consider.

Have you checked the admissions criteria to make sure you realistically stand a chance of getting a place at the other schools?

Do what feels best but definitely put the round the corner school on the form somewhere or you run the risk of getting a school not of your choosing miles away.

IDK if I said "it's fine" I'd mean "it's fine" I can't be doing with all this pussyfooting around nonsense.
I wish I'd sent DS to the good school around the corner but we moved into the catchment too late and now he's at the outstanding school across town with no parking anywhere near it and surrounded by very wealthy people who he will never be able to keep up with. It's a total diamond shoe issue but if I could choose I'd go for a close good school. The boundary between "good" and "outstanding" is tiny anyway.

I would also not base my decision on proximity. I’m fact I haven’t do date. We have a nursery and a PS in walking distance - but we’re going further (about 10mins drive).

As sirzy says, I would start with checking the likelihood that the other schools are realistic preferences, so you can set expectations. A primary school a drive away would be very unlikely to be an option in many areas, but your local LA should be able to tell you maximum distances allocated; it's often on their website.

That said, if the local school is usually undersubscribed, putting it somewhere on your list would give you a pretty safe backup should you not get a higher preference.

It will depend on the amount of kids next year, but according to this years intake, for my first preference school we would have just missed out due to distance, but in previous years, we would have got in. For the second school that is a drive away, we would have got into it this year

Another thing to consider (if you're working) is how much time the school run will add to your commute.

I was going to put it at the bottom of the list as my ‘if all else fails’ option.

I think you need to find out more about each school and decide based on that if it is the right place for your particular child. All schools are different and suit some better than others. Of course, depending on intakes and so on you may not get your first choice anyway.

Read the actual reports, don’t just look at the ratings. And consider how old they are.

Actually look round the schools!

I honestly think there’s a lot to be said for having friends nearby at primary age.

Ease of getting to is a factor but not the only one.
Since DH is in the Army DDs have been to five primary schools between them. The one we had to drive to was the most stressful... never knew if it would take 10 minutes or 45 minutes, parking, not living near friends etc.
Younger DD is currently at one I can see out the window and its lovely waving her off in the morning, she can play out with her friends after school etc.

But its not the only important thing. The right school for your child is.

FWIW.... I would describe all the primary schools as fine. It just means they get a good education, they are are happy etc. Theres been pros and cons to all the schools.. theres no such thing as perfect.

Just look at the schools and make a decision then.

You will be able to get a feel for them all and ask questions.

Hardly anyone ever raves about a child's school. If people's first response is that the school is "fine" then that means they have no immediate complaints. Most people, if they don't like a school, will immediately burst out into a rant or anecdote about something that happened.

As a (secondary) teacher I take "she's okay" as one of the highest compliments!

I would base my decision on school visits and talking to staff and seeing how they interact with the children. When people say it's fine or good they very probably mean that. Folk are always very keen to tell you when something is shit.

If your kid is as bright as nursery says, he will do fine at the local one, having a short walk to school is great for kids

Go and talk to the head teacher of each. Schools wax and wane according to heads and budgets, not a “good”/“excellent”

The thought of putting kids in a car every morning is my idea of hell

We're nearly at the end of primary for our only child and tbh I think primary schools are much of a muchness. I see secondary schools differentiate much more and I'm keen to prioritise a couple of schools that are further away but much better for results and other reasons like sports facilities and ethos. There are major differences here that justify travelling, facilities/primary results are generally similar across our local primary schools.

Personally I would choose your preferences between ones that are walkable if possible. Remember he will be close to his school friends for parties/playdates and can walk to school himself and gain independence when the time comes.

We had an infants a street away, with a juniors at the top of our road. We chose a school across town for various reasons, did 18 months of buses and walking then moved closer to it. Best decision for our dc.

Go and visit the schools. Parents are the backbone of a good education for a child!

Please also consider the following:

• the preferred school catchment & possible friendships = playmates

• what secondary schools this primary school is feeding into.

Again as above, friendships and independence are important in late primary and all through secondary school.

Also, by ‘a drive away’ it’s only 5 minute drive on a good day, not including finding somewhere to park, or school traffic in the morning. But to walk it would be 25 mins. So I theory I could probably bus there with DS in the morning and walk hole by myself. I’m luckily not pushed for time in the mornings as I work later in the day, and part time. The days I can’t pick up, it would be my DM who would also have the time as she is off. DH would only have to do one school pick up and drop off

Don't just read reports, go and visit.

I didn’t send my son to the nearest primary school and it’s across the road from my house! It’s improved now but at the time of applying for ds I regularly saw safeguarding issues (children scaling very high walls, lack of supervision etc) and poor academic performance (children leaving school not being able to read to a high enough standard etc). When I went and visited it also had a lot of damp issues. Consequently it was not one of our choices.

Also consider friends. Going to the local school means local friends to play with in the holidays and playdates.