AIBU to ask if primary school is crucial to life chances

[Iheartguacamole]

Was chatting to a fellow mum today who asked what school I was sending my child to next year. I said the local primary as it’s in walking distance. I could tell she was disapproving. I visited it earlier on this year and I got a good vibe off it. Certainly better than the one I went to. It is “requires improvement” on OFSTED and the general consensus I seem to detect from others is that it’s not a great school. Thing is, the only “great” school in our area has a tiny catchment which we’re not in, and the other good ones on ofsted are religious, which we aren’t. She said she definitely wasn’t putting that school down, I got the impression it was anything BUT that school she was putting down. People on the local Facebook page state that it’s a good and supportive school.

My personal view is that I will be supporting my child’s learning from home, I have a strong STEM background and my dp is a sports coach so together we feel we can plug any holes, as it were. We can walk the kids there which is extremely convenient. However, im starting to doubt my position given some conversations with other mums. Am I being too lax about it? Is choice of primary school of paramount importance to life chances?

I don’t think primary school choices are the be all and end all but I’d want to know why a school has a rating of requires improvement. If it’s issues with governance or pastoral care or safeguarding, that would be a red flag.

Ofsted really isn’t everything.

Often, though not always, if a school gets a poor rating it can lead to them then making significant improvements.

my kids school got requires improvement and I think they’re brilliant, I strongly disagree with some of their findings. I work across many many schools and there are lots where I wouldn’t go by their Ofsted rating - both poorly and highly rated.

On their most recent inspection it was all “good” apart from behaviour and leadership. They’ve recently got new leadership

Do you know anyone that has had a bad experience there or is it hear say?

When my eldest started our local was requires improvement now it is rated good. The school were fantastic, my DS wasn't an easy child in school. My other 2 have had a great time there.

The primary school mine went to was ‘requires improvement’ when my DD1 started. They’d been inspected in the May before she started in the September.
She’s in year 7 now but my other 2 are still there, and at last inspection it was ‘good with many outstanding features’. After the ‘requires improvement’ inspection they changed Heads and the new one really turned it around. So I wouldn’t be too concerned about the inspection as long as you get the impression they’re taking steps to improve it.

I wouldn’t choose to send my child to a school with a “requires improvement” rating, but if you’ve done your research and visited and you’re happy with it that’s what counts.

In fact I’ve just look and the last one was actually “inadequate”…. so even worse.

State primary - not really unless you get them into a prep school. I feel going to a prep school would definitely add a big advantage, especially with getting into grammar or private school.

But regular state primary Vs other state primary there's not gonna be a difference. Quite a few primary schools will have chronic low achieving kids. Some fix up and improve later on in life,.most don't.

We never really found that primary schools taught anything that we couldn't teach them at home. Just depends how academically inclined your DC is. Occasionally there will be a few brilliant teachers that take a shine to a bright DC and thoroughly support and encourage them.

I teach KS2. If you can support them through the curriculum and they're happy, they'll be fine. Having said that, I think it's silly to rule out a school based on it being religious. It's unfortunately the system we have but it is what it is. The C of E school in work in doesn't have a single teacher who isn't an atheist. We do a prayer before lunch and no more than 45 mins per week (including assembly) that are in any way religious. Even then, the children are told 'Christians believe...' not told things as fact. Personally I'd put up with that if the school were a better fit in other ways.

I think the issue here is not whether a ‘requires improvement’ school will have a massively negative impact on your kid’s prospects per se but more so the impact it will have on the cohort of people who send their kids there. To be blunt, lots of normal families who value education would discount it and that will be detrimental to the cohort generally.

I always thought religious schools would prioritise same-religion pupils, that’s the only thing that puts me off.

Oh and DD1 ended up with an academic scholarship to a very selective independent secondary school so it didn’t do her too much harm academically going to a ‘requires improvement’ state primary!

Some are stricter than others CofE generally being quite relaxed

I had a similar experience when I sent my DD to our local primary school, which everyone else was avoiding. I liked the head, I liked the ethos of the school. I figured DD would do well anywhere that she was encouraged and cared for. As the years went on, and the school reputation improved, every one of those parents who had gone elsewhere moved their children to the local school! Being part of a local community was a huge part of it for us, and DD thrived there.
Go with your gut and what works for your child..

An ofsted inspection is just a snapshot- the only thing that would make me avoid a school is if it was inadequate or RI for safeguarding.

If there has been a change of leadership they will be making improvements.

RI schools also tend to get more support from Trust / Local Authority to make sure they don't stay there.

If you got a good feel for the place and you know that others are happy with it, I wouldn't worry.
My ds1's secondary school was RI when he started. It's now 'good' and by far the most popular and oversubscribed school in the area.
At primary, being able to walk to school is a big bonus - it also means your dc will make friends with children who live locally to you.

My son just goes to the local primary school and I'm very glad despite the not so great Ofsted rating it is such a wonderful school. I also love that it is within walking distance.

Ofsted ratings really aren't the be all and end all in my experience.

My grandkids go to a church school. (They aren’t religious). Everyone is treated the same. I wouldn’t let that put you off.

From my experience as a teacher for 17 years, if the parents have a positive attitude which translates to the child then OFSTED good or RI can mean very little. Also a new HT will often totally change the school so you can't possibly say the current inspection rating is current and accurate for where the school is now. RI usually kicks in additional funding, support and training for teachers and leadership so that can only be a good thing.

If you got a good feel of the school then go for it. Also, great parenting that results in children being confident, resilient and doing well at school has way more impact on a child's life chances than a RI or good primary school.

Where I live 99% of children just go to their nearest school. Nobody bothers to read inspection reports or look round various school before deciding apart from my sister 😅

No. My children go to our local school which is absolutely awful due to the demographic of the area. Parents smoking weed on the school run, fighting in the playground. It’s a cross between Jeremy Kyle and Eastenders on the school run.

It’s not the teachers fault - most families see school as a punishment. The school attendance rate is shocking.

My dd left year 6 in July and has just started at one of the most selective grammar schools in the country. No one else from that school has taken the 11+ for as long as anyone there can remember, despite their being a girls grammar half an hour away and mixed ones in the closest city, 45 mins away. There are massive incentives for children from lower income families - free travel on school coaches, free uniform, free music lessons. But still, no one here puts their children in for it. It’s a deprived area, but like I said, if you want it, there’s a chance for everyone.

It’s not the school, it’s parenting. The teachers try their best, but they are constantly fire fighting behaviour. We put in a lot of work at home with dd. It paid off and she’s thriving.

Parental availability and input is more important imv. Our primary was in special measures. Most of the teachers were good. As a parent you just fill in any gaps. Mine ended up with all As and professional uni places. Just be prepared to step up if it's needed.

Re: a prep - even then, it may not make that much difference.

At our local primary about 40% go on to selective private schools for secondary, and I think it probably works in their favour to tick the ‘state educated pupil’ box for the school admissions.

Everyone has a tutor of course…!

OP - I doubt it’s going to impact your child’s future life chances, my worry at that age would be ensuring they are excited about learning - so ensuring the school in facilitating them being interested and it being interesting.