What do you look for in a school ( prep - early years)

[jabed]

DW and I are looking at schools. This is new to us and we are not really sure what we should be looking for.

DS will be 5 in August. We had him in a local school until last term but things have not been what we wanted, so we need to look around.
We know DS is bright for his age and according to his school had met all the years targets before Easter. But he is still going to be a young boy in any class he enters.

We know its easy for people to mistake him for a child much older because he has good volcabulary, is around adults a lot ( being an only child) and is tall for his age ( a gene from both sides of the family ) but we want him to have a normal childhood mixing with boys and girls his own age etc. He isnt as grown up as he may look.

We are considering home schooling but we are also looking at other school options - independent sector. He will be entering in year 1.

We are not sure what to look for when we visit. Any tips would be welcome.

Thanks

and where have the children of your colleagues attended ? If they have been in the area that long they must have some local knowledge even if some live the opposite way to you or are a little older. ime the world of independent schools is not a vacuum but a network.

LIZS - I dont live in the same area where I work. Most of my colleagues live much nearer to the school. I drive 45 miles to school . Many of my colleagues have their children in the school. I dont think any currently have a dc as young as my ds.

Have you asked them ? Even if their children are a little older they may well have moved around the area or taught elsewhere (especially pt teachers or peripatetics) and have a feel for other schools and heads, through contacts, matches etc . Have you thought about moving closer to where you work ? Even at 7/8 that distance is substantial for a child's commute (or is there boarding?) and presumably you are n't there all day every day to be able do each school run without inconvenience.

LIZS - yes I asked , thats how I know most have had their children in my own school. As I said, I live substantially further away from school. Most of my colleagues have been in the school for many years.

The real problem is a lack of independent schools in my neck of the woods. The nearest one of any size/ repute is nearly 15 miles away. Not undoable though. We all know the local state schools are poor, even in senior school the only place to be outside of an independent is in the grammar school (we are still a grammar area).

Where I live we have comprehensives but none are worth note except as hell holes and I have worked as supply in a number of them before getting my present post. I was made redundant a few years ago so I am not keen to make house moves, nothing is certain anymore and I like my home anyway. Its a nice house, nice grounds, a good location and a place ds can play safely. The local schools where I live used to be good but there have been changes which have made big differences locally. It seems where I am we have a shortfall of places and thats why the village school has so many pupils from outside the village in it. All rather council social engineering really.

My ds would have to get a bus into school ( the school run one). But at his age it would mean not coming home until 5:00pm daily. I work part time so a daily commute would be difficult. I would have to commute him 20 mins to catch the bus. Its not ideal at the moment. It could be when he is older. There are a number of children who attend my school from the town which where I would have to drop ds off for the bus and one or two who come from the rural area around , but not close to us.

Thanks for asking. I have a clearer idea now of what we are looking for so we will push along with that.

If you are in a grammar school area then how do you have comprehensives as well?

Sounds like you will need to move anyway eventually to increase your options within a reasonable distance or settle for the local town school when a place comes up, assuming your ds is on the waiting list? Your ds won't feel part of the community if you take him so far away to school , as there will be no time for him to join in local actiivities or socialise. His class mates could easily live a similar distance the other way so play dates/parties will be rare. tbh It is unusual for a Grammar School area to have so few prep schools relatively speaking.

No sorry MOllie, I work in an area where grammars are alive and well. I live in a comprehensive one. Sorry, I didnt make that clear.

Actually, LIZS, where my school is there are a number of independent preps and senior schools. The area is affluent.

Where I live, the village and hamlet enclaves are fairly affluent but have few children ( mostly oldies - like me but older children). As I said at the beginning, I have found out now that most of the local children are in another school. The rest in the only prep nearby.

The senior independent school is a few miles away in the main town. I see a few local lads go there (uniform) . Of course boarding is an option in senior.
Its just now where the issue lies.

Anyway, we will be off to see the local prep this morning so, here goes.......

Good luck for your school visit today. Hopefully it will be suitable, if not then it sounds as if home ed may be a good idea.

Thank you kindly for your advice and words Mollie.

How did it go? I hope you've managed to obtain some clarity on what you want for your Ds.

I think we got on well , Thanks Mollie.

The school isnt quite the small prep we were led to believe. In fact its the feeder prep to a rather more reputable school a few miles away. In now belongs to them because they aquired it a couple of years ago.

It belongs to a group schools which I would deem respectable academically and pastorally (Woodard). So, yes, all in all, not bad. Better than we might have hoped for.