DS1 is down for a slightly selective independent primary, to start next September. He's currently at a non-selective local independent primary.
We visited the school yesterday, on an open day, to rethink our opinions about it (DH really really wanted him to go there, I am annoyed by the work of physically getting him there).
I really really loved it. I felt it was absolutely the right school for DS1 (and hopefully DS2), worth all the hassle and greater expense.
But I wonder whether some of the stuff we were told was standard, and how much it meant. Does everyone's school/headmaster say:
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they do not promise to get kids into the best academic secondaries, just into the right secondaries for them
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it sounded like homework in Reception, Y1 and Y2 was a bit of reading, no more. (this wasn't stated by the headmaster etc, just implied)
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the anti-bullying policy is set by the students, with teachers' help.
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children must be happy, relaxed and confident, in order to learn.
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they have a tutor system, so kids have a social network across the ages, which remains constant through their school years.
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they want to create children who ask awkward questions, of everyone.
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even at exam time, the kids keep on with music and art, because those matter.
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they use the local city resources available to them, constantly (can they really pop out to a nearby museum without forms etc? in primary?).
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we were all toured around, in small groups, by 7/8 year olds! Which was really sweet.
So, have I just been scammed? Or do these seem like genuine statements that will really be stuck to, realistic indicators of what the school is like?
My gut instinct is, this is a lovely school. I don't love his current school as much.