Crap school vs good school

[MsThing]

Just after other views really.

DS is currently in private school but will be moving into state for secondary. This was always the plan for £ reasons and because our local state school (A) is Ofsted outstanding and gets decent results. It's the most oversubscribed school in the city despite it not getting the best results compared to other state schools. I thinks it's trading on its reputation to some extent.

However, a recent divorce means I now live a few miles away and my local school (B) was put in special measures a few years ago but became an academy a couple of years ago. Its results are generally terrible but the high achiever group does as well as at any school. I like to think DS would be in that group but who knows. It hasn't had an Ofsted since converting which makes me nervous. Locally it has a crap reputation and many people bus their kids to other schools in outlying towns.

DS spends 50% of time with me, rest with ex-H so in theory we can apply from either address. School A is obvious choice but means I have to spend another 7 years doing the school run as there's no public transport option (would have to go into city centre and out again which would be at least an hour each way assuming no waiting for buses ). School B has a school bus from ex-H's house (because it's unpopular and therefore has a massive catchment).

I'm going to visit school B and won't choose it if it seems crap but if it seems ok then I want to give it a chance; results and Ofsted aren't the be all and end all are they? Ex-H is adamant about school A but it would make my life difficult (I'm a single parent, he's already moved the next Mrs in). I'm worried that school B would be the wrong choice but surely I need to consider the family impact rather than just the grades DS might get? I wouldn't be able to work a full day if I had to drop off and collect (which I would have to half the time).

canny1234 - is that because you can afford private school? And have no idea of the struggles that the rest of us go through?

A school in special measures is not necessarily the worst school around, in fact they can often improve quickly if the right funds and leadership are in place. However that nice Outstanding school for years, could just become a failing one. Or that nice small private school could close overnight.

I have several kids mummy time.My kids have been in private and state education here and overseas and believe me I really do understand struggling.What I don't understand is the English attitude of sending children to the most convenient school even if its patently obvious that the results are inferior.Parents prefer to turn a blind eye and say that results are not important as long as the child is happy.

 Yes I do realise that the school in special measures may be 'better' than the other school in some ways.My children have learnt to sink or swim in large classes in our local school - survival strategies.The OP's child will not have learnt this .State school will come as a real shock to the child and he will probably not be equipped to handle it.Don't place him in the roughest environment possible.

How long are the bus journeys and will he be with anyone else from the school?

My 11 yo DS starts secondary in Sept - two train journeys. As another pp said, loads of children do it and they are only little for a short time.

Bus journey to school A would be an hour spread across 2 buses. I was trying to obfuscate details to preserve anonymity but there would be an accompanying DC.

Surely most kids travel an hour or more for secondary school, on one or two buses or trains? Or is there a reason OP's ds can't do that to school A on the days he's at home with OP? How long would it take to dad's from school B?

If you're in a city, what other schools are within 75 minutes' travel that he might get into? And what is ds's opinion?

Can you find Facebook groups or similar with local parents and get up to date experiences of both schools? School B may be turning a corner but not necessariliy yet.

I think an hour to school is not normal at all, not for state school at least. Certainly here we have enough schools that your closest is within walking distance. I probably have 5 within a 3 miles radius of my house but only one is close enough to walk to.

My DS is going to a state school and his journey door to door will be around 40 minutes. There are no secondary schools within 5 miles and we live in a well populated part of the South East. Perfectly normal round here.

MsThing - if you've got 5 secondary schools within 3 miles of your house, by Government definition that's 5 schools close enough to walk to! Under an hour's walk, or incentive to get a bike or scooter.

I'm in the middle of London but with figure-8 shaped catchments, many people are walking 2 miles for primary (quicker than the bus at 8am!) With the huge range of secondary criteria and being on the edge of two boroughs with grammar schools, most secondary kids I know are travelling a long way unless they're lucky enough to get into the right one of 9 attainment bands or aptitude categories for a place in the local secondaries.

Well that may be the case but I'm not letting my 10 year old walk miles to school through dodgy parts of town.

Canny1234 - have you been on MN much? Most parents here do not just let their children go to the closest school (mine certainly don't, even though some other people prefer our closest school to the further one mine go to).

MsThing - if they are travelling with a sibling then there is no problem. If you still worry, could you drive them to where they could just get one bus to school? I did this first for a 6 and 10 year old - it was a special escorted school bus.
Is there a school you like and you could drive to more easily?
Is there a school you could drive them to a safe walking route?
If you have 5 schools within 3 miles you have a lot of options, and if you are in England, I really don't think anywhere is that unsafe and can't be avoided.
You seem to have lots of options but are just focussing on 2. You need to get creative.

Lots of children do commute up to an hour to school. I've known children commute 2 hours into my town for a state school (I did think this was a mistake, there were perfectly adequate schools much closer.)

He's 10?

And he's walking miles? I thought it was two buses.

Have you bought a property or are you renting? Is there any option to move nearer school A?