Choosing a primary school, advice please!

[GreenDinosaur]

As in the title, I am starting to look at primary schools for our pfb, I feel out of my depth and would really appreciate any tips or advice on what to look for or what to avoid.
I'm assuming you can make an appointment to have a look around, would that be during class time and is this normal?
(I don't want to be really weird if other parents don't go and have a look round but I'm not sure how to choose otherwise. I am clueless when it comes to this stuff and have bad anxiety which is really affecting my ability to make decisions.)

Any tips gratefully received

Hopeful bump...

Just ring them up and ask to have a look round.

Don't you have friends from nursery with older children who can point you in the direction of the good ones? Or nursery staff?

When you look round be charming, that's my advice!

Yes, book an appointment. Most have open days too. Look out for the different styles and decide what suits your child best. Some are very formal in Years 1&2 and parents sometimes get upset about this, others have a play-based curriculum which suits a lot of children but not all by any means. Think about what would suit your child’s personality.

When is your DC starting? I am assuming 2020 as applications for this year have passed (Am also assuming state school?) If that's the case, most schools will do open days or school tours around October, just before applications open. In the meantime, you can get a feel for local schools by chatting to parents whose children attend, eg if you do any groups with people who have school-aged siblings.

Some will have open days advertised on the website. You can then phone up and book on. I went to three different ones and felt as soon as I walked through the door of one of them that it was a more welcoming place than the others. What was important for me was that the school emphasised looking after all the child's needs rather than just the academics. I was also not keen on one school because it seemed to place a lot of importance on competition.

If you attend an open morning/afternoon you will probably hear the head, head of early years and some older children talk. This will help you get an idea of what is important at the school.

Good luck

Thanks for advice. I'm quite new to the area and don't know many people, I have tried asking a couple at playgroup but have got wildly differing accounts of the 3 schools I am looking at so thought I should go myself. It's been over 20 years since I've set foot in a school and I have no idea what to expect!

My DS doesn't go to nursery yet, we will have to officially choose a school in January I think as he's a summer birthday but if I decide which school would suit him now, I can put his name down for their pre-school from September.

I'm probably overthinking this massively but I've built it up into a big thing in my head. Thanks for the replies, really appreciated.

If you look at state schools please bear in mind that any linked pre-school does not give him any advantage on the admission process unless it is clear in the admission procedure.

Def check the admission guidelines for the 2019 intake, most councils are able to provide yiu with them. Then look at the distance they had for the furthers admission. Be realistic about where your child May be able to go to.

For state schools in England, the application dates are the same regardless of birthday. The application process is done online via your local authority and the dates are the same nationwide - you can apply any time from November to mid-January.

PP is right, attending the pre-school definitely does NOT mean you will get a place in Reception. You have to reapply for Reception spaces and the school will have admission criteria. These are usually 1) Looked after child 2) SEN with the school named on the ECHP 3) Siblings 4) Distance . Some local authorities also have catchment areas or priority admission areas. Check the admission criteria for any school you are interested in.