Would you pick local secondary school just because it's local

[Hiddiddleyho]

I'm starting to wonder what to do about senior schools. Dd's in all likelihood dyslexic, and also has an eye team work and reflexes issue that needs improving with brain training type interventions. However you wouldn't know it unless you really look. She is doing fine at school attainment wise and works hard at school. They didn't spot things.

We have one senior school in town. It takes 1300 students which seems quite big. It's quite sporty and drama. Last year it got ofsted requires improvement for sen and for reading process. It's just being turned into an academy, has a new ish head, 30+ teachers are going to be leaving this summer, I assume because terms are changing. However almost all the kids in town go there, they all cycle in, so good for friends and freedom. It has a sixth form.

The only alternative I think she'd get into is 11 miles away in a town we don't really know. Buses are supposed to be being improved. It takes 500 kids. It prides itself on pastoral care, sen support, having a community feel. Ofsted good. But there are less gcse subjects on offer. Apparently they're looking into partnering with another school to offer more. There is no sixth form. And it's a journey away so less good for friends and freedom.

Add in younger ds and complications of whether they'd be in different places.

For secondary, definitely the most local.

We have a similar dilemma, but without the SEN consideration.

I think ultimately we’ll go with the local comp. I think the independence and community that will come with going to the local school will outweigh the disadvantages (like yours - it big, recent change in administration, etc)

You could be describing the schools local to me. I'd go for the school with good pastoral care and SEN provision and a more settled teaching staff, even if it is a journey away.

Trust your gut. Definitely don’t feel beholden to the local school for the convenience of it. And definitely don’t get hung up on needing to send both of your children to the same school.

You know your child best - do you think they’d get swallowed up in a large school? Do you think they’d benefit from a smaller environment with better pastoral care and SEN support?

My gut was telling me that the local secondary was not a good choice for my anxious, academic, autistic daughter. I’d heard bad reports about behaviour, bullying, toilets locked during lesson times etc. I knew she’d hate it. She’ll be going to a school around 7 miles away via bus.

Local!!! 11 miles is lots, don't do it.

500 kids.. not a big pool for potential friends.

No different to their current primary really, which has 450.

I think that's 50/50!

Go with the school that feels right for your daughter.

I live rurally and all the local secondaries were a bit of a hike to get to via either bus or train.

In the end we went with a massive comprehensive in London that takes 90 minutes each way, but specialises in DD's particular interests and their overall management and teaching style goes well with her SEN.

She doesn't have local friends at all, but she has a train pass and just goes into London to see her other friends instead.

90 minutes, gosh!

Usually I'd say the local school but in your case, I'd be seriously considering the school that's further away. Difficult decision though. How would you manage the journey and logistical side?

In your situation my concern I'd not be unduly concerned about a requires improvement judgement on its own because I'm not convinced that the quality assurance of judgements is good enough.
I would be concerned about the Ofsted judgement, plus academy takeover and the high staff turnover combined.

Whether 11 miles is doable will depend on your transport and what the roads are like.

My daughter went to a selective school which was 12 miles away rather than a local school, three of which would have been within walking distance. The journey really wasn't a problem at all and she had a separate group of bus/train friends as well as her class friends. I would go with whichever school you and, more importantly, your daughter prefers and don't worry about the journey.

With Secondary, more kids means more scope for different courses at GCSE.

My DDs school has 200 a year, and thats on the smaller side... 250-300 children a year is more normal.

However I would carefully explore the SEN support at both schools to see what its like in reality.

Hi op, firstly 1300 in a school with sixth form is not big, really it’s average. About 200 or so pupils per year.

500 otoh is a very small school and I would be concerned about GCSE offer and range of subjects (MFL, triple science, tech, music).

11 miles is a long way and would take an hour by public transport I bet.

DH and I both travelled a long way to secondary (rural grammar) and swore we would avoid this for our DC. Yes, comms between friends is a lot better today but still.

My dcs’ school is almost over the road. There’s a local school that’s a 15 min bus ride away plus a 25 min walk; I would see pupils arriving home at 4.30, and know that mine had been home for more than an hour of homework or wind down time.

Nope it doesn't matter about distance.
I chose a secondary for myself that was a 1hour drive + 2 bus changes, I was fine.
We have chosen one for DD that is a 30 min bus drive away rather than the closest which is a 10 min drive because it suits her better.
Choose the one that's the best fit for your child.

There is a private mini bus that goes from my town to the school 11 miles away. So she wouldn't necessarily need driving. There may also end up being people on our road we could car share with. Depending on what everyone ends up doing.

Visit both!

500 is a tiny secondary, but you have a pretty big primary. Is the small secondary over subscribed?

As the questions to the local, why are so many staff leaving? What have you put in place to improve SEN provision?

I have two in my local secondary, one in one a little further way but he's in a specialist autism unit within the school and gets a taxi back and forth. My youngest has two years to make the decision, I suspect the local one but I like all the schools.

But visit, ask questions, as in local groups, ask other parents, ask primary school staff, and then visit and ask again. Speak to the SEN lead. See what feels right for you.

Go and see them both.

But local would be a very compelling point in its favour. So many soft benefits you get from having a local school - friends are closer, you can stay after school on a whim rather than it being organised, you don't have to plan your life round when the bus home is. Plus simply more time if you're not travelling.

I agree that 1300 for a school with a sixth form is only about 200 in a year, which is not large for a secondary school. I'd say that 500 is too small and likely to be more limited in what it can offer.

Good SEN support is what I would be going for here, especially with multiple needs. Yes ideally local - but with that report, I would guess its sink or swim for the kids attending there. Good SEN support enables them to meet their potential despite their challenges.

For DS1, we looked at the very local school (5 minutes away) and one just over a mile away, that we were probably have been on the edge for on distance. He chose the nearby one and it's been great for him. Generally, where there are choices I'd agree with @Clary above. He also has friends who live very locally. We are in a part of London where some parents who live there are keen to send kids to school in more middle class areas, but I've noticed that some schools with more apparent snob appeal have an alarming staff turnover compared to the one they're at.

However, in a small town which has one school and the next option is 11 miles away, that is a real dilemma. I would find the level of change impending and the fact that 30 teachers are leaving quite worrying. Is the organisation taking over a new one or a regional/national chain that you can find out about.

I have one who gets on a bus to a school the next town over, and the other who goes to the local secondary around the corner.
bitterly regret sending the eldest away. He is like a hermit.
the youngest on the other hand, is never in - always out with his mates (or we have a houseful of teens!)
the eldest is we feel neurodiverse and struggles to make friends / be social, it was a bad decision (even though it was his choice at the time).

We put the local school not through choice but because ds could be sent anywhere there was a place in the city if we didn't. It was a terrible school but all the outstanding schools only had small catchment areas. This thing that you get a choice is a joke because in reality you don't.

Definitely the local one. 500 in total is so small I’d be worried about their financial viability.

That's one of the reasons they're wanting to take more kids from our town, so that they can expand. They are apparently going to be putting on frre buses. And also apparently they are going to be partnering more formally with another school nearby to offer additional gcse options. That school is one of the best state schools in the country so that would be interesting to find out about.