Innocent poll: Would you willingly send your DC to a so called poor school for the sake of.....

[fireflytoo]

...improving the standards of that school? There are often threads about all the issues revolving around so called good or bad schools. Many factors are blamed; class sizes, teacher child ratios, the middle class influence, sociological environments etc.

What I would like to know is whether anyone (especially anyone who gets cross at parents who move to good school areas or who pay for tutors etc) would willingly send their DC to a school where they know the DC would not nessecarily (sp?) get the best education....but where the school would benefit from having them there. (Presuming these said DC have supportive parents and the DC are quite capable of doing well.)

Hope I am not stepping on any toes here... I am genuinely interested in this question though.

No way.

no.

my daughter has many learning disabilities. it's vital that she get the best she can in order to help her.

This family did...

www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/article-23470689-details/Headteacher+quits+crisis+primary+where+schools+ minister+Ed+Balls+sends+his+children/article.do

No, if there was a choice I wouldn't do this with the sole intention of helping the school over my own child's welfare.

But if my child's only option was to go to a failing school I would put up with it and do my best to help my child overcome the disadvantages of the school.

If it were the choice between that and going private, very probably yes.

no

I am not that altruistic

Expat... you are a sensible parent ...like any other sensible parent who wants the best for their own child.

I just wonder about the hysteria intensity that is often directed at parents who do the best they can (In any way possible) and therefore cause these disparaties in education. I am not saying it is okay to have these, and I firmly believe everything possible should be done to offer the same quality education for all children. But I cannot see how you can blame parents for wanting to do well for their children if they can afford it... or how anyone is going to manage to force them to do otherwise.

Or why they should be made to feel guilty about it.

I hope I'll have the guts to do it when the time comes - my local comp is pretty darned rough.

Good on Balls and Cooper - I didn't know about that.

why is that post directed at me?

i never said anything about going private.

as i'm in rented accommodation, i'd probably try to move to a better catchment area.

No

Obviously I hope that all schools would benefit from my dd's delightful presence but not entirely sure what is meant by this?

We live in Hackney and I will happily send dd to a local school which probably won't score highly results-wise. I would like her to mix with a variety of children from different sociological backgrounds. I would rather she didn't go to a massive school, and I would prefer her to go to a school where the teachers are happy and inspirational. As a teacher myself, I have strong views on education. I hope to be an active parent - perhaps a Parent-Governor, and do my best to influence the school to my own political agenda .

So does that answer your question? Yes, I will send dd to the nearest, smallest school and do my best to influence what happens there.

I know parents who did this and their children were fine.I f my ds1 went to school though I wouldn't.

Agree with you there Umlellala.

luckily, the nearest school has a brilliant reputation.

DD1 will be going to our local comp in September. It is not terrible, but not particularly good either. I think if there was a better state option locally I would be torn, as it is she will have to bite the bullet and make the best of it.

Not a snowball's chance in hell

Sorry and all that

It might be anti-social but my primary responsibility is for my DCs. I'm answerable for the health, education and emotional wellbeing.

I cannot be answerable for this (and previous) government's lunatic policies. I cannot be held responsible. I pay massive amounts in taxation, mostly without grumbling, I do a bit of voluntary work BUT I AIN'T SACRIFICING MY CHILDREN'S FUTURES FOR THE SAKE OF AN ABSTRACT PRINCIPLE.

GAH

I do agree, Quattro.

I work in a so called poor school and we have lots of lovely kids- which does make a difference to classes. However, you should send your child to the school which, you feel, will benefit your child.
All schools have pros and cons, choose one which best fits your dc.
Just please don't slag off our type of school as we, all staff and most students , work blardy hard.

I've just realised that sounded the teensiest bit obsessive

This is because I have convinced myself that the local school is full of villains. More children with ASBOS than go to university (this is true btw) and my children will spend their school lives alternately taking drugs and having abortions ... whilst of course any right minded person knows they should be waiting for all that until they get to university ...

expat... yours was the only post (I was just being polite in the sense of having a conversation... my threads don't usually get off the ground )

Agree, undervalued. I expect to find 'better' teachers (in a way) in the most challenging schools, hence would rather my dd went to a school with rubbish results but fabulous teachers.

But to answer the OP - if the school was rubbish because the teachers were terrible (and for me, this could be if they got good results but were miserable), I would still send dd there but would try and change the approach... I would choose the first school if I had a choice though.

Hear, hear - Quattro