What makes a school right?

[PushPoshPish]

I’m interested in the following schools for my DC: Guildford High, Reigate Grammar, Lady Eleanor Holles, St George's and Tiffin Girls'. What was the number one factor that informed your choice of school for your child? Of course there will be multiple factors, but what pushed you the most towards your decision? Was it academics (i.e. position in league tables) / proximity to home / pastoral care / the feeling you got on viewing the school or other?
I’d be interested to hear about your experiences.

On reflection... the things that made us chose DDs secondary school aren't the same reasons we like it now they are there.

We chose it (we were moving, so found schools we liked and then looked at houses in catchment) because it had above average results and progress, had good attitude towards SEND, and had a variety of academic and vocational choices.

We still like the courses on offer, and their attitude towards SEND has been a real positive for DD1 even though she doesn't officially recieve help.
But we've come to really appreciate the staff going the extra mile, the Outdoors education ethos (for example they take the whole of Yr 7 camping, and Yr9 going hiking in the Peak District), the extra curricular activities... and the fact its less than 10 minutes walk so DDs have the freedom to use all the opportunities without worrying about transport or time.

We actually started secondary at a different school, which was completely the wrong fit - not very academic (she is dyslexic and we are in a grammar area so no choice of a good state option if you don't want to force them through grammar). We moved to a private in Y8 and have had a much smoother time as she has excelled in subjects she thought she didn't like, made friends who are far more like-minded and she gets to do subjects she loves which were often ignored in the first secondary (computer science for eg was very hit and miss with changing teachers who seemed not to be up to speed with coding).

We looked for an all girls school that got good grades but was also supportive of SEN. She is a high achieving dyslexic and good at most subjects but doesn't work under pressure or flourish with competition that isn't friendly. The school she is in now is in top 100 league table, small class sizes, plenty of SEN, non-selective, broad range of clubs and has a lovely setting with good food. I want her to love to learn so she can be a life-long learner, not feel so much pressure she cracks and ends up doing a high powered job she hates.
*I feel like I should add that meant she had to board, as the only single sex, top 100, good SEN schools near us were over an hour drive away. Got to love the grammar system, huh.

@TickingAlongNicely I’ve never heard anyone on MN mention the importance of outdoor education before, but I get it and appreciate it because environmental education is something that I would be looking at when choosing a school.

@RespiceFinemKarma Your DD’s school sounds great. And it’s non-selective? May I ask which school it is? It sounds like one I should be considering. Although, I don't want my DD to board.

Have you been to see them yet? I’ve been quite surprised that some of the schools I thought I’d like, I just haven’t. Websites only tell part of the story. It’s really hard to put a finger on it but there is definitely an ethos and vibe thing. When I started my lists it was all about exams and league tables but now I’m thinking of more specific things like phone policies, what it’s like for those at the bottom end of v selective schools, sports on offer, amount of homework transport, compulsory activities, and commuting times.

With the schools you’re looking at, the choice may well be made for you via the exam.

We chose one of your shortlist simply because it was obviously an excellent school, and it was within walking distance of our home.

I'd seen too many of our friends send their kids to schools a '20-minute' bus ride away (most often 30-40mins in rush hour) and then become frazzled juggling logistics with after-school matches, late collections, dental appointments, parents evenings/events and the resulting friendship groups which stretched to 20 miles away.
Problems were exacerbated when siblings didn't manage to follow their old sibling to the school... and ended up at one in the opposite direction!

Having local school and friends made for a much less stressful life all round and allowed me to keep working.

Not sure there’s one thing. But we “fell” into LEH as we live a few miles away (feels much longer in the traffic!) and got a place in Year 3 so meant no 11+ fiasco. If anything it’s perhaps too academic but with the great facilities and being close by, doing well as a school generally, we took it!!