Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Education

Join the discussion on our Education forum.

Flip

1 2 3

Original poster

how much store do you take by ofsted reports? would you go for "satisfactory" local school or "good" one further away?

52 replies

hatwoman · 18/05/2008 18:13

this is in a rural area - the satisfactory one is in the village we are looing at moving to, 5 mins walk away from the house. Until recently it was "on notice to improve". The "good" school is in the next village. so the satisfactory one is much better for social reasons (all round - not just for the kids but for dh and I entering village life...)but the good school is, well, good... (and, after a couple of years there we'd be coming back to London where the best chance of a good secondary school is a competitive entry grammar...)

OP posts:

Megglevache · 19/05/2008 10:08

Message withdrawn

Fennel · 19/05/2008 10:13

We chose the local village "satisfactory" school over the next school along which was "good" but a drive away. But we really didn't want to be driving the dds to school for the next 9 years (my youngest was only 2 at the time). Also the "satisfactory" school was changing, from a first school to a full primary, with a new head, so it was obviously not in a fixed state.

we did find it helped a lot with integration in the village, even though the school is not short of pupils, it's full and popular, people in the village approved of us using the village school. And the dds can walk round to visit their friends which of course is a big plus for them.

merryberry · 19/05/2008 10:13

they are fine overall ta hc. some newer pics on profile! currently both have colds, though v refusing to sleep this am. grrr. gg has some silent reflux issues, but is a little stoic and i hope it won't be long before he grows out of it now.

we have (HAVE) to go out this pm, as dp and i register intention to marry and he has managed to wiggle out of heavy workload to do it today. not looking forward to a buggy full of snuffles, poor boys.

purpleduck · 19/05/2008 10:19

I agree with littlebella - go for gut reaction

Go for the one that has the best atmosphere, and where you think your child will do best.

Our school had a better ofsted rating when my ds started than it got last report - yet I think it has gotten better (and they are striving for excellence) Our school has had alot of (positive) change, and I think that affects the performance.

Ofsted reporters are only there for a few days, they CANT see everything.

Sometimes a friendly welcoming atmosphere is worth more than their rating

hoxtonchick · 19/05/2008 10:25

congratulations on the wedding mb .

merryberry · 19/05/2008 10:36

it's just a formality type - june 19th, neighbours to witness, bf to baby wrangle.

Original poster

hatwoman · 19/05/2008 11:31

this is such an interesting thread. hc - you have just the same idea as us. I'm going self-employed - doing consultancies. dh is negotiating a 50-day a year contract - in the office every fortnight perhaps, plus running 2 or 3 training sessions a year.

everyone's views on ofsted's etc are so reassuring - I've always been quite laid back but every now and then I panic and think I might be negligent and that all Good Parents would willingly sacrifice trivia like walking to school and making local friends....but it really isn;t trivia is it? thanks all!

OP posts:

Smithagain · 19/05/2008 12:07

We chose the "satisfactory" one in preference to about five "good" or "outstanding" ones. The "satisfactory" one was the only one within walking distance and we liked the feel of it when we looked around.

So far, we have no reason to regret the decision (DD is in Year 1). They were marked down for failing to stretch the most able pupils, but we haven't detected much problem along those lines yet, despite the fact that DD and her best friend are clearly in the most able 10% or so in their class.

In fact, the more I hear about "outstanding" schools, the more I like the slightly more laid back attitude at DD's school, where academic marks are only part of a much broader picture.

spokette · 20/05/2008 13:08

I went for the satisfactory school over the outstanding school because I spoke to many of the parents with children at the school and they were delighted with the school.

On the open day, the children showed us around and they were polite, articulate, erudite and full of aplomb and as well as understated self-assuredness which was opposite to what I found at the outstanding school. Just because a school is outstanding academically does not mean they develop the whole child. The satisfactory school developed the whole child and that is what I wanted for my DTS.

The satisfactory school has 15 after school club, the outstanding school had about 5.

Quattrocento · 20/05/2008 13:11

hatwoman, go for the local school, easier life, happier parents and children etc. If you are worried about entry into the grammar school, you could pay for some additional tuition in years 5&6 - many do.

choosyfloosy · 20/05/2008 13:15

Local school (though listen to gut instinct when actually there). Incredibly valuable. Ds and I have a 7-minute walk to school, and during this we go past the houses of 3 friends who are in his class. We also wave through the windows of several others - older people who ask how things are at the school because they remember going there, teachers' houses etc. Maybe you already know how this feels - as if you are woven into the fabric of the community.

And then become a governor so you know what's going on. If competition is too tight for that, become a regular reading volunteer, member of the Friends, anything, just get in there.

hoxtonchick · 20/05/2008 18:24

i so agree with cf about being part of the local community -- i absolutely love that we have a 2 minute walk to school & are by no means the closest.

Clary · 23/05/2008 23:35

agree with others hatwoman re local school being the top banana unless disastrous in some way (not sure what would qualify as that tbh).

Ofsted - pah! Our fab school got satisfactory as did all the local ones.

hoxtonchick · 24/05/2008 22:26

got our new ofsted report yesterday & it's good with outstanding features. everyone is like this . and i am one of the parents quoted in the report!

MilaMae · 25/05/2008 22:21

I'm a primary teacher(currently SAHM) and have worked in a selection of primary schools some excellent errm some not so. The 'on notice to improve" bit would worry me.

Having worked in both I'd go for the better Ofsted every time, they highlight issues which often do exist however unpleasant that is for everybody. If it was between good and excellent this is maybe not so important but between good and satisfactory(that was previously given notice to improve) If you've got a choice you'd be mad IMHO not to go for the better OFSTED report.

I've done supply in schools that were supposed to be on the up and clearly weren't,it's not a guaranteed thing they can still end up in special measures if they don't produce the goods. Are you sure this school won't slide back, has it got a new head or some new staff because if it hasn't it will be harder for it to improve?

I know it's annoying and there are so many benefits to being local but if you're going to face competition on your return to London they'll need the best education they can get in the primary years. However I would still visit both and examine both reports closely, gut instinct is important and you may well find your gut instinct favors that of the school with the better report anyway. I visited a few schools rejected the popular option that is a major bunfight to get into and went with my gut instinct school instead ,it had it's OFSTED a couple of months later and it got outstanding.

Hope this helps, it's such a stressful time isn't it.

Hoxton I'm in Devon, hope you manage to get down ,I can remember the stress of the battle we had to get back down. Houses prices are starting to drop round here so fear not if you don't get what you want for yours.

hoxtonchick · 26/05/2008 19:15

interesting to have a teacher's perspective millamae . and thanks for your encouragement about moving. we have been obsessively watching keeping an eye on devon property websites & have seen some big price drops so all all is not lost.

smartiejake · 26/05/2008 20:45

My dds go to an outstanding (according to ofsted) school but if the satisfactory school where I work was in the town where we live, I would definitely send them there. It is SOOOO much better in terms of everything from pupil care to teaching, from the head teacher to the dinnerladies.

Most of the parents at dds school were open mouthed when they read the glowing report of the school with no free clubs (ofsted said their extra curricular provision was outstanding) "good behaviour" (where a parent who went on a school residential trip said that the people who ran the centre were unlikely to allow them back as the behaviour was so appalling) and good teaching (where dd said the lessons they had had during ofsted were the best she'd ever had and why couldn't they have inspections more often as the lessons were so much better!)The real reason for their glowing report? The school is in a highly affluent area where many of the parents send their children to tutors to get their work up to scratch.

Visit the schools and go with your gut instinct.

muppetgirl · 26/05/2008 20:50

Intersting you should ask this as Ds's school has just had an inspection and gwas rated satisfactory. I have read the report and are unhappy with the reasons why -some unsatisfactory teaching, unsatisfactory planning and although assessment is done it doesn't feed planning, not all schemes of work are in place, some teachers weren't planned enough for the lesson the inspector observed and just used worksheets ect ect. A school is primarily about teaching and learning -all the rest is pure fluff. If they can't get that bit right then I would (as I am) be concerned.

MilaMae · 26/05/2008 21:24

Exactly Muppet girl why I personally wouldn't be satisfied with satisfactory, you summed it up better than me.

You really need to read OFSTED reports. If the reasons MG just listed were on a satisfactory report I'd be very concerned indeed.

Not all schools that get outstanding are in middle class areas and they're not given much notice anymore either so can't put on a temporary show of good teaching.

My dc's pre-school 1st heard about their OFSTED the morning the inspector turned up in the playground, the school my dc are going to 1st found out on the Friday before. They are in a pretty average area, with a mixed intake, they both got outstanding because they are.

A visit and thorough read of the report are really important.

MilaMae · 26/05/2008 21:26

Where were you thinking of moving to Hoxton?

PrincessPeaHead · 26/05/2008 21:31

That is interesting muppetgirl - I think I remember the school your kids go to (I live nearish you)and I've been hearing from friends who also go there that they are v unhappy with the report. What are planning on doing about it, if anything? My friends were talking about possibly leaving if the governors don't confirm they are looking for a new head - apparently he has been there 4 years or something with a remit to improve it massively and the report says it is just the same?

hoxtonchick · 26/05/2008 21:42

south devon mm (sorry for mis-spelling your name earlier!) -- hopefully around totnes but probably not in the town itself as we want a biggish house. where are you? any school recommendations?!

nkf · 26/05/2008 21:45

I'd say "satisfactory" probably means the school is quite poor. And "outstanding" means it's passed the OFSTED criteria for outstanding. Whether that will be enough for you is another matter.

MilaMae · 26/05/2008 21:52

Yes we are very near,love Totnes!!!!!

hoxtonchick · 26/05/2008 21:59

yay, will definitely pick your brains .

Flip

1 2 3