Is an excellent primary really that important?

[saramoon]

We live (rent) in a really lovely area that has an excellent primary just behind the house. Our eldest DD is due to start there in September. One of the reasons we moved here about 3 years ago was so our DDs would go to a good school. (there are other reasons too - family etc). Anyway recently we have been looking at buying and have realised that we may not ever be able to buy here as it is so expensive. Have been looking at other areas that are cheaper but my heart is not in it really as we love this area and the school is fab. Is it really important then for children to go to a good primary or is secondary more important or does it not matter at all if you have a good, stable home life and your children are bright and able?

Will you move before September and if you move how far will you go?

You could wait until September to et your DDs into the "good" school and then if you only move a little way you could keep her there, altho the school run would be a commitment.

Depends where you live imo. If they are going to end up at the same secondary schools it probably doesn't make a huge difference.

I live in an area where children still sit the 11+, so primary school choice is very important. Some of our local schools have far better pass rates than others. My daughter goes to one of the (for want of a better word) "better" local schools, and if she doesn't get a grammar school place it will be because she isn't right for grammar school rather than the standard of her primary school.

I think primary is more important than secondary as if children havn't developed a love of learning in primary they won't do so in a secondary school, however good it may be.

I think it depends how'bad' the alternative schools are. If they can't read and write by the time they leave primary, I don't think the choice of secondary is going to be relevant. Ok that's a bit extreme but .....

Depends.

A decent primary with supportive & involved parents is better than an excellent primary alone, I reckon. Parental involvement and encouragement is so important at this stage.

It also depends on what your child's needs are. Obviously you want your child to do well academically, but I think primary school serves a hugely important social function, too. We have a few very sought after schools in our area, but they're huge and I just don't think my highly strung DS would thrive as well there as the smaller school we are hoping to send him to.

Depends on the alternatives, as Seeline says.

I always thought that primaries were much of a muchness. Transferred schools and have had real trouble motivating eldest ds with regards to school since switching primaries. It's been quite depressing.

Also, I now know the difference between what's on offer through a "good" primary as opposed to a less"good" one. And that makes watching youngest's progress through school quite painful to watch.

Lastly, I know the school isn't up to it academically, which is a pita because there is secondary selection around here and it means that the children at the current primary start the race with a big disadvantage.

There again, this is London and the differences between "good" and "not so good" are quite big. That may not be the case near you.

Also, what is "good" to you? It's worth giving some thought to that. I realised, after coming on mumsnet, that actually I cared more about ethos (I prefer liberal schools) than academic stuff (though I care about academic stuff quite a bit too), and what I considered a "good" school was quite specific.

There you go, just one opinion.

Can you not move and keep them at the same school?

I know loads of people who believe that primary is less important than secondary. I'd say they were equally important, but for different reasons. If a child is already switched off at 11, no secondary school, however good, is likely to inspire them. Similarly, a child who's flying at 11 will soon be brought down by a poor secondary. IMO, they both have to be as good as they can be. 'Good' means different things to different people, though!

I think as good as you can get for primary is the way to go tbh. It depends what you want and what this particular school may offer that others wouldn't.

I think personally primary should be cosy and friendly with a good emphasis on developping pleasant social skills, it should encourage dc to want to keep on learning and it should also be challenging without becoming stressful.

Thankyou for all your messages. Yes, we could move and keep them in the same school i guess but it would be a trek - 20 minute car journey and i love the idea of them walking to school. Who knows if we will move before September, we have never bought before and my DH works in the car industry and is currently on a 4 month shut down. I am a teacher myself - languages in college not a primary - and it is important for me that my dds love learning and keep on loving learning. I think I just want someone to make the decision for me really, do we stay and rent for a few more years here in Cheltenham - bearing in mind i am 36 - or move to a different area (Stroud) where we could buy a house but know nothing about the schools or area. I just keep thinking OMG the decisions we make now will affect our dds future forever, sounds dramatic i know

Don't they still have grammar schools in Stroud (don't know if you are thinking that far ahead)?

personally if ur dh's jobs at risk then dont buy - would not be worth the heartache.

I think primary is more important than secondary. My children go to an excellent primary in that it has a superb ethos, excellent pastoral care and a real committment to helping each child achieve their individual potential. Before we moved to this area DD went to a perfectly adequate average primary - the difference is phenomenal. She has just started a pretty bog standard comp now, but I would rather that then the other way around.

I think secondary is more important as that is when they will be sitting exams etc that MAY shape thier future. Praimary is for fun, learning and interacting, not test results IMO.

sowhatis - I couldn't agree more. But how many (state) schools offer 'learning' that isn't linked to test results?

I think the point some of us were making was that primary is important precisely because it is the place where children develop a love of learning. Not that it is important in some Gradgrindian way.
And Dotteressa, I know plenty of state primary schools that place tremendous importance on producing happy, rounded children - and that is what I mean by a good school. I daresay there may even be some private schools that are a bit too focused on getting pupils though common entrance

I would say it is essential. It is top of my list when house buying.I wouldn't buy my dream house if it was in the wrong area.

Glencora (I love your name - I want to be Glencora Palliser when I grow up) - yes, absolutely right. Common entrance pressure must be hideous in some schools. What I was thinking was that in most state schools - which is where most children go - 'learning' has to mean teaching to the SATS requirements, which is a real shame. Children would arguably learn far more of importance if all these tests were scrapped.

Well I certainly agree with you about that Dottoressa. To clarify, what I meant that is that the experience a child has of education between 4-11 is most important because it is their formative experience. So it is vital for them to be in the right environment. For me, that is not about teaching to the test. And I agree they should probably be scrapped, I do think the curriculum is too prescriptive and that teachers should have more freedom to teach as they think best.
But I also think that SATs have played a role in raising standards in poorer schools because they have meant that schools guilty of complacency and poor teaching have been called to account.
And sorry but you can't be me when you grow up, I'm going to be me when and if I grow up.

Ah, but I have to be Glencora as I am married to a man old enough to be my father .

But is he a future Prime Minister? And/or a Duke?
Anyway I love the name too much to let you have it. I should have called one of my daughters Glencora. Or got a girl cat.

In my experience, how your DCs get on in School depends on things that you can't control often

1. Does your child's teacher like and understand them?

2. is your child bright and in need of no extra help?

3. is your childs class that year blessed with 2 or more children that will take up 80% of the class teachers time through their inability to behave?

both my dcs went to "excellent" primary schools. the younger had a wasted time. don't base your whole life around stuff you can't control!

I agree with island of sodor. We ended up choosing private because of our poor state choice and because a teacher friend advised that if they don't develop a love of learning in primary it will be too late by the time they get to secondary. My reception aged ds was annoyed on Monday because people(I assume prospective parents) came to look round his class. They have to stand up to greet visitors. My ds said he was cross 'mummy these people came into our classroom when we were working'!

I wouldn't get hung up on the idea that you have to move either now or never (i.e. before your eldest starts school). If now is not a good time to buy because of your DH's work shutdown, it's perfectly possible to start your eldest DD at the school near you, and then look at houses in Stroud over the next couple of years (whilst keeping half an eye on what the schools near them are like), and then moving her. Kids are very adaptable, particularly in the infants. I'm sure there are some good primary schools in Stroud, you'll just have to do a bit of research to see which ones they are.

Grr. No, he is neither. I shall know better next time I choose a husband .

Primary is possibly more important than secondary. If your DC doesn't go to a good primary he/she may not have developed the numeracy and literacy skills and will find it difficult at secondary - at least that's my experience.