Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Education

Join the discussion on our Education forum.

Original poster

How do you find out a schools catchment area? And is there an easy way to find out OFSTED reports?

17 replies

IwantPeace · 26/03/2009 11:14

We are thinking of moving and I need to research primary schools.

I need to know catchment areas and OFSTED reports.

I have tried reading OFsteds before and they baffle me.

Any Advice?

OP posts:
Original poster
IwantPeace · 26/03/2009 11:21

Anyone?

OP posts:
cherryblossoms · 26/03/2009 11:26

The LEA and the admissions' secretary of individual schools will be able to inform you of catchment areas.

Some schools don't have catchment areas, they just go on distance, so you'll have to find out what the furthest distance they go out to is, and then move well within it.

Likewise, popular schools will often be full before they reach the full extent of their catchment.

Ofsted reports - you're looking for high levels of children reaching level 4 in maths and english (science less crucial, but should be high too.) The new Ofsted reports are much shorter than the old ones, and sadly have less detail about classroom ethos.

"Value-added" is interesting, it should point up good teaching practice if it's high. It means that children come in at a much lower level of attainment than they leave at, if it's high.

If in doubt, go to a local playground and ask other parents.

FlyMeToDunoon · 26/03/2009 11:27

Somewhere online.
I am sure I read up before we moved here.
Is it something like - Down your street?

CompareTheMeerkat · 26/03/2009 11:28

Upmystreet?

FlyMeToDunoon · 26/03/2009 11:29

Thats it!

EldonAve · 26/03/2009 11:30

Start with the council website - some publish the distances

Catchments change, they aren't always set in stone

clam · 26/03/2009 11:30

Phone up the LEA and ask - although it's easier if you have an address to quote, which presumably you don't have yet. Or go on to Upmystreet website and type in a few postcodes and see which schools they say are the closest. Then research them.

nancy75 · 26/03/2009 11:31

schools in our borough dont have a catchment area, the local council print the distance that they go to each year, but this can change due to sibling intake, for example the school my dd is going to had pupils from 1.1 miles last year 1.7 miles the year before but this year the intake only went to0.6 miles due to siblings. if you find a school you like move in next door!

Original poster
IwantPeace · 26/03/2009 11:36

Is there an easy way to find out the best schools (not private) within a town?

OP posts:
cherryblossoms · 26/03/2009 11:41

Yes and no. Research.

Take a day-trip and ask parents.

Google the names of schools.

Contact the LEA.

Post on here with name of town.

I contacted the LEA and they suggested I go by the number of appeals schools were subjected to. Which always makes me laugh in a very dry way.

Otherwise, look at Ofsteds. You can go to the Ofsted website and just go through the areas schools. boring, but effective.

And remember, a "good" school is very subjective. what may be fab in the eyes of the many may actually be pure poison for you. so visit and think about it.

SoupDragon · 26/03/2009 11:50

"catchment" is, as others say, changeable. DS1 got into our 1st choice primary but 3 years later, a neighbour's child didn't get into that school.

Original poster
IwantPeace · 26/03/2009 11:55

How do you find out the number of appeals? Going through ofsted would take ages

OP posts:
nancy75 · 26/03/2009 12:00

iwant peace, i think cherryblossoms suggestion was good, if you post on here the area you are looking to move to there will probably be somebody who lives there that can give you a few tips. i can tell you everything there is to know about primary schools in bromley, but all boroughs do it in different ways.

Original poster
IwantPeace · 26/03/2009 12:07

I will be Reading we will be moving to. It primary schools we are looking at.

I think the early and caversham areas seem best

OP posts:
Housemum · 26/03/2009 12:26

Don't know what it's like these days but when I moved out of Lower Earley 10 years ago, Maiden Erleigh had a v good reputation, as did Earley infant/junior and Hawkedon. If you are in the right bit of Lower Earley you may be in catchmetn for Holt/Forest (v good girls'/boys' state schools in Wokingham). DD1 went to Hawkedon for years R and 1 and if it is still like it was, I loved that school. DDs 1 & 2 have since gone to OFSTED "outstanding" infant schools where we live now, but Hawkedon was great. If Ryeish Green school is still going, you may want to check it's current reputation - we moved out of the area as we were in its catchment rather than Maiden Erleigh. Yes, it was that bad then...

Check out the council website - some list schools showing number of applications v number of places.

sw1 · 26/03/2009 12:29

As a teacher I wouldn't send my child to a school that wasn't either Outstanding or Good over all.

Call the local Council and state the postcode of a property to find out which schools are in your catchment area.

Good luck!

Original poster
IwantPeace · 26/03/2009 12:57

Thanks Housemum. I'll take a look at Hawkedon Ofsted

OP posts:
New posts on this thread. Refresh page