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Education

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Original poster

I despair of finding a good school for my kids...

20 replies

minko · 21/04/2010 22:08

Where we live the school situation is not good. We live in Surrey.

So we have found a house to move into and had our offer accepted in a great town which boasts about it's great schools. But then we find out that the nearest one that has a space is three miles away and not actually in the same town at all.

DD can go on a waiting list to get into the nearer primary schools - there are 3 schools and on each one we would be no. 2 on the waiting list. But each of these schools only have 30 in a year so not a lot of hope of anyone leaving.

We could stay where we are and go private but we want to move house to a nicer area. How hard is it to get a nice house and a decent school!!!??? AAArrrggh!

OP posts:

kitkatsforbreakfast · 21/04/2010 22:18

Decisions decisions. It's a dilemma, and only one you can resolve. In a similar situation we plumped for the smaller house with a titchy garden and private education. A rather large commitment though, and not one that can be easily changed. Children do move from schools. Can you stay where you are but keep his name on the waiting list and see if anything comes up by the summer?

Original poster

minko · 21/04/2010 22:24

The admissions officer for the area suggested we put her in the 3 mile away school and wait for a place to come up in a nearer one. (The nearer ones aldo feed into a fab secondary school...) But that would mean moving her twice and I could cry when I think about the effect that would have on her...

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CarGirl · 21/04/2010 22:30

Sounds like you could live near me.

Have you actually looked at the not so great schools to see what they are really like?

Surrey have really messed about with the schooling in the last couple of years shutting them to desperately try and save money and convert what's left into primaries without putting conversion contingency plans into place. Oh and in fact ignoring the birth boom of the last 2 years, the shortage of places is going to get much worse.

Original poster

minko · 21/04/2010 22:41

The situation we have is that DD is in the best local school but it is Catholic. We aren't Catholic but they had a space for her so we were pleased. Now though there is no space there for her brother as they are over-subscribed and there is no sibling rule. The alternatives are dire and yes, I've looked!

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CarGirl · 21/04/2010 22:44

If you can afford to go private then at least you have that option.

thisisyesterday · 21/04/2010 22:44

depends how decent is decent! lol

i agree that it's worth looking round all of the schools before making a decision

our school was "satisfactory" i think, in the ofsted report. but we went and visited and it was just lovely. DS1 likes it there, we're very, very happy with it...
don't just base your decision on things like ofsted because that treally doesn't give you the full picture. and remember that bad reputations can live a long time, even once a school has changed dramatically.

we're in west sussex... you could move here and have a lovely school and a cheaper house! lol

Original poster

minko · 22/04/2010 08:03

I thought I ought to add that when I say 'dire', I mean grade 4 with special measures and a head that has left with a nervous breakdown and not been replaced. That's our alternative at the moment...

Have had a sleepless night worrying about what to do.

Is 3 miles too far to go to school?

If it ends up being 3 miles from where DS starts primary how do I cope with taking the two of them to school!??

OP posts:

DecorHate · 22/04/2010 08:12

3 miles is not far really (providing you have a car). My dcs go to a school 2 miles from home, it's in the same town, even the same side of town! Takes about 5 minutes in the car providing no traffic problems.

The other issues don't sound good though. How close to the top of the waiting list are you in the current school?

annh · 22/04/2010 08:12

Three miles is not too far if it ensures that your child gets a decent education. With regards to your younger child, check the admissions policy of the school to see where on the priority list he would come. You will probably find that he will be likely to get a place there too, removing one worry about two drop-offs.

For the other schools, have you spoken to them about movement on the waiting list? They can never guarantee when spaces will come up but often schools will be able to give you an idea of how many spaces generally come up during a year so you can make a slightly ore informed guess about whether a space is likely to come up for your dd.

annh · 22/04/2010 08:12

P.S. I am also in Surrey. Can you give us an idea of whereabouts you are?

Original poster

minko · 22/04/2010 08:14

Begins with W ends in G.

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annh · 22/04/2010 09:56

Aah, live just outside there. Maybe I am in the town where there is a school space? Tbh, was unaware of the town having particularly amazing schools although where I live does. However, it is a commuter town so there does tend to be movement on lists. We were in the same boat about 6 years ago, moving from abroad during the summer and struggled to find a place, although we were also looking for a faith school. However, by end of summer we had two places and probably could have had others as well. This must be a good time of year for people to be thinking about moving.

twolittlemonkeys · 22/04/2010 10:06

I'm from there and lived there for most of my childhood but now live up in the E. Midlands. I know a lot of people who sent their kids to primary school there then switched to private for secondary because unless you're catholic there's only one half decent secondary which everyone wants their kids to get into and you have to live on the doorstep to get a place.

No. 2 on a waiting list isn't that low down. People's situations change all the time. If you're not happy about messing your dd about could you HE until a place becomes available? They don't seem to like the idea of HE at all in Surrey and you'll be amazed how quickly a space becomes available!

Original poster

minko · 22/04/2010 12:44

I have actually considered HE for DD until a space came up. She seems quite happy at the prospect of moving schools but she is quite timid and I worry she'll find the experience quite hard. Once would be hard, twice too much to ask...

I think I have misled a few people... Annh we live in the W place now and we want to move to another town in Surrey for better schools. Twomonkeys - you are quite right about that school situation here. DD is currently in the Catholic feeder school for the secondary you are talking about, but not being Catholic she wouldn't get in there. There are a lot of pretendy Catholics round our way though... drives me mad!

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mummytime · 22/04/2010 12:56

I live nearby, in a town with a lot of good schools. Problem is you want to lie on the expensive south side to get in the best schools, and they are building houses all the time (I think we'll need a new primary before too long). I presume you are not moving here though as lots of schools have 60 in a year (at least); there is a lot of movement though.
There are nice villages which lots of people live in and send their kids private (because the state schools aren't great).
Good luck.

Original poster

minko · 22/04/2010 13:02

Mummytime, I think you might be talking about our desres there... Am intrigued... where do you live?? If we're talking about the same place, all the schools in the south side are full for DD's year, we are being sent to one 3 miles away. And then we're not in a feeder for the fab secondary...

OP posts:

CarGirl · 22/04/2010 14:15

I live about 6 miles away very close the M25 junction and we have our own problems now because Surrey have closed 1 infants, 1 juniors and want to close another school locally but that now means there are insufficient places until the older siblings that are in the "wrong" schools move on to secondary. Our local secondary was the worst one in Surrey but is now majorly improving. Did you realise SJB used to be one of the worst schools perhaps only 10ish years ago?

It all changes around so often tbh.

annh · 22/04/2010 14:22

Yes, ds is in SJB now but dh went there years ago and even when ds was a baby the reputation was still such that I said no child of mine would ever darken the doorstep etc. Now people are desperate to get in there - times change.

mummytime · 23/04/2010 08:49

I live in place beginning G ending D (not g). However we have 3 pretty good secondaries (better than your towns anyhow, except the Catholic one). If this is the place, I would talk to the schools directly, there is going to be some movement this year, especially as the bus service for some schools is going. So some parents don't know how they will get their kids to school next year.
However I doubt you do mean here, as the secondaries do not have feeder schools, except the catholic one. It is decided on sibling followed by distance (I've ignored SEN and looked after, but they are top).
Also at least one headmaster is a push over for parents who really want his school, and tears.

Rumours are still around that one school is going to shut (secondary) btw. It is rubbish, the secondaries are full to bursting and that one has upped its PAN number.

CarGirl · 23/04/2010 20:08

Surrey seems to be actively shutting schools to force children to go the undersubscribed ones. That is precisely what has happened around here at infant & junior level, they are now having to provide transport from one "village" to another school because there are sufficient spaces for all the children who live in said "village". It's a nightmare.

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