3rd choice primary

[mamasmissionimpossible]

I just found out our ds has got into our 3rd preference primary. I do feel disappointed as I really hoped we get our first choice, which both my friends got their dc's into.

The school we have got ds is a ofsted rated 'good' school. Our other two choices of school are rated 'outstanding' hence why they are oversubscribed.

Is there a huge difference between 'good' and 'outstanding' in terms of outcomes for dc's?

Parents make the biggest difference to their children's outcomes but of course the school makes a big difference too. Have you visited the school and spoken with the teachers yet?

Also worth looking at the SATs results, percentage of children in recipt of free school meals and which schools they progress to.

Wherever your child goes to school you can make a big difference by engaging in your child's learning and giving them a happy, stable home life; reading with them every day, good boundaries e.g. regular meals eaten with the family at the table, good bedtime routine, restict TV and screen time etc. All these impact on their outcomes.

Restrict!

I presume you went to see the schools - what was the "good" one like when you looked round? How were the pupils etc?

How can anyone answer your final question I do not know. Except to say "it depends..."

Some schools in inner city areas with very high levels of poverty are rated outstanding but the school's results will never hit the heights of the schools in middle-class areas.

So it depends on how you measure outcomes for DCs... etc etc

How near is the school you have got into? If it is more local than the others it is probably a better option anyway.

There are outstanding schools and outstanding schools, good schools and good schools.
Read the Ofsted reports and visit. If you read carefully you maybe able to spot the differences between outstanding schools in their Ofsted.
Also schools vary over time. My DCs school for instance seemed to get a lot more level 5s in my DS's day than it is expecting this year.
Is the Good school improving? What are the children like, are they happy? Do they do lots of enrichment?
What is your child like?

If the only reason you're upset is because of the Ofsted report I really wouldn't be. Did you like the school, the head? Did it have a good feeling? Did the children seem happy? Could you see your child being happy there?

There are so many ways to help your kids at school the main thing for me is to choose a school where the kids are happy and the staff are nurturing and supportive. We can deal with the rest.

Thanks for you responses. I have been to see the school and I was happy with it. Inspiring head with regard to forward thinking in education and bringing the school to a better standard. He also knew all the dc's by name and talked to them in the corridor. This never happened at my school , so that impressed me! There is a happy atmosphere amongst the children.

The SAT'S results are lower than the school we would have liked, but our first choice school is in a more middle class area with few on FSM and that probably explains the results. I don't think SAT's are the be all and end all and rather they were banned tbh.

The school is also a car drive away and I was hoping that we would get a school that was walking distance. Particularly as me and dh share a car.

LadyLapsang- my dc does have a stable home life, plus the other things you list. So hoping we will be able to support him properly at home and give him the best possible chance of school success.

Think it sounds pretty positive, definitely knowing the pupils and having a happy atmosphere are both really important. You're right, SATs aren't everything but they can be a useful indicator; you could also ask the head what progress the children make from reception to Y6 which would help you gauge how your child might do.

My DS got his 3rd choice school (we applied in 2 separate boroughs and it was the only offer we received). Like yours it has a 'Good' Ofsted and about 0.001% middle class parents (i.e. us!). None of that really matters IMO. We did visit the school too and liked it. DS now in Year 1, is happy as Larry and learning really well. DD is about to start in September & DH has just started as a governor. If you get a good feeling from the school and everything else is in place then it's quite possible you'll forget the disappointment once he's in. You may not get the parental socialising that happens in other schools, but my general feeling is that that's secondary to the education bit