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Parenting

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Original poster

Primary School choice which would you choose

17 replies

Belle82 · 28/04/2022 02:26

we didn’t get allocated any of our 4 choice of schools for 1st round of applications so we are now going through 2nd stage applications. (Most the same, adding in a new school - 2nd school)

which school would you pick as a top preference?

1st school
top 3% of the country primary results

rural (most children don’t live around our area
more grammar schools acceptance from
this school

choice of 12 secondary schools after primary so low chance of having friends at the same school (as we are out of catchment for most)

ONLY my husband can do drop off pick up (no public transport & I have a Medical condition- I can’t drive)
he doesn’t mind but if (worst case and not on the table) but if we were ever to split this would be a massive factor in the custody split and that makes me uncomfortable.

2nd school
attached to her nursery & the nursery we would like to send our son

all her friends live in this town

i can walk to / public transport to this school

it is a first school (no primary results) middle school (primary results) 1 great option - out of catchment & one “needs improvement” school we are in catchment for.

this school all connects back to the same hight/secondary school so she would carry friendships all the way through.

Both are Ofsted good, both are beautiful and give us a lovely feeling.

Thank you - sorry if this doesn’t read to well. Very sleep deprived with a young baby.

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Autienotnaughtie · 28/04/2022 04:14

Second one, if they are already happy there n nursery plus with attending nursery they are very likely to get in plus easier for drop offs/ play dates.

WhatNoRaisins · 28/04/2022 06:44

From what you have said second one

Aroundtheworldin80moves · 28/04/2022 06:54

Second.
The first id be worried about getting to in an emergency, not to mention school plays, sports day, parents evening etc.

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SouperNoodle · 28/04/2022 06:55

Second x

Whatwouldscullydo · 28/04/2022 06:57

Second one.

You both need to be able to get the kids there if one of you is sick/away ir whatever

JurasicPerks · 28/04/2022 07:01

School 2.
Do not underestimate the benefits of an easy school run with flexibility.
Primary is about more than top few % in results.

NancyJoan · 28/04/2022 07:01

School no 2. The first one sounds great, but you can’t get to it.

RhubarbFairy · 28/04/2022 07:03

2nd one. No hesitation. Percentages aren't everything

nearlyspringyay · 28/04/2022 07:15

2nd

JuneOsborne · 28/04/2022 07:16

Always, always the easiest to get to school. Always.

Bornsloppy · 28/04/2022 07:30

2nd one - that would have been my first pick first time round.

We've just gone through school applications and we picked the closest school, I looked at Ofsted (all good or excellent in our area) but didn't even think to look at results! I wanted somewhere I could walk to and there would be friends living locally.

JazzApple · 28/04/2022 07:32

Second. I would never send my dc to a school I couldn't get to on my own.

SavoyCabbage · 28/04/2022 07:36

The second one. I don't even know why you are considering the first one at all. You would be completely disconnecting yourself from your child's school by sending her to one where you wouldn't be able to taker her or pick her up.

All school one has going for it is more grammar school places.

Original poster

Belle82 · 03/05/2022 02:01

Thank you so much.
I have put the 2nd option down as first choice and left out the other school all together. It doesn’t make me comfortable that it is only my husband who can get there. ❤️

OP posts:

RhubarbFairy · 03/05/2022 07:54

Out of interest, if this is the school attached to her nursery, why wasn't it your first choice during the first round of applications?

ExtraordinaryBehaviour · 03/05/2022 07:59

Another saying second. Also beware of planning for the future, we had a dreadful secondary school in our catchment, all my children's school friends moved into a different catchment and I was honestly devastated at the time that we couldn't afford to move. 8 years later catchment school after lots of money and work is now the school everyone wants to get into and the school friends are trying to move back.

Original poster

Belle82 · 07/05/2022 16:30

@RhubarbFairy because we live in between two towns - under the same council & they both have different school tier system.
We are slightly out of the catchment for the ones in the 3 tier system but now we’re going down that route and trying everything we can to get in 🤞after looking into it a lot more we actually prefer the 3 tier system. I feel like a complete idiot not properly looking into it before, just got scared off by too many school changes.

@ExtraordinaryBehaviour its funny you say that. Only the other day someone was telling me about the middle school we were uncertain about.
The really good middle school apparently used to be rubbish until this headmistress came in and changed everything and now it is the school every one wants to send their children to.
Apparently this headmistress has just started at the middle school our daughter would go to. So fingers crossed she does the same there ❤️

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