Primary schools..

[FTC2019]

We have the choice of 2 schools..:

School 1:
top 3% results - ofsted outstanding
alot of community events
17 children from his nursery will be attending
earlier breakfast club
holiday clubs

Cons:
not in our area so unlikely the the other children will go to the same secondary school
too far to walk from home
ive not seen the school as it wasn't an original choice (didn't think we'd get an offer - always heard its an excellent school though)

School 2:
top 21% results - ofsted good
Closer to home
ive seen the school and did like it (although it did have a real school smell - not that thats a deal breaker lol)
Feeder school to the better secondary school in our area (but then things could change in 7 years!)

Cons
later breakfast club
no holiday cub

I'm so indecisive and just want the best for my little one!

% results based on what? Do you need a breakfast/holiday club?

Depends on your needs surely? If you absolutely need wrap around care and holiday clubs then option 1.
If you don't, go for option 2.

Ofsted result totally irrelevant.

Go round both and go with your heart.

School 2 sounds better to me.

When were the Ofsted reports done? Standards have changed a lot and some outstanding schools may have not been inspected for 15 years.

Do you need childcare? Is the good childcare?

Going to a feeder school doesn’t make a difference to the chance of getting a place at the secondary school.

I have never heard of results been described as top %. My DDs school is high achieving but they children enter school already above average. I would want to know how much difference the school makes. This used be called value added.

The school being close to home is a huge, huge advantage. You'll be back and forth there so much - I once went five times in one day, what with assemblies, clubs, meetings, etc. And it means the kids your DC might want playdates with will be close by.

Ofsted results matter less than you might think. My DCs' school went from good to inadequate back to good again, while they were there. We barely noticed a difference.

so i work 32 hours a week, and really beat myself up if he's home because i feel like we can't do much.. obviously because I'm working.

So holiday club i think would definitely come in handy to prevent the mum guilt.

Travelling there isn't really an issue, i drive & his nursery is close by, i chose the nursery as it was close to work at the time, with this school i could still drop off on route.

I think 1 of my main worries is him going to secondary school and potentially not knowing anyone.. or not having any friends there when he goes.

Am i overthinking this?

Yes you are overthinking but don't we all.
I'd go closer to home every time. They will also therefore have friends closer to home and at weekends you won't need to drive everywhere for play dates. There must be other holiday clubs or you might be able to go to other school's holiday club? My children 7 and 9 don't go to best school in the area but being able to walk quickly there is great and academically they are doing well. Next year the older one can walk himself. They actually have a more diverse set of friends than those who go to the "better" school.

Option 2

It may be easier to feel part of the school community if you're within walking distance.

Re Holiday club - I assume there are some privately run ones in different locations near you?

My DS school doesn't have a holiday club, but we go to one located in a different school and he loves it. It feels like a proper break from school if you're away from campus for a couple of weeks. Plus he has the chance to make different friends outside of school, which is also a plus.

I would go closer to home. Being able to walk to school and, therefore, having most of their friends in walking distance is invaluable. It’s a lovely sense of community but can also help when you’re ill etc. and as they get older they can walk themselves. In my daughter’s reception year a family had chosen to come to our school over two other ones closer to them, and they switched within the first term as the travel was getting them down and the mum realised just how many years she had of it ahead of her.
There will be various holiday clubs available locally, and the one run by the first school won’t necessarily be full of your child’s friends, it might just be hosted on their premises. And your child might prefer another one anyway. Class parents tend to swap notes on which clubs their children are going to so that they have friends there. So I wouldn’t chose a school for that.
As pp have said, Ofsted results aren’t everything. An outstanding school might not have been inspected for a long time and soon to be judged good. As Ofsted have stated they aim to have only 10% of schools in the country at outstanding. And good is still good, it doesn’t mean terrible!
And re secondaries, they are so much bigger, their friends will make all sorts of decisions, move, go private, or simply not end up in the same form group. So it’s not something I would have significantly inform your choice at this stage.

Yes, you're overthinking this. And I'd be doing exactly the same in your shoes!

However with the benefit of hindsight I can tell you that my DD went to a secondary where she only knew 1 other person, who she happened to not get in with. The primary and secondary had done some great transition activities before Y7 and it turned out not to be too scary. She quickly settled and found some fab friends. It was the best thing for her.

Following in from my previous post, I really wouldn't worry about secondary right now.
Concentrate on getting a primary you like and feel will nurture your DS with an all round education and pastoral care. Take what's best for your family life.

Thankyou everyone.. I accepted the school closer to home & instantly felt a sense of relief!
Option 1 wasn't actually 1 of our preferences (we originally didn't get any so of course i freaked), i swapped & then got offered that school.. so it really thrown a spanner in works!
Also, bizarrely their breakfast & afterschool club has a 4 year waiting list.. which is crazy and not practical for us.
The thought of being able to walk to school is lovely and i know my little one would love that.
Ahh can't believe he starts school in September!

Thanks again x

@FTC2019 Where do you get the results from? please share link