Choosing a junior school

[redskyatnight]

DS is currently in Y2 of an infants school (Yr-Y2) so we have to apply to another school for Y3.

Our options are (all schools about a mile away):

• the "feeder" junior school which most children at his school go to - it also takes most children from another infants school in the area and has 120 children in each year (so seems huge to me). Almost guaranteed to get in here

• 2 other primaries (i.e. YR-Y6) in the area. There is limited spaces available at these as they give priority to their existing Y2 children so getting in would depend on the other children applying (I think we would have a genuine chance of getting a place though based on past years). These are much smaller (60 children in the year) but he would be very much the new boy. If we really liked one of these and they had spaces in Y2 we would also (I guess) have the option to move him straight away.

Obviously I am going to look around the schools and see what I think but I wonder if anyone had any tips for what to look for specifically in a junior school? When I looked round for his existing school I was more interested in finding a school that was welcoming and nurturing (PFB) rather than necessary good at academics but suspect there may be other things to look for now he is older?

I don't know how much help this is to you but my dd is at (and my ds has just left) a junior school with 90 per year so between the two so maybe these thoughts fall down with 25% more.

Most of the other Junior and Primaries in the are are 60 per year so ours is a bit bigger but I have found that a bonus as it seems to bring with it better resourcing (economies of scale I guess). Having more teachers mean that there are a greater range of interests catered for, there are after-school and lunch clubs for a range of things.

They also seem better able to differentiate the work as for some lessons the children are in sets.

The other bonus I have found that ds has settled very well into his 270 per year Secondary, I think part of this is being used to a larger environment.

Big schools can definitely be an advantage.

You are still looking for kind and nurturing. Look for somewhere that treats kids as individuals, and knows the kids (just as likely in a big school as a small one). Do the teachers know each other, and seem to get on? What extras can they offer (which sports, what music, what drama/arts etc.). School lunches. The toilets (always important). Bullying policies. Facilities for your childs special needs or interests.
What the playground is like? (Some are boring, others are full of imagination.)

My DC have gone to a rather quirky primary, but it is highly rated by the local very selective private boys school. So strict academics aren't always the most valuable criteria.

Also my DC go to a large secondary which is more caring, and looks after the individual more tan some smaller schools (they work very hard for this).

As a governor at a 60 pupil per year group primary school I can confirm that there is an advantage for many pupils when they go to the very large secondary school. Those pupils that have been in a small school do take longer to get "acclimatised" to the large secondary school.

To me the key issue is whether by moving to the smaller primary school in year 3 your child feels as though they are moving away from all their friends. Not easy to know till after decisions are made but my gut feeling would be to go with the junior school, where you know that you will get a place and most of his school friends will go to.

I would wonder whether there are really any available places at the primary schools. It might be worth asking, as if you do make a decision to move your child there, I would do it now when you simply have to ask and get the place rather than undergo what is going to be a "chase for a place" in the spring term.

Just bouncing this thread as we'll be in your shoes next year. Most children go to the local juniors (1m away) which has a good reputation and a creative and interesting curriculum, but a significant minority go to another (3m away, with a good bus service), which has the reputation of being more academic, and is more used to children sitting entrance exams for grammars and the private sector (we'll probably go down this route as DS1 is shaping up to be quite academic).