Are bright children likely to thrive in an average school?

[blackletterday]

I get sporadic angst about this. Dd is very bright, fluent reader before school yada yada. we sent her to a local school which is probably "last" out of the 4 local ones iyswim, 2 of those are religious schools, which tbh I am not willing to jump through the hoops of (not religious).

The best regarded school,she did not get into due to distance. Her school has a "good" ofsted and she loves it. However I have noticed some parents had their children on the waiting lists for the "better schools", a few of the more affluent parents left for private, there was quite a turnover between year 1 and 2.

I do sometimes look at the catholic school,with it's own swimming pool and brilliant results and think I did the wrong thing (I was brought up Catholic, so could of blagged it).

On the other hand I think that a school with a good reputation is a self fulfilling prophecy. Supportive ambitious parents with bright children will end up bending over backwards to get in there. The general entry standard will be higher, therefore results etc will be higher. With lots more children at a higher standard initially, they will have more resources to target under achievers therefore raising value added scores.

Not much I can do tbh, just wondering and hoping dd will have the same chances.

I couldn't tell you where, but I do know I've read several studies/reports showing that average and bright children who have enthusiastic supportive, educated parents themselves, do well even in 'poor' schools.

And, conversely of course, the poor souls whos parents don't give a rats arse have the educational odds stacked against them even in the 'good' schools.

Bright children yes in most schools, truely gifted then probably not.

Depends on the support of the school and specially the teachers

You say the school has a good ofsted. So it doesn't sound like an average school.

What is the value added score for the school? If it is over 100 then there is every reason to expect her, and her cohert, to thrive.

If the value add is less than 100 still doesn't mean she won't thrive.

Have you got any concerns about the teaching? Are mothers further up the school happy?

Really, the raw league table results don't tell you if it's a good school or not.

My DC all went to an outstanding primary, still some pupils left, especially to go to local Preps. It wasn't a judgement on the school, just an indication of the parents ambitions and views.

If you child is thriving, then don't worry.

Depends on the child, I'd say. I have known even what I would call truly gifted children (not talking about own children here) thrive in an average school- if they are self-motivators, and even more if they are the kind of children who are also interested in people.

My ds goes to a primary which was once a failing school but now is 'good'. Local parents can still be snotty about their views on the schools catchment area and 'history' but in my opinion their kids are missing out. The school has a dynamic head and is not coasting. Yes, the local area is considered 'disadvantaged' but my brightish son is thriving as are others - bright and less bright. The teachers are on their toes and enthusiastic. Give me an 'improving' school over a 'coasting' one any day.

Depends on the child and their personality.

Ds is geeky, quirky and bright and loves school. It would however be fair to say that the other children do not always love him and this has caused endless problems. However, overall, he is a more rounded person for having gone to his fairly average school. He may not be reaching the accademic heights he might otherwise, but at 7, he doesn't need to.

Dd on the other hand is quiet and average and the school is a total nightmare for her. She slips through every crack there is.

So, really does depend on the child and what their particular needs are.

The school where I work has a satisfactory rating due to low exam results (very poor socio-economic circumstances locally) and yet our brightest pupils thrive and do brilliantly.
There is often more money, resources, targetting, extra-curricular opportunities ploughed into schools that struggle a bit - and the brighter ones have the motivation to make the most of all that is offered to them. IMO, anyway.

I agree with you stressheadric. There seems to be a lot of money for extra support at my ds school. This works well for all pupils - whatever ability.

Do you like the head and your dds teacher? Can she walk to school? Is she mixing with children from lots of different backgrounds? Is she making progress? She is happy you say which is an excellent sign. You can always ask the teacher if you feel she needs more 'stretching' - just discuss it to see if appropriate. You have a happy, bright child at her local school. If you want to get more involved with supporting the school perhaps you could look into becoming a parent governor?

exceptionally bright people don't need to go to school!
If you are a Stephen Hawkin, no one will be able to teach you anything - you're the one working it all out.

My children go to a school like the one Stressheadric describes but it's a great place to be a bright child; the school cannot afford to let the bright children not get good results because they need all the good results they can get.

2 miles away, the 'popular' school, bursting with middle class parents is probably getting away with poorer children.

You need a school with an enthusiastic head, high expectations and priniples...if you've got that your children will be happy and do well, regardless of average sats results.

mean to stay...probably getting away with poorer teaching (not children)

Difficult to generalise but ime of the school my DCs attend as long as the teachers are good and committed and you are able and prepared to support at home and maybe even extend your child after school then, yes, they can do well.

I sometimes worry about my DC who is at secondary school, bright but not particulary committed and we can't afford private. But even there I think a child who knuckles down will still be able to do well.

Depends on the child. depends on the school.

IME it is not true that a bright child will do well wherever they are. And certainly ime it is not true that bright children will all reach their potential wherever they are.

However, this doesn't mean that all won't do well, or that some will.

It also doen't mean that a highly academic school, state or private, will do them any better either.

The key is to find the righ school for each child - but practicialities don't always allow for that.

DS is at a school like stressheaderic describes and lots have left, once places have come up at their preferred schools. We meet up in the park with a few to keep in touch and every single one so far has found the new schools aren't as fantastic as they'd thought.

DD1 went to a failing school that had just been put into special measures. We couldn't get her in anywhere else and knew we would be moving within a year. She was bright, reading as a 3 year old, counting and doing multiplications before starting school. She thrived in the the failing school, she interacted well with the other children and moved up and down year groups according to where she needed to be. Her teacher said to me "you can't make a child brighter than they are and with the best will in the world some of these children are destined to be average or below average, someone has to be. But when we get a bright child we want to hang onto them and make them progress as well as possible as they are the ones who will push our scores up". If a school is struggling good, hard working, intelligent children will go far as these are the ones they need to show can do well

Depends on the child.

My ds did very poorly in a very good school with lots of bright children.

He did slightly better in a poor school with a very mixed intake because the staff were much better at treating the children as individuals.

He has done the best in a very academically selective school.

Tbh I don't relly feel there is any school that will get the best from him because he is very quirky and independent.