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Primary education

Join our Primary Education forum to discuss starting school and helping your child get the most out of it.

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Original poster

Which school would you choose for your DC?

20 replies

cheekster · 01/05/2011 22:56

I am really struggling to decide which school will be best for my DS - who will be starting part time in Sept.

We have two local schools - both are exactly the same distance away from our house.

School 1 = Achieved outstanding in Ofsted, lovely teachers and an amazing head. But he will have retired in September Also - Large class sizes 30 +. Also the catchment area isnt great - a very high number of children on free school meals etc.

School 2 - Failed their latest ofsted and is now being monitored they are now doing much better in their monitoring visits. It is a much smaller school - DS will be in a class of 13/14. It is a church school - the catchment area is much better and the children who attend are known to be lovely.

I am totally undecided, I feel like its a huge decision - DS will be spending over 7 years there. I have been to visit them both to get a 'feel' of the place and it still hasnt helped.

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Mangomargarita · 01/05/2011 22:59

I would probably go for School 1.
Is there anyway you can speak to any parents of children going to School 2 and find out what they thought of the schools? Why did it fail it's ofsted?

cece · 01/05/2011 23:00

Surely the more crucial question is which school has offered you a place?

thisisyesterday · 01/05/2011 23:01

have you not been allocated one yet?

bubblecoral · 01/05/2011 23:02

Do you have a gut feeling about either school?

I think I would think about what the Ofsted report actually says, rather than the grade they got overall. And I'd look at the settling in procedures and want to know what the individual teachers are like, especially the R and year 1 teachers.

Original poster

cheekster · 01/05/2011 23:05

Yes, Ive been allocated a place at school 2, but I know that places are available at school 1 if I decide to change.

School 2 failed their ofsted mainly because of staff sickness, 2 members of staff were off on long term sickness, so the classes were taught by lots of different supply teachers which has created lots of other issues e.g. attainment.

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Original poster

cheekster · 01/05/2011 23:11

bump

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Mangomargarita · 01/05/2011 23:15

I think I would still go for school 1. It sounds like a well run school. If you can get into school 1 and weren't happy with it you could always move your child to school 2 in year 1, as it sound undersubscribed.
If it was me and I was keen on school 2, I would try my best to speak to a few parents, even if it meant lurking around the school gates

southofthethames · 01/05/2011 23:35

See if you can speak to some (or some more) parents at both schools if you are still undecided. Personally I don't think the number of pupils from low-income homes per se is a problem, but if it is associated with an area with a high crime rate and drug use then it would be a problem with me. My secondary school final year class had pupils from low income homes and they were some of the nicest people I'd ever met in my life - kind, unpretentious and honest. Good at their studies too. (Of course, you can't generalise one way or the other.) Do see if you can meet some parents or past pupils to see what they feel about it.

sunnyday123 · 02/05/2011 09:37

i'd go for school 1 as its too early to tell with school 2. Again, see what the parents are like - rather than what they say! - many parents of kids at poorer schools get defensive about their schools and may not be truly honest - thats my experience anyway - hard to get impartial tbh

tryingtoimprove · 02/05/2011 10:01

I would go for school 2 - due to better individual attention - also more likely that vast majority of children out of the 14, have parents who are wanting to get the most out of their child's education and therefore standards will be pushed.

mummytime · 02/05/2011 10:15

I'd go for school 1, as having 30 in a class and a full school means more money. The funding is much better for a full school, which means nice extras can be afforded, for school 2 most of the money will go on wages. Also why were those teachers off sick? I would guess stress related illness, which ill only get worse if in special measures. So I would expect high staff turnover for the next couple of years, and then it may become a great school.

redundanttiara · 02/05/2011 10:19

I'd go for school 2 after discussion with other parents about their experiences. I base this only on class size as 30 sounds like big class to me. Do you know any families with children at school 2? Children on free school meals wouldn't bother me at all but the class size would be an issue, I think.

mrz · 02/05/2011 12:34

I definitely wouldn't choose school 2 because School 2 failed their ofsted mainly because of staff sickness, 2 members of staff were off on long term sickness, so the classes were taught by lots of different supply teachers which has created lots of other issues e.g. attainment. this suggests very poor management and would sound alarm bells. I would also be wondering if the long term sickness was related to the school organisation (stress related illness is very common cause of long term sickness).
I'm not sure I would jump at school 1 either because a new head can make or break any school any other realistic options?

StatelyPoshBeartrothal · 02/05/2011 12:39

1, without a doubt

JamieAgain · 02/05/2011 20:35

School 1. Such a small class can be stifling, if there are friendship problems. This and other reasons mentioned before.

LynetteScavo · 02/05/2011 20:36

School 2.

Bramshott · 02/05/2011 20:41

What was it about school 2 that made you initially put it down as your first choice? Are you being swayed purely by the Ofsted results - outstanding vs fail?

FWIW, my DDs go to a small, church school (PAN 15) and I have nothing but praise for it. Are the 13/14 all one year group?

simpson · 02/05/2011 23:34

personally I would go for school 2.

Have you visited them to get a feel for them iyswim??

My DS (5 yr1) goes to an " average" school by ofsed results but I have found that the parents get a lot more imput into how the school is run and our opinion is aked regularly (not saying this would not happen if you chose school 1 BTW)

Classes in my DS's yr (2 classes per yr) have around 20-25 kids in each class. So more one on one time with teacher iyswim.

But tbh I am a bit biased as DS has a fab teacher in yr1 atm.

Also where are most of your Ds's friends going to? Did he go to a nursery attached to one of the schools??

simpson · 02/05/2011 23:35

oops asked

speakercorner · 03/05/2011 14:08

I would go for school 2 - sounds like a lovely community for you to be involved in. But I would be asking the head about the Ofsted, long-term sick-leave issues that mrz mentions, and would base my final decision on how satisfactory the answers were.

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