Really annoyed - local primary does not 'do' visits

[drewsmum]

My DS is starting in reception next year and I have started to look around the schools I would like to apply to. All well and good, have 5 schools to see in the next 2weeks.

However, the primary just down the road from us, in catchment area, has responded to email and telephone requests for a visit to look around with "we are so popular that we don't have to promote ourselves so no, you can't visit". The other reason given was they can't do visits because of staffing levels.

I am thoroughly ticked off by this- if all the other schools can accommodate visits why can't this one? And how precisely am I going to compare this school with all the others to be able to rank it? I suppose what they're saying is if you don't rank it 1st then forget it so why would you even want to look around.

WWYD? Ask to speak to head teacher to have questions answered? Hang out by school gates and ask parents what they think of the school? Would LEA or governors be of any help?

Advice appreciated!

lingle - no, it's a state school, not private, these were fees eg. for school dinners and trips that weren't paid, kids were turning up at school with no lunch and no meal paid for so school covered costs for dinners and had hard time getting money back from parents.

teacher - thought someone might recognise the school, thanks for the advice, am placing bets now on other schools as have seen 4 other good ones, just not sure what chance will be to get in to any of them

Managed to get the prospectus today, am going to send a letter to the HT this weekend requesting a meeting. Will see what transpires next week.

If you don't get one- go through the prospectus and set her questions on each section!

I've missed reading this for a bit. All the very oversubscribed schools I know allow/encourage parental visits before application. They all also allow people to visit for in year admission, even if it is very unlikely they will have a place. (They do not know that none of their families will move,or that an appeal wll not be won).
I would start talking to the schools you like and judging what the chances are that you will be offered a place (the distance the last pupil was aditted etc.).
Good luck!

I agree with meglet they do sound like they are up their own backsides.

A colleague of mine (teacher) was wanting to visit all schools in the town to judge which school would best fit her son. She telephoned one particular infant school (good with outstanding) who refused a visit. My colleague wasn't happy with this and made the decision that no child of hers would ever go to a school that closed it's doors on the public and refused parents to make up their own mind. They too gave the excuse "We're over-subscribed and we do not need to have visits as we're already popular without"!?! Her child is now at our school and flourishing.

Their popularity has now new competition as parents seek schools that allow them to judge for themselves and they take OFSTED reports with a pinch of salt! Our school has gone from 38/60 to full in the matter of two years, reducing their 'over-subscription' by a mile!

Schools like that will realise that 'snobbery' will get them nowhere and they'll end up losing support from local parents as they seek schools that have fantastic links, relationships and pastoral care for parents and children.

(A child in my class left last year because her father wanted his daughter to go to an 'excellent' school - not a satisfactory school as ours was judged. It turns out he's tried to get his daughter back as he realises that results aren't everything and that his daughter was miserable and parents were being kept 'out' by this very school. Thing is, he can't get her back as parents have flocked their children to ours and the year group is now full).

A child in my class left last year because her father wanted his daughter to go to an 'excellent' school - not a satisfactory school as ours was judged. It turns out he's tried to get his daughter back as he realises that results aren't everything

So true. I sent my daughter to a school judged satisfactory, but which seemed by far the happiest and homeliest of all the ones I looked at. Parents who managed to get their kids into other more popular schools with better Ofsted reports have told me stories of their children crying and refusing to go and being upset every morning. My DD is happy, learning all kinds of good things, has made friends and quite literally skips into school every single morning. For us, the school we chose hasn't been 'satisfactory' at all, it's been everything we could possibly have hoped for.

You could go to the children's centre, speak to staff and parents. I'm guessing DS isn't in the nursery already?

No, he isn't in the nursery there, he's been going to a day nursery since he was 14 months when I went back to work. I did frequent the chidren's centre quite a bit when he was younger but haven't been for a while as the activities that he likes are all on days that I work; could drop in though and see if they have any info. Again I think at this point it really is just an exercise on principle as opposed to really wanting to apply to the school, I have too many concerns about the attitude of the school towards prospective parents and have doubts that communication would drastically improve if he did get a place. It still really annoys me, however, as I would so much rather be able to walk to the primary down the road than drive halfway round the city. Can't have everything, I suppose, and more important that DS is happy and I am confident in the school's willingness to work with parents. Top of my list so far is one just about furthest away from us, but last few years have accepted quite a few from out of catchment so I think a reasonable chance.

Have had no news following letter sent last week to head teacher, until today when I got an email from the school saying they are having an open day next week! Nearly fell off the sofa; I had just assumed there would be no response to my letter. The email wasn't a personal one to me but maybe my letter (and possibly similar communications from other parents) have convinced the school that they may need to open up a bit.

So will have to see next week....can't wait to actually have a look around!

Well done-go with your questions! Do report back.

Haberdashery, I couldn't have put it better myself.

We moved house and were faced with putting DD into a school we barely knew. We'd missed the open days, and weren't able to look round before making our application (we had one day before the deadline to get in an application, so no time for viewings). We had to go with ofsted reports. The school had been given mostly 1 and 2 levels. I turned out to be completely wrong for DD. She hated it.

We moved her this year to another school, a few miles away, which had been judged satisfactory. She's very happy there. It is a smaller school, with a very nurturing and kind approach.

I've concluded that ofsted reports really aren't that important when it comes to personal happiness.

Well done you! Thank goodness they have seen sense. Perhaps you ask them why the change of heart.