Anyone else STRESSED about choosing a primary school?

[tryingtobemarypoppins2]

State/private
Small/large
Good ks1 but dont like early years
Love early years not sure about KS2
Village school or the school just outside village

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!

He is so happy at private pre prep but we can't afford it unless I work Full time and have no holidays and will be very hard up as we have a 2nd DS. Am I being selfish in taking him out and going state and saving funds until secondary??

i know registering an interest is different to applying and doesn't give priority. this school have their own unpublished admissions policy, the governers choose the kids not the council. places could go to families who've earnt the most brownie points at the local church for all i know.

i'd love to have a montessori or forest school nearby to send them to instead.

I'm not sure whether to change DS's. I don't like our closest school, so at present it's 3rd choice. First choice and second choice were always going to e put down (first choice was the one I went to, second choice was school my nieces and nephews went to, DSis works at, and I've heard nothing but good thiings about it)

Two weeks ago, he started at a nursery attached to another school. DB's daughter attends this school, yet from his DW, I've heard nothing but bad things. DS is happy at nursery, however, and a lot of his friends are staying on at the school in question, and most other mothers I've spoken to have been full of praise for the school. So now I'm stuck as to whether to add that to my list, but then which do I take off? Do I take off the one that's nearest me, which I don't really like, or the one that's furthest away, or the one that feeds into the high school I don't want him going to?

Someone decide for me? Please?

"I'm not sure whether to change DSs" Frothy Dragon

On balance I'd stick with the DS you've got.

Better the devil you know and all that ...

To be a little more helpful Frothy Dragon ... (I hope)

So, is your first choice, the one you'd most like him to go to in your heart, still the school you went to yourself ? Or are you wondering about the one attached to the Nursery he's started in. Friendships are certainly one thing to consider.
Your second choice, where DSis works sounds promising ... good if someone who works there genuinely hasn't been put off I think you are possibly being overly influenced by what other parents are doing at Nursery where he's started.

How about ...
1 School where DSis works
2 School you went to ( or this could be first choice of course but you haven't talked much about it )
3 School where he goes to Nursery and has made a few friends

(You don't like closest school so I reckon that's an easy discount ! )

HTH !
£

£ = I'll PM you the bill for my advice later

(Joking of course - don't know how that got there ! )

I think I've got school fatigue... The primary for our catchment has a really good reputation but I really didn't like it. DD is not going there. School with much worse reputation but same Ofsted (Good) was lovely and I really liked the Head (she's turned the school around). Local "outstanding" was ok but nothing great. One independent I've visited would be ideal for what I want but not sure it'll be what DD wants. I know she'd excel there but I think she'd be fine at any of them, to be honest. She'll have more "fun" at the state schools but she'll do better academically the independent... She'll be class show off at state schools - I know she will. The environment will help her in that. Can't explain this very well and it's probably not very interesting either!

If it's important to you and your DD then it's interesting to me.

What are you putting for your choices BelleDame ?

I think - surprisingly unless you've visited the school - Berry Brow then Honley and Almondbury (both over subscribed and "outstanding") but if you don't ask... This will mean nothing to those outside my area!

I think she'll going to the Grammar School though (fees are less than I pay for nursery now). I think she'd be happiest at Berry Brow but I know she won't meet her potential there although is academic attainment that important?

It depends on what you feel is best and to a certain extent on the cards you are dealt. I could never afford private and use the best next option for us. Small CofE which is judged good, and do the other stuff at home. My dh and I both agree that there is no real difference in the outcome as the childs ability to learn is the main outcome of achievement. This is based on our own education, our 3 childrens, friends and families kids and both having taught in private, residential and state education

Dear OP, oh yes, I remember choosing primary school (ie reception) being very, very stressful. My only advice is not to think of it is whether you are being selfish or juggling costs. Go round and visit each school option on your own, with a list of questions of things to look out for, from how they teach reading, what they do for discipline, do they let children play with whatever toy/activity or do they try to introduce something new that a child might enjoy, as well as allowing a child to go for something familiar when he is needing some comfort, what sort of food do they serve, what kind of sport or activities do they have at PE and break time, what amount of time is spent on music/singing, etc - you don't have to use my topics, you'll know what matters are important to you. If you are still not sure, arrange another visit and bring your child along. Sometimes the answer becomes apparent because the place "clicks" with your child. If the school is very impatient and refuses you a second visit (even if it's just informal and with an administrator rather than the principal again) then you might need to wonder if they have the same attitude when it comes to difficulties or issues you want to discuss when your child is a pupil there.

Pick the school that seems the best fit for your child, and one that you feel he will benefit most from. This could well be a jolly and lively state school rather than a posh private. Or it could well be a private that provides more individual attention if you feel he needs that. Check if he is still entitled to EYFE (he is until he turns 5, ie if he turns 5 in March, for the summer term he will have no more subsidy). If he is, there will still be a subsidy for private fees which will lessen the cost, unless the school has decided to opt out of the EYFE system (not many do).

PS to all mums - I won't take the Ofsted report too literally, ie a school marked "outstanding" may actually be terrible for your child, while one marked as "good" or "satisfactory" could well be much better at bringing out the best in your child. One principal told me that one year they were marked down for teaching because the Ofsted inspector did not agree that the teacher should try to teach her pupils correct spelling, although the small class of pupils were advanced enough to learn it. The inspector insisted that in order to get an "outstanding" grade, the teacher should have allowed pupils to believe that "water" was spelled phonetically as "wotur" or "wotu" even though some pupils didn't actually believe that was the right answer, as it went against the Department of Education's methods of teaching literacy..........