Last minute admission wobble… how much do you take into account school’s academic results?

[confusedperson]

I have created some thread before regarding a choice between two schools. I am sorry for my wobble, but now the situation has changed. Basically, school A has outstanding academic results and very high value added score, despite of lots of disadvantaged and SEN pupils and lots of pupils with English as a second language. It is very obvious that their teaching standard is really high.
School B is lovely in everything else, people, afterschool activities, organisation etc. But their academic achievement is just slightly above average (has been higher in the past, but has been going down 4 years in a row).

What is eventually the most important thing?

Lovely school every time (unless you have genuine concerns that YOUR child will not get good teaching which your OP does not suggest is the case). Above average results are still good :)

I sent my children to a school that is high up in the league tables, excellent results in y6....

...only to find out the teaching standard at the school is average, and it is just full of middle class parents who have their children TUTORED. That's fine, but I found out that the vast majority of kids have a tutor/kumon/KipMcgrath or a combination...

So that boosts the schools academic results, without the school putting in the effort IYSWIM.

Go with your gut instinct, why not take another look around and see if you still feel the same way as you did after your first visit?

If the pastorial care is good then your child will thrive :)

If it's a disadvantaged area it's very unlikely that the children are being privately tutored. what is more likely is that the school are running their own booster classes in Y6 to make sure that as many children as possible achieve a level 4. So essentially school A could be a SATs factory.
The most important thing is that your child receives a good, all round balanced education in a well organised environment. It sounds as if school B has this so would stick with my original decision and not make a last minute change that I may regret later.

your other thread was so prejudiced so I hope you starting a new one means you have had a change of heart.Race/ethnicity should not have anything to do with your choice for your child,if it is a high achieving school and that's what you want then your choice should be based on that.

Supermumsecret, that is an easy thing to say.

But our local school where we used to live was 95% of one particular ethnic minority, and I would have felt foreign there and a bit lost if I'm honest.

I would be concerned that standards are declining year on year ...

however outstanding academic results aren't everything

I sent my DS1 to a school similar to that mentioned by Chandon, only to find the school wasn't a nice place to be.

I moved DS to a "satisfactory" school, which meh results. He was very happy there, and my other DC love it as well.

I would go for the school where my child will be happy.

What I would do, though is ask the head why the results are declining and see what they say.....

Thank you. I tried to get in touch with the headteacher of school B, but she was not available and took my phone number to call me back (has not called yet).
I realised myself that the most important thing is a happy child, not the academic results.
However, I admit that the school B is a slightly more affluent area (not too affluent though) and I might be being a bit of a snob by wanting my child to get there.
I am going to visit school A and speak with some of the parents I know from school A, again, to find out about the atmosphere and school being a ?SATS factory?.
According to Ofsted, pastoral care is good in both schools.

Academic results can vary hugely from year to year depending on the yeargroup. A school I know well had terrible Y6 SATs this year because one very academic child left, a child who was level 2 arrived the week beforehand, and another clever child was taken on holidays by her parents.

I would see what the head has to say. By the way, I moved my dc from an outstanding school to a good one recently. The first school was lovely in many ways and had very good academic results (takes kids from quite deprived area, lots of ESL kids, and v high value-added score), the new school has reasonable results but is in a more m-c community.

I do notice the difference academically, especially in maths, but the social side is so much better. My dc looks happier and more confident than she used to. I am really relieved to have moved. I loved our old school but friendships were really quite tricky and we hardly ever did playdates (not my choice).

Interesting coronet.

I am currently debating between 2 schools of which to put as first choice and time is rapidly running out.

The school my son goes to pre-school the school there is outstanding and like you say about where you have moved your DC from is lovely in loads of ways.

The alternative I am thinking of is Ofsted good and also really lovely but somehow I worry that friendships may be more tricky at the first school.

We are not catchment for either but we go to church in same area as first school (where my DS goes to pre-school) so although it in some ways seems the obvious choice something about the other school keeps making me think this could be more suited to my DS character type.

Glad your DC (and you) are happier :)

I am so glad I don't have to do the choosing school thing anymore - I think it really has been one of my biggest-ever stresses. In your case curiousparent I would just go with your instincts. You have two good choices and probably either would work out fine, but some schools are definitely more suited to different characters than others. I have dds, but have really noticed how much harder school is for boys. If the second school looks more boy-friendly, then I would definitely go for that.

Hi curiousparent, how are getting on with the school decision making? Can I ask what is your DS character type? My DS can be very defiant and argumentative, and I still cannot make up my mind, whether he would be better in a pushy, or more relaxed and soft atmosphere? I do "pushy" at home, and I think it works somehow (my nanny does "soft" and he does not listen to her), and I am afraid if there is pushy at school and pushy at home, my poor defiant and stubborn DS won't be happy. On the other hand, if he is pushed at school maybe I could be more of a softie at home :)
Today I am leaning towards school A, a catholic, academic, pushy and in a disadvantaged area... Still not 100% decided though!!!

Hi confused my DS is quite sensitive but can also be obstinate and argumentative, so whilst he might occassionally refuse point blank to do things he does then work himself up, have a meltdown and end up saying sorry I do so and so (without being asked to say sorry!). I still don't know what to go with!!!!

This is torture!!!

We took DS to the 2 schools and he does prefer the closer school, which I guess says a lot, but then should an under 4 really choose?!

'Value added' can be a bit misleading. I'm not sure if it's still worked out this way, but it used to be that a school's results at yr 2 were used to set a target for its results at yr 6. Now this is all very well and good, unless (as at our school) you have a nearby private girls' school with an intake at year 5 -- so every year, 10% of your more able (or at least wealthier) pupils jump ship.

Hi again I am back with my final decision! Visited both schools today again, turned up just like that and said that I am prospective parent having last minute wobble and looking to discover my gut feeling once in the school :) School A (highly academic) was OK, I spoke with headteacher but did not find her very convincing in what she said, so I left with my shoulders raised and undecided. School B was bright and light, spoke with headteacher, she explained why SATS declined last year (something to do with marking), was very pleasant, and I felt that is where I want my child to be. So that's the decision :)

We are in Scotland so things are slightly different but in response to choosing a school dependent on your child's character type. I have 3 ds's. Ds1, ADHD, very academic, lacking practical skills and young for year. Ds2, shy, sensitive, dim not academic, arty and ds3 bright, vocal, confident, practical. All very different characters and thus would need very different settings yet all have thrived and achieved at our catchment primary. I think you can over think these things.

Hi jubilee I agree with you saying we have probably overthought it. You start out a little unsure and then it escalates and I think I almost created problems that weren't really there. When I went to re-visit one of the schools my fears turned out to be completely unfounded.

Oh god, I am having another last minute wobble. Have already decided to go with lovely but less academical school, but worrying whether I am reducing my child's prospects into getting into a better secondary.. Have 24 hours to change my mind! Ugrh!!!

Do you know if either of the primaries are 'feeders' to secondary schools? Or will it go on catchemnt again? The school I have chosen 1st lists many different high schools that their children go onto. There is a very good high school (not our catchment) that prioritises this, and some other named primaries as their feeder schools. Then there are a couple of other very good high schools where the children currently move onto or our catchment one (again some from the primary go there) but at the moment, and for many decades our catchment hasn't been so good. However, it's a long time away and anything could happen by then.

sorry that was a really long and complicated way of not even saying the point that I was trying to make, which is, that I think you are unlikely to affect your child's prospects of getting into a decent primary :)