Comparing 2 schools

[SahmOldSameOld]

I am considering 2 primary schools for DD: with regards to the percentage achieving Level 4 or above in both English and mathematics, they both score c. 80 %. They also both score under 10% for % of pupils with Level 3 or below in English.

But one gets an Ofsted rating of Satisfactory/requires improvement (main criticism being the teaching), and the other Outstanding.

The Satisfactory school is walking distance on the way home (down-hill!), 2-form entry and we would probably get to know neighbours who go there for play-dates.

The Outstanding school is a longer drive away, single form entry, a faith school sited in a village and we probably won?t know a soul.

I'd be interested to know which school you would put as first choice?

I can't possibly say without visiting. Go and see them both on a normal working day. Also check how likely you are to get a place in the outstanding one-you could be wasting your time.

When were the respective Ofsteds? If the satisfactory one was after Jan 2012 it would be under the new schedule which is much tougher. The outstanding school may well get dowgraded too with the attainment figures they have.

I agree you need to visit both and see which you like the 'feel' of.

Def. check Ofsted dates, lots of goods got downgraded for not a lot last time round.

Village school may be very hard to fit in fully ours isn't great and it is our catchment school.

I would have loved to have been able to walk and chat to the mums on the way there and back.

I'm not good at making friends and I think it would have helped.

DD2 would love friends round the corner. Our house is a bit out of the way.

Visit and get a feel, behaviour and pastoral care are every bit as important as results for the first 6 years. Bullying and disruption and school not dealing with it are the red flags.

The only important thing in the end is that children are happy, learn to read and do some maths.

Bright DCs need to leave with L5s to enjoy an easy transfer to secondary, but that's a very long time in the future.

Seriously using all the petrol money you save to pay a tutor for 6 months is alway an option.

T

Thanks, yes, I'm not even sure if we'll get into the Outstanding faith school, they don't publish the radius of offers from previous years, unlike the community schools.

The Requires Improvement grading was indeed after Jan 2012.

Good point about petrol money.

I really don't think that DD will be in the least capable 10%. She's only 4 but I can tell already that she enjoys learning and has had no problem understanding concepts.