Deadline in 2 days - which primary school to put 1st???

[Mouldypineapple]

Ok, this sounds pathetic but whilst I have put in my school application for DD it can still be changed until Midnight Weds. So... Of my top 2 choices - realistically we will get one of them - I can't decide which to put 1st. Really don't want to make the wrong decision and although I know overall she will be ok in either I just feel this great anxiety that we'll mess it up!

School 1 - ofsted outstanding, 4 form intake, standards seem good and I know 2 children currently in reception whose parents are happy with it. Good reputation locally although know of 2 parents quite unhappy with how their children's additional needs were managed.

School 2 - ofsted satisfactory, 1 form intake, is church school and we are active church members, has good community feel, being small all the children know each other, know quite a few families with older children there but who have quite mixed opinions of the school. Newish (2 years) head trying hard to improve standards but most recent Ofsted in Sept still only satisfactory..

Deep down I think we should choose the church school but academically and overall the other one seems better. Dd seems to be quite bright and obviously we want her to achieve her potential. So, any thoughts to help me decide please? (Dh unsure too)

Have you checked KS2 results? Why is Church school satisfactory? What the reports say for quality of teaching?

My dd was at a one-form church school and moved in Y3 to a three-form school. The main reason was that there weren't enough friendship opportunities - she's thrived at the bigger school but also adored her old one, which was actually better academically. But the difference between our situation and yours is that the church school took kids from a very wide catchment (so no community feel) and also there was a high proportion of kids from difficult backgrounds.

One-form entry is lovely for infants, not so good for bright sociable girls as they get older is my feeling. But your one might be fine if you think she will get on with the children who go there and you have that community feel (which is really important). I would check how many children leave between reception and Y6 - in our church school, fewer than 50 per cent stayed the course.

Also you say that parents with kids there have mixed opinions... that would be a decider for me, and I would opt for the bigger school.

Thanks for all your help, and you have been helpful definitely. Just thought I'd update to say in the end we stuck with our original choice and have put the bigger school first, and the church school second. Still have mixed feelings in some ways but it's done now so we just have to wait and see what happens! Dh is definitely happy and says he will be disappointed if we get the church school, I'm not so sure. Probably be happy either way. And as one of you said at the end of the day nothing is permanent so who knows what the future will bring us!