How did you choose a school for your child/children?

[V1ta]

Hi,
Both me and my husband are not originally British, so not familiar with the education system. We are planning to move to the new area within the next year, and I want to ensure we take into account the location of the best schools when choosing our new home. But how do you choose which school is best? I've read the Ofsted reports for all local schools, but short of asking for parents to share their specific experience, what steps can I take? What did you do when you chose the schools for your children?

Thank you!

I went to visit each school, asked lots of questions. I looked at the results of the Parent View surveys online - you can easiy access these yourself. I spoke to other parents at playgroup, thought about my child's personality and what would suit him most. Ultimately, it came down to the best vibe.

I visited the schools I was considering, explained DD's disability, and chose the school which seemed most caring and willing to work with us.

I chose the nearest school for primary and the school with the best results in the area for secondary. Both primary school and secondary schools are close to my house though.

Visited them. There's so much you get from seeing / feeling the atmosphere although I read up on the schools too.

Then chose the nearest one. We are well served by good schools in this part of London though. Think about whether you need to live ridiculously close to have a chance if getting into your favourite school.

Visited the nearest one, fell completely in love with it, and got a place. It was absolutely about the vibe, and the rapport between the staff and pupils. There are no "bad" schools in our area, but that was without doubt the right one for us.

Visited, had a tour!

Read the ofsted reports for the nearest primary schools.

Visited the closest 3.

Chose the school with the best 'vibe' and good communication with parents.

2yrs in (DS in Y2 and DD in reception) I still think my gut instinct was right.

Oh, and I also had to pick a school with an after school club because I work. Any school that didn't have one was crossed off the list.

Went to visit on a normal working day and asked lots of questions.

In Scotland you just go to your local one - 100 yards, primary 2 miles, secondary.

Went to see the local one, saw nothing untoward and decided that'll do.

It was the local village school or move house, too long a journey to get to the next school. And sorting out before and after school care was the difficult thing, needed a childminder before school as no other provision available, and then a mixture of the after school club and the childminder after school.

I didn't worry about choosing "best" iyswim. I weighed up different factors.

Best school was in a neighbourhood with unacceptable housing costs.
2nd best school was inconvenient for childminder.
Some options were too far -- even when I was a child, before I became an eco-freak, I hated school traffic madness & resolved to never be part of it.

So the school went with the house we chose in the end; both had to be reasonable choices.

I visited the schools. Any decent school will let you visit during a normal working day and outside of "open days". I actually rejected immediately the school that wouldn't let me visit.

Then when visiting I asked questions, watched the ways the children interacted with teachers, and pretty much went on how I felt about them.

It was the local village school for us, it was the only one we would get a place in. To go to another school we would have to have moved house, there is a shortage of places around here.

Luckily DD1 is happy there, DS due to start September. Although am having kittens that I've somehow filled the application form in wrong, despite checking 43 a couple of times I'd done it properly!

Thank you all, sounds like it's time for me to get on the phone and try to arrange visits to the school that sound decent on the paper!