Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Primary education

Join our Primary Education forum to discuss starting school and helping your child get the most out of it.

Flip

Original poster

How do you choose a Primary school in an area you do not know?

7 replies

Medulla · 14/08/2006 15:44

Where would you start?

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

prettybird · 14/08/2006 15:47

I'd look at the HMI/Ofsted reports first and thne go and visit them. Get your own feel for the school and what the teachers and enironement are like.

League tables are the last thing I'd look at.

NomDePlume · 14/08/2006 15:47

I would look up their ofsted reports on the net and then choose the 3 with the best reports that were within a sensible commuting distance, then I would arrange to go and have a tour of each one and meet with the headteacher.

LadyTophamHatt · 14/08/2006 15:47

I went by gut instinct.

Viewed 2 schools that were nearest our new house, one has a brilliant ofsted report one had a ok ofsted report.
we chose the one with the not so good report simply because it had a nicer atmosphere for the chldren

Original poster

Medulla · 14/08/2006 15:49

Thanks for the advice, chossing schools all new to me. DD due to start Sept 07, think we will be around Biscester area, would like to have some knowledge of schools before we visit the area. What did you look for during your visits to the schools? I only have my own primary school education to compare it too, and that was a long timme ago!!

OP posts:

Thomcat · 14/08/2006 15:51

Start with ofsted reports.

Also ask on mumsnet, anyone know the area / schools?

Then ring, make an appt and go and visit the top 5 that appeal from ofstead reports and then go on gut instinct after visits.

moonshine · 14/08/2006 15:57

We started with the Ofted reports but then tried to speak to local people for the latest info and gen - even the estate agents were up on the schools with good reputations as I guess everyone will pay more of a premium to be near them.

LadyTophamHatt · 14/08/2006 16:01

TBH....I really just went by how I felt in the school.
The 1st one we viewed (with the brilliant ofsted) was agood school but the teachers were very formal and to be quite honest the head teacher scared the pants of me. I felt like a 5 yr old again when I spoke to her (and I since made friends with a woman who said the excat same about her when she visited the school)

The 2nd school(the one they go to now) was soooo relaxed. The headteacher asked 2 year6'ers to show me around. I felt that was really nice touch, I got a really good feel of the place with them. Then when the tour had finished I spoke to the head teacher and he was the coolest dude I've ever encountered in any school. He had a creased up linen shirt and shorts on for a start!!

Flip