Hi,
Just after some thoughts really. We are applying for schools for our child to start set 2016. In our area it's so so hard to get any school you would prefer. For example, our closest catchment school is 0.252 miles away from us but the cut off last year was 0.248 so our neighbour didn't get her child in. There are others closer but they are not good schools and I wouldn't want my child to go there.
I'm a qualified teacher so have a teacher head on and mummy head on. I've viewed many schools and have my 'favourites'
- a village school, recently graded outstanding, 3 miles away, fantastic teaching witnessed, resources, pastoral care, enthusiasm and confidence from the children
- catchment school(0.252 miles away) , good ofsted, very good academic statistics, I didn't get a good vibe from it- bit stuck in its ways & the reception area was a mess, all the resources falling apart etc.
- church school ,1.7 miles away, outstanding school, links to child's pre school, great teaching, some great learning tools, confident children.
I'm taking Dh along to view no.1 &2 of our choices literally days before the submission has to be in.
My dilemma is what order to put them in, realistically 3 miles is some distance especially but 0.252 miles is a short distance but no one has got in the last few years being that close...
No.3 our child would be 7th criteria as not baptised etc. I have viewed another village school about 3.5 miles away that has 75 pupils in total and planned intake of 12. It's a tiny school with literally 3 rooms. The headteacher was lovely, knows every child. This school is 5 mins from my mum ( if childcare is needed when I return to teaching in a few years)
Sorry for the waffling!! Basically we re thinking to replace church option with tiny village one? As it stands she s highly unlikely to get into no.2 and no.1 depends on siblings etc.
Any thoughts? It's all very tactical :(