difference between focus on drama and academic primary school

[YoungRaji]

Hello mummies,

I am writing to ask questions about the primary school. My son goes to school first time in the UK as year 2. Therefore, I do not know anything about British education. When he becomes year 3, he has to move to another primary school. So, I looked for primary school, and I heard from other mummies that there are academic school and focus on drama school. What is different between these two things? Could you tell me about this, please?

Thank you for reading.

Best wishes
Raji

If they are state schools they all follow the same curriculum. There are drama schools but you normally pay for these. I think you may have misunderstood them.

I thought maybe I misunderstood what they said, and I am sure you are right. Thank you for telling me

It probably refers to their local reputation, because all state schools follow pretty much the same curriculum (even those which are not bound by law to the National Curricululm don't really depart from it) and probably refers to the level of attention to co-curricular activities.

Check the entrance criteria for both schools btw - and remember you are indicating your preference when it comes to the time to fill in your form, not actually choosing.

All state school follow the same curriculum, but there are some school which are more academic focused and some put more effort in non academic subjects.
Some school has specialist drama/art/music teachers, some don't.
Doesn't that what they mean?

I find it odd they say academic and drama rather than academic and less academic. Drama seems so specific.

I think that the academic school do not need to extra lesson and drama school need to extra tutoring. Also, one of primary school is proud of that to teach children drama(?) lesson is good to give confidence for kids. But some mummies said academic schools are good to prepare grammar school so that they prefer academic school. I do not know how British people think that which is a good education for kids. For example, in South Korea, almost all people believe the best school/college gives the best education so that most Korean parents want their own children to study hard. I am conflicted. Because I want my son to have confidence and to enjoy learning something and on the other hand, I want him to go better school. OMG it is difficult to be a parent;;; I am sure that I need to have time to think. Thank you for reading and replying, and I am afraid that you cannot understand my post as my English, sorry.

Maybe where she is planning to move have drama focused primary in the area, mrz?

*cross posted to mrz.

Your English is great.

I moved from another country to the uk and had to find school places for my two children.

If you want to sent your child to a school run by the government, called a state school in the uk you can’t apply for a place until you are in the uk. In some areas, you have to have an address. In others you don’t so if you are staying with friends or in a hotel that is ok too in some areas.

Then you can look for a school close by. All schools have websites but some are not very good websites.

Not all schools will have places. You apply for the schools through the council (the government) and it’s called ‘in year admissions’. If you know the area you are going to then say and we will help you find the right place online.

I found it best to send my child to a school very close to where we live so she could make friends with children who live close because she had no friends at all in the uk.

I think your English is good too.(I am not British either.)
If you thinking about country like Korea, I think British primary is totally different. Most parents hates homeworks in primary. They don't want children doing extra work at home. But most of children do extra curricular clubs like drama/sports/music outside of school.
Academic primary school may mean they are exam driven and just focus on getting good results for SATs.

You really need to have a look at each school where you may get a place. School with good results may not have a place for yr2, which is bound by the rule not to exceed 30 children in each class.

Oh, I need to explain my detail information. I have already lived in an apartment in Surrey. My son goes to primary school which there is until year two. So, he must move to the junior school in this year. While I am looking the junior school, I have got information from other international parents who are none EU. So, I would like to know which there are primary schools in the UK.

Thank you very much for your kindness.

Oh ok, so some schools only go up to year two and some go from reception to year six. The reason for this is usually space. Some schools were built hundreds of years ago so are small and don’t have room for seven classes. Or more. The teaching won’t be better or worse because of it.

Really you are choosing between schools. Have you been to any open days at the schools?

Dear irvineoneohone

Thank you very much ☺️

I am sure that Korean parents do not like their children's homework too. But there is a different thing between British and Korean parents. We prefer our children to take extra lessons such as Maths, English, Korean language or History, not prefer Art or Sports. It is just for good results like SATs.

I agree with your advice. I need to look at the curriculum in each school. Thank you for help.

Dear VandelayIndustries

I was wondering why there is until year 2, finally I knew the reason! thank you^^ I think my son's school is good for him even though the school is small. I have been only one school and I liked it. Unfortunately, there is no place left. They said I should just wait. So, I am waiting for calling. Recently, I heard that some children will transfer to more academically school than near our school(there is a junior school next to our school). So, I am wondering what is different between these two type of schools.

If he is already year 2 you should have applied for a year 3 place by now. Usually there is not a huge choice and unless you meet, for example, religious criteria your distance from school will determine the junior.

And it is not uncommon to transfer into the private sector at year 3 where a infant/junior system exists.

I have already applied one of primary school for year 3. But they said we should wait to appear a place. So, now my son goes to another primary school.

His friends are going to transfer another school in autumn, and their parents gave me advice if you want to move another school, it is good timing to move. Furthermore, they told that more academically school exist in the UK too. So, I would like to know not only the meaning of academically school but also much more people’s opinion who know well about England primary school.

Thank you for replying.

Won't year 3 places be allocated in April? Noone can yet be certain where their child will be going yet. Did you list any other schools or just the one adjacent. State schools are obliged to follow a national curriculum so don't be swayed by opinions as to which is more "academic", often this is more perception than fact, and people will want to justify their choices. SATs results and value added scores will show this anyway.

The private schools are called independent schools, they are fee paying, you have to pay regularly throughout the year. Some may feel those are more academic (often smaller classes).
There may be better ways but if you put your address into the real estate agent Rightmove web site, you can select schools nearby and you get a map with names and locations. You can select state (free) or independent (fee paying) primary or secondary etc.