Reception for 2019 - dilemma on school choice

[mebeforeyou]

We are visiting local schools for a Reception place next year, and I feel at a crossroads with the following and wonder what others would thinks:

School A - Infant school: liked it, Reception format good (free-flow), Head teacher a bit funny for my liking and most of the children just looked at her blankly as she was showing us around. School is popular and over-subscribed. Junior school attached has a good reputation. Ofsted good, attainment etc good. Close to home.

School B - Infant school, really liked it, liked the Reception format more (part structured lesson/part free-flow), is the most distance from home (22 mins walk, even slower with a small child walking), Head teacher engages with the children and they clearly like her, very nurturing environment, Ofsted Good, attainment good. However, the Junior school next door has just been downgraded to Requires Improvement. DH works in Education and refuses to consider this Junior school. It has a new Head and a lot can change in the 4 years before DS would be due to move to a Junior school, however if he went to this Infant school we could find it harder to get into the Juniors of School A due to preference given to children from that adjoining school.

I'm really not sure what to do - my head tells me School A, my heart tells me School B. School A is over-subscribed but we are in catchment, it surely must be just as nurturing?

I agree with you that a huge amount will change at the school with RI before your dc gets there, particularly with new HT appointed. I wouldn't let that put me off.
I would, however, give a huge number of plus points to a really local school.
I know just over a mile isn't too far if that school were considerably better than a closer one for some reason, but, from what you say, I don't think that sounds like the case for you.

It would be really nice for the school to be closer especially on rainy days / long winters, so I’d lean towards A a bit more especially as the junior school is good. Did the kids seem to interact well with teachers at A?
They both sound like good options tbh. It’s hard to choose though isn’t it, I’m going through the same process myself ... (by choose I mean put in order of preference obvs).

We basically went for a school B - linked juniors has since come out of Requires Improvement status and is back to being Good. The Head knows every single child and family and is very visible and friendly to the school community and it does make such a difference, particularly with infants (last time I went in to see someone in the office the Head had a bunch of kids armed with rolls of paper in with her measuring her office like some kind of Andrex commercial).

Unless there is something really bad, go for the closer school. Much easier to get to and it's nice having friends close by. Also, as a primary school teacher I would say structured lessons are not important for reception children in the first half term.

We were in a similar situation only my heart told me School A so I went with that and have no regrets. Yes, it’s further away but perfectly walkable. It suits my child much better than the other one even though School B infant was rated outstanding (junior RI then good). Go with your gut and what environment will suit your child better.

Go for B. If the head at A was like that when on show, what will they be like behind closed doors?