My dream school is a bit of a shambles

[Cheeselipbalm]

So my daughter started school a few weeks ago. We had picked out the school when she was two as we needed to move to the catchment area. I loved it on first sight, beautiful grounds, gentle teachers, an emphasis on being outside and no formal teaching until they were seven.
We moved and she got in. However the school had two bad Ofsted reports in a row. I didn’t worry too much about that but then the rumour came that it was closing down. Luckily it was saved by another trust just in time. Now there are almost daily emails with announcements about all the changes and suddenly they’re doing SATs and phonics and maths from kindergarten. I’m still optimistic (and a little relieved as my daughter really likes learning and trying to write/read.)
The trouble is that a lot of the parents are really negative about the whole thing. They’ve either been messed about and lied to about what’s going on or they’re unhappy that it looks like it’s just going to be another mainstream primary. Even the parents who I talked to extensively on my first visit are on the waiting list to be transferred to another school. There’s so much talk about who’s leaving and who’s unhappy that it’s hard to know what I actually feel about the school.
My daughter seems happy. The school seems a little chaotic but the staff are nice and the kids seem happy. Should I just ignore all the negativity if it works for us?

my dream school

That's from the title - it's more about what suits your DD really, not your personal idea of what makes a good school. You seem to be putting a lot of weight on other people's opinions rather than what actually works best for your DD.

@ChicCroissant yes but I know five people who have taken their children out.

OP do you live in Bristol by any chance?

Maybe...

Maybe you could give it a bit of time to see how the changes that are being made impact the school and children, and go from there? You don't have to decide right now. There are plenty of good schools near you though if you do decide to move your DC. And I read the most recent OFSTED, it wasn't great

People don't like change. Fact.
If things are changed - very, very normal and to be expected after failed OFSTEDs and to be expected after change of HTs, then they get upset and there are always some that choose to be horrified at the idea rather than waiting to see how things pan out.

However, you have said you like the school and your dd is happy, so you don't need to worry about what other people think. Give it a chance, see how things go.

Reading your description of the school makes it sound very alternative. Steiner or something similar?

If so, yes, the school will be nothing like it was before the trust took over. If the parents already there chose it for its particular philosophy, then of course they're going to be disgruntled. But if you were just looking for a nice school with gentle teachers, you'll probably be fine. Don't listen to those who are very passionate about Steiner/other. Even if it becomes the best school in the area, they be unhappy.

People will be unhappy because like you, a lot of people purposely moved into the catchment because they liked the ethos of the school, which has now changed. I'd be inclined to move schools just to be done with the drama. It sounds exhausting and demoralising.

Thanks everyone. I mean I do like the school, and my dd does but it's difficult to get that feeling of community up and running when everyone's so worried and negative. It's little things like I asked about the school fair and there's a lot of 'well I suppose I'll help if we're not out of here by then!' I just want to feel excited about making a bigger and better school.
To be honest the Ofsted was terrible as it wasn't the Steiner ethos that got them marked down, it was the lack of organisation and leadership. Stupid mistakes like not applying for the pupil premium and not being able to manage their kitchen staff. If another trust means better leadership then I'm glad. Plus what's the alternative? We can't afford to go private and the other local schools will definitely do SATs and less outside time etc.

It's going to be just another mainstream primary
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If you're not happy then pay for a posh school op

@conderellainyellakissedafella I didn't say that there was anything wrong with mainstream primaries but when you've moved specifically for a Steiner influenced primary it is a bit disappointing.

Read the latest Ofsted report. And then decide whether it's somewhere you really want for your child..... I have seldom seen such wholeheartedly damning reports, on all sorts of genuinely critical things like the physical handling of children, than I have for the Bristol and Frome Steiner schools.

I am not surprised that members of the school are disaffected - they will either be people who genuinely believe in the full Steiner ethos, thought they were getting it free from the state but have now realised that being state funded also comes with strings attached, like meeting standards for safeguarding and quality of teaching; or people who thought they were getting a good state education with some fluffy bits, who have realised that the Steiner philosophy has historically come hand in hand with some less than rigorous educational and safeguarding practice.

The Bristol Steiner school appears to attract slightly better Ofsted reports, if you see Steiner education as critical, but of course it is fee paying.

Stupid mistakes like not applying for the pupil premium and not being able to manage their kitchen staff.

If that is what you get from the latest Ofsted, maybe I'm looking at a different school?

"Safeguarding is not effective. Pupils are exposed to avoidable risk of harm. Physical intervention is used unnecessarily."

"Teachers have low expectations of pupils’ achievement and attitudes to learning. Pupils are not challenged to achieve well."

"The school’s curriculum is not taught well."

"Across the school, pupils make basic errors in their writing."

"Bullying incidents are too frequent."

"Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) make insufficient progress. Teaching is not addressing the learning needs of these pupils."

"Low-level disruption is common in some classes."

Many of these messages are common across the Steiner schools, so they do seem to be to some extent common weaknesses with Steiner educational practices.

To be honest, OP, I don't think you're daughter will miss out on anything wonderful. My brother went to a Steiner school. For all it sounds fluffy, it's horribly rigid in many ways. Just rigid in an alternative way. Art particularly is awful. The children are only encouraged to paint and draw in a particular style. PE lessons are only in a particular type of alternative dance/movement. It's an incredibly narrow curriculum, and my brother got really bored. I just used to find it a bit freaky and creepy when I went to events there. I'd have hated it.

Here's the art that Steiner schools promote. It was the ONLY art that was produced at my brother's school. Every classroom, every corridor had children's paintings like this on display. It really creeped me out.

www.google.com/search?biw=1707&bih=771&tbm=isch&sxsrf=ACYBGNS7ujIFai9CZks3wJjc-1JVgmpyTQ%3A1569273591221&sa=1&ei=9zaJXYCTDdCD8gLUn6Zw&q=waldorf+art&oq=waldorf+art&gs_l=img.12...0.0..178...0.0..0.0.0.......0......gws-wiz-img.m6xSEIMQ8Ds&ved=0ahUKEwjA6tbX7-fkAhXQgVwKHdSPCQ4Q4dUDCAc

@Cheeselipbalm yes but why would anybody change their life for a Steiner school??
They are very rigid and when I visited one a while back it was like a mini military academy in how it was run. 'You will do it this way, that way etc'

I know they are trendy but I just don't think they are good.

“No formal teaching until 7” is never going to meet with approval from Ofsted because the school cannot show progress in a meaningful way and parents will have to accept change or leave. I expect leaving will be less of an issue when the dust settles and these DC cannot be found a school approves of by their parents. Largely because they don’t exist. They will have to pay fees.

If you wish to support the school, and your DD is happy, ignore the disgruntled ones. Join the PTA and promote the positive side of the school. Not every parent will join in but do the best you can. I would imagine the next problem will be finance as the DC who leave take money with them. It could be a bumpy ride!

The thread has piqued my interest so I googled around. It looks like the worst school in the coutry/on the continent. Shockingly bad. Not a single child achieving expected standard in Maths or English by the end of school.

OP, outside time and doing things differently are valuable but can’t be done at the expense of learning to read or count.

Why don’t you put your daughter in a school that actually teaches something and just do lots of outdoorsy or creative stuff with her.

You moved to the catchment area specifically for a school that had has two bad ofsted reports in a row