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Primary education

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

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Original poster

really not happy with kids school..but they are...thoughts verywelcome!

8 replies

LALALAND · 08/10/2007 19:48

I have 3 dcs, aged 2, 4 and 8. Two eldest go to a school that they enjoy, but that I really hate. Before they went there I thought it was great - everyone seemed nice, sats results were poor, but ofsted good and head seemed great. Now, 3 years in, and I really can't stand it. Parental involvement is not just not encouraged, it is unwelcome. School secretary is as rude a jobsworth as you could ever hope to meet. Head teacher has now left and dumbo (seriously) dumbo deputy has taken over. Senior management team are rude, resentful of parents asking questions about anything, and there are so many teachers absent / sick, and so many supply teachers all the time, that it is hard to know what is going on. Homework is eratic to say the very least, and it is so noisy all the time, lots of kids with behaviour issues, not being dealth with at all consistently. Also this school is 40 mins walk / 15 mins bus ride away.

I really want to move them to a much nicer, sweeter, smaller, school, with better SATS results on the same demographic intake, and a same standard ofsted. I think my 4yo would be fine, but my 8yo would struggle. The new nice school has no places at the mo, but I have spoken to the head and she kind of implied there might be room if we were sure.

what to do?

OP posts:

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islandofsodor · 08/10/2007 22:15

Move them.

At this age you are the best judge of what your children need in a school. Your eldest may sulk a little but if you are unhappy with their school (and I would be too) then move them.

Carbonel · 08/10/2007 22:27

Most definitely move them whilst there is space. My dc's last school was horrendous for communication - the teacher used to hide from parents!

They moved this term and are so happy and settled and i love the communcation with the teachers whenever I need to - not that I do actually need to anything like as much because they are doing eveything I could want

aintnomountainhighenough · 08/10/2007 22:33

Move them, they only get one chance at education therefore you need it to be the best it possibly can.

newgirl · 08/10/2007 22:38

why would 8yo struggle?

i think you should move them if possible

Original poster

LALALAND · 09/10/2007 13:49

wow! thanks everyeone, I am very grateful for all the positive replies. I didn;t realise it appeared so clear cut from the outisde. Maybe I have been dwelling on this too much. The reason I think my 8yowould struggle is that he has already been at 2 primary schools - this would be his 3rd if I moved him, and I moved schools when I was 8 and remember how hard it was to make friends when everyone else has already been together for years. I have tried to find other parents in my area whose kids go to that school in an attempt to set him up playing with people who'll be in his class before he started there., but to no avail. Despite being an over enthusiatic weirdo every single weekend in our local park, I am yet to meet even one family with kids there.

The problem is that if I don't do this soon, my 4yo will be too settled in this school to want to move.

I know I know best. But I also think - they are both doing fine academically and are happy. So am I moving them for them or for me?

OP posts:

hanaflower · 09/10/2007 13:54

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

newgirl · 09/10/2007 15:06

hmmm it is tricky

i suppose if you do move them you will then be able to invite the kids at new school over so it will be easier to meet the families when they start

but if they are happy now - maybe stay put and hope the school settles down

cushioncover · 09/10/2007 15:51

I would say 100% move them. As a teacher I would be very wary of any school that discouraged parental involvement. IME, it always, always, always means there are problem within.

Your 8yr old may be doing ok now but give him another couple of years to when it's considered uncool to be doing well and watch him sink! Y6 is a crucial time when the right school ethos is needed to nurture talent and make sure those kids go on to secondary school keen to learn. If his school doesn't offer this, you'll wish you did it when he was 8!

Also, if the new school is nurturing, it will have encouraged pupils to welcome new pupils and include them in their class. If you're worried, ask if they have a policy on such things or if including new children is covered as part of the PSHCE curriculum. If they know he's anxious, they'll make a point of checking he settles well.
Good luck

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