State primary choices

[Snappyfrog]

Going round in circles with choices for a 2023 intake.

1. Closest school (7mins). 45 intake. Mixed classes. Good modern facilities and outdoor area. Good range of extra curricular. Oversubscribed, cheap b/a club but timings would mean i could drop off so would only need afterschool. Worst results, around national average (but 2019)
2. Next closest school (10mins). 15 intake. Mixed classes, including 3 year groups in a class. Good outdoor area. Nice village school feel, lots of school trips etc and children keen to show work. Very flexible and cheap b/a club. Excellent results (but 2019)
3. Furthest school (12 mins). 60 intake. Single classes. Nice feel. Average outdoor space. Most expensive b/a but plenty of availability. The most engaging head. Middle results but again from 2019.

All OFSTED good. All undersubscribed last three years.

Any advice?!

Do you have any younger children to consider for sibling link or chance of being in same classes?

Personally I would go for the furthest school but my advice to you would be to go with the school that you had the best feeling about for your child when you looked round. You don't mention having a "good feel" about the closest school despite it sounding impressive with their facilities - that along with the poorest results would lead me to rule that one out. And then the mixed classes of the village school would make me lean towards the other one. A two form entry of 60 children gives more opportunity for finding friends rather than being stuck with a few who you may not get on with. And a larger school is better preparation for the transition to secondary. Some find the small village school to large secondary a bit of a shock.

Just my thoughts but overall I think go with your gut!

Yes younger sibling would be in same class at a point in school two with 3 year mix.

Forgot to say all three feed same secondary.

If all three schools are undersubscribed and one only has a 15 intake I would worry about that one being incorporated into one of the others at some time in the future, times are hard, money is tight and if there aren’t the children entering the school it will be uneconomic.

The furthest school means you are signing up for years of longer school drop offs - I assume the 12 minutes is a car journey rather than a pleasant walk- so while it is the most attractive in terms of size you need to bear that in mind. I would also worry in case they put in catchment siblings and out of catchment siblings into their admission policy, which could make things tricky for your second child. Having said that I think the furthest school sounds as though it will offer more in friendship terms.

Which one did you like the feel of? It sounds like they’d all be nice.
Also is it walking or driving?

Driving but we’re rural so used to driving between villages. Currently do 9mins to nursery.

liked the feel of school 3 the best followed by 2. But feel like 1 is best on paper bar results but do I even worry about that given I’m comparing 3 year out of date data?

I definitely wouldn't go for the smallest school with a tiny intake and multiple years in one class. A friend did that thinking it would be lovely and her child has hated it as there is such a limited pool of 'friends' and a couple of unkind girls have made life difficult for her but she's stuck in a class with them for another few years.

I would go with #3. Three year groups in a class would absolutely rule out #2 for me and it doesn't sound like you like #1.

I wouldn't prioritize school 2. What seems lovely and cosy for a 4 year old becomes suffocating by 11.

The other 2 - I guess it's facilities and distance vs slightly worse results. Tough call.

Where do kids around you tend to go to? Or srrad between all 3?

I don't like mixed classes. I'd go for number 3.

They all sound fine so go with your gut. Personally I'd go for the one with single year classes because mixed year are a huge pita to organise.

Children in the village go to all three.

I didn’t dislike 1, it just has a very modern feel that im
not accustomed to. 2/3 feel like I remember primary school feeling like.

I’d put them in the order 3, 1, 2.

School 3 has significant advantages - largest pool of possible friends and you clicked with the head - and the additional travel time is marginal.

School 2 would go last because it is just too small for comfort.

I wouldn't take results into account.
My DS went to a primary school like your option 2. They showed amazing results after his yr6 sats, 20% of students achieved in the highest category (can't remember what it's called, something like above expected level). I know that 20% is 4 students, all of whom are naturally intelligent and would have achieved that at any school. One of them was my ds, who throughout yr5&6 was part time home ed because the school were failing him so badly pastorally. They contributed absolutely nothing to achieve those amazing results, in fact they had a detrimental effect on the education of that entire class due to leaving them with no teacher just a TA for 35 students in a mixed year class and spending 2 years essentially just teaching them to pass sats rather than educating them fully.