What would your criteria be, other than distance?

[CastleTower]

We are looking at primaries for 2024, so we have lots of time.

We live in the centre of a small city. For some reason, we are not very near any primary school - they are all 1.5 miles in different directions (N, S, W and NW). Given that distance can't be what we go on, what would you be looking at?

All are Ofsted good or outstanding. All have similar results - one perhaps a bit better than the others. All have a majority of their students going to the same, excellent secondary. All have rave reviews from parents we've met.

What would you be thinking about?

Size? Range from 20 per year to 60.

Mixed classes/not? Most schools around here do mixed age classes, but one doesn't. I have no experience of this, so I'm not sure how it works.

Outside space? Some of the schools are physically a bit small.

Distance to work? One is five minutes from my office, which would be great for school plays etc - but it's also the smallest one.

Something else?

I'd go for at least a full one form entry, and preferably the two form.
Two form is perhaps the sweet spot. Small enough to get to know the year group at least by name, but large enough for a choice of friends, more clubs, able to raise a football or netball team. Economies of scale for the teachers.

Otherwise I would look round them, feel the ethos of the school. How pushy are they, what homework do they set, whose work gets to go on the walls, are the year 6s like you would wish your child to be?

Also SEN support and/or stretching for more able pupils.

Plus, do they teach phonics properly. Do they have good y1 screening results or do they claim 'our more able readers move beyond phonics so score badly' (which is rubbish).

I'd be worried about any city primary with mixed age classes. Is it a physically small school, or have they been forced to merge classes due to falling rolls.

Have you checked the previous distances for reception allocation? 1.5 miles for a 20 PAN school would be a lot, in a town/city. Are you genuinely likely to get into all?

ours mixes age as it's intake number is 45. It actually means they have 2 smaller reception classes then the 90 over years 1/2 are split into 3 classes. Mixed age isn't necessarily a small school or falling numbers.

You need to think about what would suit your own child best and check previous years offers to see if you do have a realistic chance of getting a place.

@BaronessEllarawrosaurus Fair point re intake of 45. I'd be concerned about intake of 20 though.

OP. One further point to consider. You are not just choosing for your sweet precious a bit shy 3 or 4 year old. You are choosing for the 10 & 11 year old they will become.

I'd look at the previously admitted distances. You may find you are way off for some of them.
Does your area work on catchment areas (ours does - if you live in catchment you are higher priority than people out of catchment who live closer). If so, work out your catchment school.
Do all the kids who live near you go to the same school? That's likely to be the one most get into.

You need to identify one school that you are almost certain to get a place at, and make sure that goes on your list - however much you dislike it, an unlikely, nearby school is better than a far away, unpopular school.

@TeenDivided "are the year 6s like you would wish your child to be?" Love this idea, thanks.

Mixed age classes seem to be the norm in the area, no suggestion of falling numbers, they've been like that a very long time. The PAN of 20 is a small site.

Thanks for your good advice!

If it seems warm and friendly was a biggie for me. It was hard to judge as we had to choose during lockdown, but if was still a big factor.

I wouldn't want a single form entry either.

@CatOnTheChair @PatriciaHolm No catchments here. Our neighbours have children at all these schools, and based on previous schools we are easily near enough for three of them. The fourth one we'd get in about 75% of years, but not every year, so we do need to keep that in mind of course!

I'd be happy with any of these really, they are all good on paper.

@TeenDivided Also take your point about not being a sweet little kid all of primary - she will be 5 when she starts and she's VERY tall and confident so I think we would lean towards a busier school for her anyway! But as I say, the schools around here are on the small side - 20, 30, 45 or 60.

@PatriciaHolm

Sorry, phone glitches. Was trying to say, we are mostly surrounded by student accommodation, offices and a large secondary - so the distance seems large but no one else is nearer.

All the schools are good/outstanding, highly regarded, and no issues with falling numbers.

Honestly we are in the same position and my main criteria is wrap around care. It's all well and good the school being well regarded, having a nice feel and a good Ofsted ect but if they don't have wrap around care then it's useless to most working parents.

Also worth checking if the school allow reception aged children into the before and after-school club from day one as some near us require the children to be 5 for ratio reasons before being admitted. All fine if you have a September born but crap for anyone with a summer born.

Have you been to visit to them? You really can't tell much from Ofsted/websites. Even parents are not super helpful. Most people love their own kids' school. See if they do tours, most do offer them. And swing by at pickup time to see what the vibe is.

The best way to pick would be to attend their open sessions when they hold them. My original first preference became my 3rd and my original 3rd became my first because of how I felt when I was in them. I felt like the original 3rd preference would offer a much better education to my children. We weren't catchment for any of our preferred schools, but managed to get in due to my two being born in a low birth rate year. My 2nd preferred stayed as such because it was our closest school (still not catchment), and it was ok, the reception teachers seemed lovely, and the head had good plans for improvement, but it just didn't give me the feeling that my preferred school gave.

If I was looking at primary schools now I would be interested in -
A basic non logo uniform and teachers who don't make 4 year olds think they will get in trouble because they are wearing grey socks instead of black (or better no uniform).
An active PTA who do good fundraising and organise events like a summer fete.
The school involving the children in the local community (helping in community gardens for example).
Good and clear communication between school and parents.

Important to us when choosing a primary school for DD for the 2022 intake:

1. Extra curricular activities on offer (clubs etc)
2. Enrichment opportunities
3. Breakfast and after school club

Prior to physically looking, my preferred 1st choice school was a one form Catholic primary. On paper it came out on top for everything. However, when I visited I just didn't get the right feeling. We then visited a 2 and 3 form entry. We went for the two form as the passion and enthusiasm that came over in the tour won us over.

I don't think you can really know in all honesty until you actually go and see and view for yourself. However, I will say a larger school will have more money and therefore more enrichment and extra curricular opportunities on offer. In addition a greater friendship pool. Much more difficult to sort out friendship difficulties in a one form or village school.

Thanks everyone - we'll get to some open days later in the year and see what we make of them. It's nice to hear that that's the deciding factor a lot of the time.