Which primary school??

[Icylemontea]

Hi all ,

DS will be applying for primary school this year and I just wanted to get everyone’s thoughts on this.

We have two primary schools which we quite like close to us. One is an outstanding school with well above average reading, writing and maths. The other is rated good and they have average or below average results. It would have been a no brainier on which one to put as first choice but after speaking to people, we now have second thoughts. There is someone we know who has two kids - one went to the outstanding and one went to the good school. His review is that the outstanding school is very academically focused while the good school tries to develop the child into a more rounded person - so doesn’t just focus on the academic side of things. I am torn because I want him to do well academically (I was very academic focused as a child) but at the same time, I want him to have fun and have a happy childhood. Just wondering which school you would pick?

The other dilemma is whether to go private. Is it worth the money for primary school?

I would dispute that “small school” means “friendly”. Larger schools can often be more friendly- it’s nothing to do with the size. Small schools with a large number of SEN means the non SEN kids can be overwhelmed or overlooked. Rarely does a SEN child get funding for a 1:1 for all of the hours they are at school and even if they do a 1:1 cannot stop all disruptive behaviours (obviously not all SEN children have behaviours that disrupt a class but lots do).
I have worked in small by and large schools and I really think there should be a cap on the number of SEN per class - teachers, TAs and pupils can only cope with so much.
The government need to open more specialised SEN provisions.

@GuardiansPlayList

Yes perhaps friendly wasn't the right word. More that in a school of 100-120 every pupil knows every other pupil's name and the same with the teachers. And yes I agree that if you have 3+ kids who need additional support in a class it can be hard for everyone. My point was that a schools numbers don't tell you what's going on - you need to go visit. The thing we found hard (and it maybe just around here) was that the larger primary schools had one afternoon for visits so you didn't get a true feel for the school as everyone was on best behaviour, special 'example' lessons etc and did not allow visits at any other times....

This was me 2 years ago. I was determined DD would go to the school that performed better academically. However when visiting it just didn't feel right. We opted for the good school and I'm so glad we did. You will just know which one will be better when you visit.

We toyed with private primary but decided secondary would be better.

I can only reiterate that you need to pick the one you like best.

Ask about staff. Do they have staff who have been there for years or do they get newly qualified teachers (that leave within a few years).

Check that the great results aren't just due to tutoring for private secondary.

Also ask what they offer in the school day and after school clubs. It's a really big help if they can do tennis/dance/football/choir etc after school rather than you having to take them after school or on a weekend.

If I were you I'd be inclined to go with genetics and go with the more academic type you would have thrived at. All children play a lot in Key Stage 1 and by Key Stage 2 they are happy to be more focused. If you find your DC is struggling or they get too much homework then then you can always move them. Private schools are usually judged on their 7+/11+ offers (and most tutor) so I'd give them a miss if you want a more relaxed primary experience.

It depends on the intake. If below average results were from a very able cohort with few children with SEND, then I’d have questions. If below average results came from a cohort with a high number of children with SEND and the added value was high, it wouldn’t worry me at all.

On the other hand, I’d be concerned about a very driven environment, where everything is focused on results and the pastoral care is poor.

They aren’t mutually exclusive, but I’d want a school that does the best for my child, not one that does the best for the school.