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Would you pick school A or school B (dilemma, please help me choose)

27 replies

Canteverdecide · 01/12/2024 18:26

School A:
15 min walk from our home, good for drop off as DH would drive DS and there is a car park. On the way back I can pick him up and walk home together however the station by the school has fever trains and I commute 3 days a week.
Lovely school, got a fairly “academic” vibe, seems high performing and feeds into an outstanding secondary school.
Morning and pm wraparound care guaranteed for all pupils which is a really good thing.
Area is very posh and white British, we are a European family with a good income but do not live in a beautiful 6 figure home like most people in that area. Slightly concerned we won’t fit in with the other parents.

School B:
25-30 min walk from home, no parking space so difficult to do car drop off. Closer to a main train station so good for commute but walk to-from home is quite long with small DS.
Got a lovely vibe, sweet and welcoming and mixed types of families from different parts of the world although still fairly middle class (but more apartments nearby, mixed housing). Got a sweet vibe from it. Linked to an outstanding junior school but not a feeder to any secondary school.
Wrap around care is offered but there are not enough spaces for everyone so would have to use an external provider who picks up the kids and takes them to their facilities.

I like both schools for different reasons. So hard to pick.
What would you choose?

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
Canteverdecide · 01/12/2024 22:21

@CherryHinton how do you know what area I am referring to??

OP posts:
Superscientist · 02/12/2024 11:00

I would try to find a 3rd school to look around and compare schools A and B to school C.

We have a choice of 2 schools (A and B) but viewed 2 other schools that were just outside of catchment (C and D). There was a very good school 10 minute drive out of catchment. A and C were both at capacity for higher years although school A reception year had a few spaces. The footprints for both schools were small and they both seemed quite cramped. Seeing two schools like this and not liking it made it a bigger no for school A compared to seeing just school A. Schools B and D had small intakes. School D deliberately only accepted 20 students and taught 2 years together. School B had smaller classes sizes when it historically it was a poor school although had since reach "good". We didn't like deliberately having small class sizes but were optimistic about school B having larger class sizes since improving. It had kept the classroom set up for 7 full years in the hope of attracting more pupils with time.
School D didn't have after school club and didn't have their own kitchen. After school club was essential for us and my daughter has multiple food allergies so a kitchen on site was a must too.
Comparing four headteachers was helpful too. Headteachers B and C were by far the engaging and people I was willing to trust with my daughters education. It really helped to identify school B as the one for us. We are nearly one term in and very happy with our choice.

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