I don’t want my second choice school

[pyraa]

I am unsure DS will get his first choice. I just don’t like the school I put down as second, and I think it’s unlikely he’ll get into his third!

So … what do we do then? Help?

Hold on, number 2 is now ditched because it has 5 children in reception class and you worry about social interaction but first preference only as 10? Dare I ask how many school 3 takes in reception?

Yes - so literally double school 2. But in any event, the first choice school has mixed age classes so the social side of things isn’t as limited. It’s still a small school of course but five children in a year group is just too small and restrictive.

Which was your banker - presumably 3? Where would you stand on admission for that one?

Please tell me you have put your catchment school somewhere on the list?!

Sigh. This is repeated on MN so much. It won't be 5 per class; it's probably a EY/KS1 class and a KS2 class. I work in a small school and we have no financial concerns for the next few years. There are at least a dozen small (under 100 pupils) schools in the area, many a couple of hundred years old. I haven't heard even an inkling that schools may close. Small schools are the norm in some very rural areas.

No, we really don’t like it at all.

And if you were allocated a place there?

We wouldn’t send our children.

What would you do then?

That’s kind of the point of the thread (not being snarky, it probably wasn’t clear.)

So we have three schools on our list.

Schools 1 and 3 look unlikely.

School 2 is a dead cert but I’m really not sure it’s a great choice for us. So probably would have to seriously consider private.

Go private then, I'm not sure of the point of your thread if you've submitted your preferences (importantly not choices!) but not yet heard back.

@MrsJamin - I suppose the point is wondering what’s best to do, to be honest. I feel a bit tied up in knots about it and as much as I’d love to casually ‘go private’ it would come at an enormous cost. Not so much for this child but when we’ve two at school - ouch.

What's wrong with it?

What class sizes does school 2 have from Y1 onwards?

5 in a class isn't ideal long term, but purely for reception I would be happy with it. It'll give lots of close working relationships with the adults and give them an excellent knowledge of the children and their abilities, which will be invaluable when working with mix age classes later.

Lots of reports about bullying which I do take with a slight pinch of salt but there have been a lot. The headteacher isn’t very pleasant. Different demographics.

The main issue is reception doesn’t have a qualified teacher, they are taught by a TA, which didn’t really fill me with confidence

So the PAN for school 2 is definitely 5 pupils? It couldn't be a higher number could it?

Will the private definitely have a place for September? Have you even applied yet?

It’s more likely to be even smaller. As you probably know 19/20 was a low birth year and 20/21 even lower and prospective parents like me are put off by the small size of the current reception class.

There are always places in private, but it really is a huge financial commitment for two children. We plan to send them private for secondary; private all the way through would be a huge hit.

PAN is the potential number of places for the intake not the number of applicants or allocated places.

I know you've said the reception teacher is a TA - however, does she have a childcare qualification?

I have a NVQ LEVEL 3 - which means I can care for children up to the age of 5 years - so I could teach a reception class; and also be a TA with my qualification. So even though it's not a teaching degree as a qualified teacher - I can teach; maybe that's what your TA has?

A small class doesn't necessarily mean bad - you chose your choices; so your options are to take what you're given, go onto the waiting lists for schools, home school OR pay for private.

Yes, there are more spaces than children if that’s the question.

I’m not sure re the TAs qualification. I am sure she’s very good but it isn’t filling me with confidence.