School - outside space or walkable

[Ticketyboooo]

Hi Mumsnetters. I’m new to thinking about schools but I’m planning to enrol my son in a pre-school attached to a local primary. I know it won’t influence which school he gets allocated, but we are likely in the catchment for both based on the last few years, and I want to send him to the one that he will stay at if possible.

Both schools seem very similar except that one is Church of England and one isn’t. The other main difference influencing my decision is that one has more outside space with a slide and play area for reception and infants whereas the other is more cramped and has no field and no adventure playground. The school with the outside space is harder to walk to, whereas the cramped one involves a nice walk to and from school and we would likely do that most days. Neither have forest school but the less cramped one seems keen to promote inside/outside learning in the early years.

I can’t work out whether the outside space is more valuable in or out of school? My son is very energetic and likes being outdoors.

Walkable 100%

The slide might be nice for Nursery, Reception, but your child will be there 8 years. It will still have outside play, and potentially more imaginative play at the school without a slide.
You can always go to the park after school.
It is SO much of an advantage to be able to walk to and from school. Not just the walk, but for friendships and helping one another out, as parents.

Thanks. It’s useful to try and think from the perspective of a parent of an older child, as my biggest one is still so little. I can’t imagine how he will get on in a big (3 form), crowded school. But I really think the nice walk will improve both of our days.

The smaller/outdoorsy school is still walkable but it’s just very main road-y and quite stressful. It’s pretty much next door to nursery so we will have to walk that way anyway for a few years, but when youngest joins preschool it gives a whole eight years of not having to walk along the main road to school if we pick the closer one. Currently hard to imagine a life that won’t involve nursery runs. 😂😂

Hopeful Saturday morning bump

So one doesn’t have any outdoor space for nursery?

It’s got a tiny yard for nursery and reception, rather than a bigger outside space with a play area and some greenery. Bigger kids have playground but no field. Unsure how much it matters! My son would love the play area but don’t know if the rubbish walk to school is worth it.

I say walkable

Hmmm tricky. It depends how much they’d use the outdoor space (my school has a huge field that’s basically just used for its fete and sports day, another area with a lot of new play equipment that kids only access a handful of times a year and a playground). For nursery and preschool, I’d probably pick the one that has more freeflow indoor to outdoor so can run off more steam -also reduces amount of viral load which is more of an issue in rooms with poor ventilation.

They don't tend to let kids play on the field very much anyway.

It’s 2 years of him using a slide, the novelty of which will probably wear off quite quickly and also minus any wet playtimes and for that you’d be tying yourself into 8 years of the horrible walk, maybe even a decade or more if there are siblings coming up behind. If all else is equal then I think it’s a no brainer to go for the short and pleasant walk.

Walkable, always.

My children’s school has a massive field, but it’s not like they are allowed to go and play on it every day anyway. Ditto the huge Forrest area they have for Forrest school.

Sorry posted to soon, I meant to also add that DS is in reception, was also at the same school for nursery. The early years playground has a really impressive climber and slide. But even last year so still nursery age he was telling me that he tells me he doesn’t go on it much because they all prefer to play tag. Something you could do a totally basic playground. So I’d be pretty annoyed if that had been a deciding factor in choosing the school!!

Definitely the walkable one. Driving and parking around schools is absolute hell to be avoided at all costs! That’s on a good day. Wait until it’s raining or snowing.

I don’t drive! So both are, by default, walkable! One is just a much nicer walk - distance is about the same.

What other differences are there between the schools? You mention one is 3 form entry.
What are results like?
Wraparound care?
Extracurriculars?
Do they offer forest school? All the primaries in my town do, luckily they have plenty of space but the one that doesn't does it off site. Your more cramped school may too.
Where do they do PE?
Trips?
Ofsted? Reading the full report not just headline result.
I'd build all of that into my decision making

Tarmac school:
3 form
Better walk
Nursery no playground equipment
Non-denominational
Good SATS I think
Good trips
More options for wraparound care
No forest school
Ofsted good - but new head and deputy since as previous retired

Field school:
2 form
Walk involves crossing main roads
Nursery has a slide and trees
C of E
SATS results the same
Also has good trips
Wraparound on site but not guaranteed
No forest school
Recent poor Ofsted - but new head since and seem to have a clear plan to improve

Walkable for me. School fields are often out of bounds for a lot of the winter and spring.

I'd go for the tarmac one based on your list. Dd hated having the field right there when they weren't allowed to play on it for a lot of the year!

School 1, definitely. I’m in London - what’s a field??? 🤣🤣🤣 But DD loved her primary which just had a basic tarmac playground and a MUGA. Plenty of time for slides and swings after school!

Oh I’m clearly not awake yet! Tarmac school is the one with the poor Ofsted and field is good. Other facts are as listed! 🙈🙈

Ah. That changes things... how much do you need wrap around care? It was a huge bonus for us and they did summer cover 8-6 for a reasonable price too

Neither sound great. I wouldn’t send my Dc to one with a poor instead and no proper outside space, but also wouldn’t want the harder walk and it being further away so may not have school friends close by.

We will need wrap around care!

Yes, I know neither is perfect, but these are the options.

Go with where you felt most comfortable. Usually you can just tell where you as a family would fit better, which shares your ideals and goals. Look more at the people that attend, where are they from do they (mostly) seem to share similar values. Yes you can tell from looking at schools if you’d fit and this will have a much bigger impact than you think.

Ignore ofsted entirely as it’s a pointless scale. In my time teaching I would never have sent my own kids to the school rated outstanding that I taught at.

I can see why you feel caught. My gut is you feel the smaller school size and better outside area will suit him better. I'd see if there are childminders with space there for wrap around if in school provision is full. With a 3 form intake it sounds like it'd be easier to get a space later on in the larger intake school if the other didn't work out