Can’t decide between these two schools

[Maisymouseinthehouse]

We live in a market town with several decent primary schools. Our daughter (first baby) will be starting part-time at a school nursery in September (aged 3). I work two days a week and currently my parents/partner do the childcare on those days. I’m aware that she doesn’t have to go to the same place for nursery and then school, but thought that might be nice?

School 1 is on our road, would be a 2 minute walk away. One form entry, Victorian buildings, smallish playground plus Astro pitch but no grass. Good ofsted, recently improving sats results, declining pupil numbers last couple of years so nursery and reception currently combined. When we visited it felt a bit shabby and we didn’t warm to the head at all, communication from the school office is not great. Word on the street is that people are happy with the school. Good range of after school clubs.

School 2 is a 20 min walk (or 10 min cycle). Two form entry, mixture of Victorian and 60s buildings, larger outdoor space with big field. Nursery is in a separate portacabin. Good ofsted, ok sats, higher proportion of SEN. When we visited we loved the head, and got a better vibe from the place. A lot of my colleagues speak very highly of it. Fewer clubs overall but excellent music provision and nicer library.

Which would you go for?

We had this with ours as we are lucky where we live to have options

what we did was draw up a list of pro’s and cons and what we liked about each one and then what concerned us and formulated some questions for each school

we then emailed the schools and asked for a private tour during school hours to see classes in actions and how staff were with kids and then it gave us an opportunity to ask the heads about our questions/ concerns and it helped us to choose.

schools change tho if there is a change of leadership or academise with a bigger trust - it’s always a moveable feast but you have to go with your gut instinct

The second one.

Have you checked previous years admissions for school 2? Would you have got in on their criteria in previous years?

Honestly, from the way you’ve described it, you sound more drawn to School 2. Liking the head and getting a good vibe counts for a lot, especially at this age. The 20-minute walk is a downside, but you’d probably adjust whereas niggling doubts about leadership or communication might bug you for years. Convenience is great, but feeling confident about the atmosphere matters more to me.

School 2 sounds better, would you get in? Last couple of years have been low birthrate due to covid so you'd need to check if that continues.

We have a walk to school which is worth it, but it can be done in 15 (or 10 by an adult in a rush!) and you can park too, in an ideal world it'd be closer. Sometimes you end up back at school a fair amount for assemblies,drop ins, shows, meetings etc so an extra trip would be 2 hours of walking a day for you!

Any wraparound you need to consider?
Do they turn out nice year 6s? Not just the ones helping on open days but the ones you see in park or walking home.

I’d go for School 1. It sounds fine and your DD will make friends locally to you.

School 2 hands down, because falling numbers now woukd make me worry that the school would close, or at least stop having the new intakes at the bottom, way before your daughter leaves.

Second school. We've gone from an infant school with amazing staff to a junior school with a lacklustre head, less engaged staff and slightly poorer communication and the difference is quite staggering - and that's the exact same cohort of children in the class! Even as a teacher myself, I'm surprised at the level of difference. A 20 minute walk is more than manageable. Both mine got really good at cycling in Reception year doing a similar journey. It's great exercise at the start of the day.

Edited to add: Schools with high levels of SEND are often because they are good schools that parents move their children to. So that could be a good sign.

As a PP said, check that you meet the admission criteria for them.

Thanks for all your advice! Truth is, yes I am drawn more towards school 2. But I don't know if that is enough to justify the longer journey, and potentially not feeling such a part of the local community. Based on available data, we would get into either (and the heads said this too). We hope not to need wraparound care, but they both have decent provision.

Good point about the lower numbers maybe being due to covid years. How do I find out about whether they turn out nice year 6s?! Feel like I need to hang around outside the schools without looking weird 😂

I don't currently drive so we would have to walk or cycle. Thanks for the reassurance that 20 mins is not that far, and it's a good point about the exercise bonus! We are thinking of trying for another baby in the near future, so that is also weighing on my mind with location and logistics.

I did wonder about sending her to school 1 for nursery, and then deciding in a year's time about which school for reception. If we have fallen in love with school 1, she could stay there. If I still preferred school 2, it would be a good time to move. But maybe there are more advantages to going to the same school from nursery onwards? Socially and academically?! And would it feel hard to move her once settled in...

Both of mine started at the Nursery attached to school. DC1 stayed there avd went through to Primary. For various reasons I took DC2 out and they started again in Reception. I can guarantee that after a couple weeks fcweeks nobody will be able to tell who went to Nursery together and who started at tge beginning of the year.

Another thing to consider is whether they both feed into the same secondary. I was in different catchments for primary and secondary bizarrely, so had I gone for the catchment primary most of the children would have left to go to a different secondary to mine and there wouldn't have been many linked events between their primary and future secondary. This was another reason I chose the further away primary, which fed into my preferred (and catchment) secondary.

A good vibe is important. Although School 1 is more local, School 2 isn't exactly 'not local' and definitely sounds like the better option. I wouldn't like combined Nursery and Reception. That's too small and falling numbers would concern me.

Don't be put off by people talking about needing to research the admissions criteria. You put your favourite (School 2) as your first preference, and know that if you don't get it you still have an ok back up option in School 1. I wouldn't be too concerned about not getting in as you'll still get School 1, which I assume you'll list as your second preference? Admission criterias are only really a concern if you don't list your most local school at all, as you risk being without a local place if you don't meet the criteria of any of your listed schools. In your circumstances, you will. Hopefully you get your first choice, but if you don't it won't be the end of the world.

Good luck

The second one. Only con seems to be the longer walk. Small classes (and continuing to decline) could be a problem. Friendships will be more intense. Is wraparound care something you'll need? As smaller schools don't tend to have the best options.

with a primary school you need to get a good vibe and also like the head - sounds like you aren't sure with number 1

I did wonder about sending her to school 1 for nursery, and then deciding in a year's time about which school for reception. If we have fallen in love with school 1, she could stay there. If I still preferred school 2, it would be a good time to move. But maybe there are more advantages to going to the same school from nursery onwards? Socially and academically?! And would it feel hard to move her once settled in...

That's a plan. You might indeed come to love School 1 and decide to put it as first preference after all. Alternatively, you could use this opportunity to trial walking to School 2 every day for nursery. If it becomes too much, you'll know you probably need to opt for School 1 for her primary school journey instead, to save your sanity.

If you do send her to one for nursery and switch for school, she'll be absolutely fine. Lots of Reception classes take children from different settings (various private nurseries, child minders etc). Not every child will have been to the school nursery, but they soon get to know each other and make friends. After a few weeks, you wouldn't know who went to the school nursery together and who is 'new'.

What will the walk be like when your dc is in Y5 or Y6 and wants to walk by themselves?

easy decision

The one which felt more like your kind of place