I wanted to at least meet the headteacher of the school when looking around. AIBU?

[schoooools]

I have just looked at a primary school for DD. She is due to start next September in YR. However we were shown around by the admin officer which immediately put me off tbh. I think the Head should make the effort to show you around, this was the case in other schools I've seen and seems to be the norm from asking around. This is our local school so would be much easier to send her there but gut feeling says no atm!

Oooh, I wonder where in Warks?

Agree that you need to see the Head but I think YABU to expect to do so without an appointment.

I know which one you mean, it was the other one. My next door neighbour's child went to the one you are thinking of - she used to horrify me with stories of her classmates climbing out of first floor windows mid-lesson. (This was 10 years ago, however, and she is now at Oxford so it clearly didn't do her long-term prospects any harm.)

I would ring up and ask to have an appointment with the Head. You should have seen her on the visit even if she didn't show you around. I think it would have been much better if children had shown you round.

llareggub- rather not be more specific atm but I certainly haven't got concerns about this school in the way that lala has about the tooting one being described. I have a couple of minor concerns but am primarily put out about the head atm. Understand what you're saying totally but when a school advertises 6 open days in a short space of time, I kind of feel they're saying 'we're going the open day route so if you want to look round, come to one of these, don't phone the school and request to come at another time'. Do you know what I mean? That's how I read into it anyway!

I got to have tea with the rather dishy head, while dd was having an afternoon getting used to her classroom. One of the advantages of starting her late for the school year.

DS will get a few days in school to settle before he stars..... and I will sit and have tea with Mr P.....hard life in our Village.

Message withdrawn

I would have expected to see the head at some stage. When I was looking I went to 3 state schools and 3 independent schools. The 3 state schools were open days. 2 had tours led by the head and 1 by year 6 pupils (with a brief chat with the head at the end). 2 of the independent schools were private meetings with the head (we were away for their open days). 1 was an open day. At that we were greeted by the head as we arrived and then he gave a talk at the end of the morning to all the parents.

How on earth are you supposed to judge a school if you don't have the opportunity to meet the head?

I was impressed with two of the heads I met - one state and one independent. Being a full-time working single mum I chose the one that offered the best wraparound and holiday cover. Either of the two schools I liked would have been a good fit for my ds.

we had similar experience when choosing ds1's school last year: went to see local state primary, where we were shown around by admin lady. this would not have been such a problem to me, if she had been at least a bit knowledgible. we asked some questions and she could not really find answers to most of them. in our case there were 3 other couples. one of the parents spoke of their concern at the fact that the school playground backed onto a street with houses for elderly (no fence/gate). the administrator said something like: "oh well, we haven't lost any children yet" . the head, whom we met afterwards just asked if we had any additional questions, and then just left.... she did not seem to know any of the children there.

needless to say that we chose to send ds1 to another school. in the next village, about 3 miles away, but where the atmosphere is much better and the staff much more involved.

Thanks to the last 3 posters. I am glad that I'm not the only one who is not impressed by the Head not being around. I now have to decide if I will send dd there anyway, it seemed quite a good school apart from this. Or whether to send her to the other school 1.3 miles away which I got a very good first impression of and just generally liked (SAT's results etc. and ofsted's pretty similar btw). My concern with sending dd to the 1.3 mile away school is the impact on friends/ playdates etc. especially as she doesn't find it that easy to make friends anyway. Any thoughts?

it's funny how much you sound like me a year ago...

fortunately for us, the school that ds1 goes to now, is in the same village where he used to go to nursery. some of his old friends have come with him (2 boys and 3 girls). and since there are just 12 reception children this meant that he already knew half his class when he started.

despite this we did still worry about him not making any friends in our village.

ds1 is also very shy, and usually just stands looking at a little distance for the first while. now, two months in, he is starting to open up, has made some new friends, and is enjoying school.

do the schools offer any sort of open day, like "taster days", for the children to see if they'd like going there? ds's school did, and it was partly because of his enthusiastic stories after those hours at the 'big boy school' that we decided to send him there.

I wouldn't worry about the distance of 1.3 miles. You may well find that some of the pupils live closer to you than you realise. The school I didn't choose was closer than the school I did. However that first school borders a wealthy area whose catchment school is terrible so our local school is full of pupils who commute a couple of miles. Although the school I did choose is geographically further away my ds has classmates who are five minutes drive away.

I also wouldn't worry about 1.3 miles. We looked at two schools (moving to the area from abroad), one which is just around the corner, the other a mile or so away.

And you're right, so much comes down to the head. I'd planned to send them to the round-the-corner one, but we were shown round by the (very nice) admin lady, and the head was neither seen nor mentioned.

At the further-away one, the head dropped everything to take me and DS1 around (we'd made an appointment, but the office had forgotten to write it in her diary, so she wasn't expecting us). She knew all the children by name, and she stands outside morning and afternoon so you can go and chat to her any time. So that's where my dcs go.

She's a total figurehead, and runs a wonderful school, and my children are so happy there that I just want to follow her around giving her cups of tea and cakes all day long. But instead I have to work

And I don't think a mile or so is a big deal. Like Mollie says, some of the pupils will live close to you. We walk there in the mornings and I fetch them by car in the afternoons - in the morning we say hello to loads of people en route, and they get to school all pink-cheeked and ready to get stuck in. But they are far far too tired to walk it again in the afternoon, that's for sure (we tried once and it wasn't pretty).

I think it gives a better impression if the Head does show people round.

If this is not possible I think visiting parents should be introduced to the Head and have the chance to speak for 5 mins or so during the course of the visit.

If the Head does not take parents round him/her self they did to choose some one who will give a very favourable impression.

My friend and I were shown round a school by the admin officer. We were introduced to the head when we 'bumped into' her in the corridor, and she took a couple of minutes to make sure we were getting all the info we needed and that she hopes to see us at the gates in september.
Imo admin officers - its probably part of their duties to show 100's of parents around all the time. Head teacher - I'd really prefer her to be too busy running the school than showing parents round.

At the other school we looked at, the head DID show us round and I found that I didn't like her so I put her school 2nd choice.