How to choose a primary school, almost out of my mind trying to decide.

[WindUpBird]

How do you choose which school is best for your child? There must be some others in this situation? I'm in such a dither and I need to decide in a month or so.

DD will be almost 4.5 when she's due to start school in Sept (so, imo far too young for school). The nearest school is CofE and takes age 4-11 with 30 in each class and it's Ofsted rate is 'satisfactory'. The nursery and reception classes are all in one room, so age 3-5 foundation stage altogether, is this a good thing? It looked like complete chaos with stuff all over the place (pretty much my house but more children) but all the equipment was lovely, wooden, brand new and it all seemed completely play-based. The head led the tour round the school but didn't introduce herself and didn't acknowledge any of the prospective pupils who were on the tour which struck me as odd. I've visited twice now and I'm not loving the school yet.

The other school is quite a walk up some big hills (about 25 mins with a 4 and 2 year old in tow). It takes children age 4-7 with approx 20 in each class and has a very close-knit, villagey atmosphere with a 'good' Ofsted. Reception class is split into 2 with older children in one and younger in another, is this a good thing??! This school has a very nice 'atmosphere', Deputy Head who showed us round was very chatty to DD. So I like the school but I don't know how traumatic it is to a 7 year-old to have to start all over again at a new school.

I feel like I should have been able to work out a preference by now. I do like the feel of the smaller school, but I know that a nearer school would be easier.
If you're a teacher or parent who wouldn't mind giving your opinion as to which school sounds better, I'd be grateful...and I'm sorry for such a waffly post!

ooooh me too - Im sat here worrying - deadline for choosing is tomorrow - pretty much similar type concerns.
On the one hand I'm thinking that a 'slightly' further away school is difficult from a practical perspective. BUT am I being lazy?!?! I'm just investigating bikes with seats on the net - is this a possiblity with you?
How likely is it that you'll get into the big hill school??
I would say go with your gut feel (do you have one? I dont!!!) which from the sound of your post says the second school with nice atmosphere.
Good luck!!

go for number 2

the "feel" of the school is, IMO, very very important.
I don't think it will be a huge issue to go to a different school when she is 7, because they all will be won't they?

is there a particular school that they tend to go to from that one? and if so, is THAT school good/close/nice?

At the second school where do the children go to junior school? Is there a linked school or does everyone have to take their chances again in the school marketplace? If there is a linked juniors then you need to go and see that before making any decisions. If there isn't a linked juniors you need to find out where the children go and whether it's a lottery getting in to a good school.

No problem starting a new school at 7 if that's what everyone else does! (I did and all my dds did and we survived )

Oh, thanks for your quick responses!
Helium, sorry you're in a similar quandary! It's likely we'll get in to the big hill school as it was nearly shut down recently by the council as it's not 'cost-effective' (small class sizes).
Hmm, I am considering bike seats, (in my distant past I used to cycle everywhere). But the hills are BIG, the roads and pavements are narrow and I can just imagine the faff of getting 2 children and me on bikes only then to have to go back to the house for the packed lunch/PE kit which I will inevitably have forgotten!
Good luck to you too, hope you get some inspiration before you send the form off!

Thisisyest...yes, they do seem to go on to a particular school which has just been in Special Measures . Although apparently the new head is dragging it out of the depths pretty well.

ahh hmmmm that would def add to the conundrum

although, if new head is good all could be great by the time she goes there...

Thanks hocus, that's good to know. There are a couple of possible schools but probably most will go to the one just out of special measures. But it's on the up!

I would definitely go to the school with the nice feel and the nice head. What does your DD think? Did she prefer one over the other?

Chicaguapa, I'm not sure. I think it's all a bit over her head at the mo. She liked the children playing recorders, that's the only comment! We're going back to the school with the nice feel (where, incidentally, the Head left just before Christmas, forgot to mention that one) in a few days so I hope we'll be able to work it out from there.

OMG chicaguapa I was just looking at your profile. We grew up in the same place. Bizarre! (Hope I don't sound like a stalker!)

Ha ha!

DD preferred the school she's at because the Head let her have a good on the IWB! Whereas the other head didn't even acknowledge her. As it turned out, DD liked the better school.

You and your child have to feel comfortable with the school and it is obvious from your posts that this is the second school.

However how many other mothers are doing the same thing and coming to the same conclusion as you locally?

You need to guard against the possibility of not getting into your preferred school. As such you should on your application form put down your preferred school as first preference and your local school as second preference. Under the present admission arrangements (assuming that it is mainly distance and does not have any faith based admission criteria) you then stand the best chance of getting your preferred school but with the probable back-stop of a place at the local school.

If you do not put down your local school catchment school you run the risk of getting none of your preferences and being allocated a place at a school absolutely miles away

As someone who has a 5 mile drive to school every day I think I would put nearness above practically anything else. You have no idea what a pain it is to fo home again for lunch boxes and so on. Think about picking him up if he's suddenly poorly at school. think about going to friends for tea. Think about what happens when the second one starts and the bigger one has an after school club and so you need to pick up two children at different times. And with the infant school, think what happens whe your older one moves on and your younger one is still there. Logistical nightmares.

And an hours walking a day is a LOT for a little person whose just started school.

And the Head you liked has left.

Nearer is always good imo for lots of reasons (playdates, pals to help, less of a walk back home when you have forgotten piano book!! )

Which school do kids in yr area (not nec DD's age) go to?

The further away school is an infant school - is there a closely attached junior they all go to? My 3 go to inf and junior but they are vv closely linked and next door and more or less everyone goes from one to the other.

I actually like an inf school as the children are on the playground with no child older than 7; also the yr2s get a bit of responsibilty being oldest in school; also the move at 7 prepares for th ebig move at 11. There are disadvantages tho, mainly of continuity, plus the fab head at the inf may give way to a non-fab head at juns.

TBH yr 2nd school sounds nicer (tho will you get in??) but 20 in a class may be hard to sustain. I wouldn't choose it on that basis - DS2's reception class had 22 but DD's had 30 (in the same school obv).

hm just realised my post was somewhat contradictory.

Also read yr later posts; if there is no linked juniors I would think again; it's one thing all to start again at 7yo but quiet another if she and her pals may go to different schools.

Also I see the head you liked so much has just left. hmmm.

Also do you want to pick a school recently "nearly shut down"??? I don't like the sound of that coupled with 20 in a class (very hard to make the budget work with those numbers).

See I am moving towards school 1!