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Secondary education

Connect with other parents whose children are starting secondary school on this forum.

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Original poster

how many secondary schools did you look at?

35 replies

hatwoman · 23/09/2010 21:55

wondering if i'm being unreasonable in only looking at one...I very much doubt looking at the others would change my mind. (The other options would all mean taking dd away from her friends which we did already - with some difficulty - by moving 18 months ago; one of them is a church school and way too far away with no public transport; one of them is private when I'm a leftie at heart; one of them is too far away]. The school we've looked at is good, and is exactly the kind of school I've always said - in theory - that I'd want dds to go to - but part of me feels it's not quite right to make a decision without more research. I think I'm just a bit taken back by the enormity of my pfb growing up...

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SuzieHomemaker · 23/09/2010 22:02

We looked at two for DD1 but when it came to DS we just went along for the open day at the same school his sister was at.

I'm not sure that open days really tell you much about the school.

If there arent really other options then I would stick with just the one. Is there any point in going to look at the private school just to admire their sports facilities?

If you and your daughter are happy then stick with just the one.

TheProfiteroleThief · 23/09/2010 22:06

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

MumInBeds · 23/09/2010 22:10

We just looked at one, our catchment school.

cat64 · 23/09/2010 22:21

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

Bunbaker · 23/09/2010 22:28

I could have written your post hatwoman.
Our local high school is by far the best in our LEA. It is the nearest and easiest to get to. Like you I am a bit of a leftie to consider private education, besides we can't afford it and said school is in the next city and the bus doesn't get back into our village until 4.45.

All of DD's friends will be going to the local school, so it is a no brainer for us. I shan't put a second and third choice on the application form because the other state schools round here are just awful.

Original poster

hatwoman · 23/09/2010 22:49

dh is very laid back about it all...thinks it's mad to spend time looking at improbable options when, really, we have no idea how dd would do at any one of them, and when there are so many other things that will affect her well-being and education and, for want of a better word, prospects. I was half-expecting a bit of a flaming here though...that a good parent would gather every single possible bit of information to make the "best" decision...you lot so far though have reassured me...

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Original poster

hatwoman · 23/09/2010 22:50

oh and cat - we're 99.9 per cent certain to get in. would be very unusual not to.

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purplepurpleplum · 23/09/2010 23:22

I started looking in Yr 5 and have visited 33 schools in total. These things get much more complicated when you're looking at boarding and also have SEN to consider.

said · 23/09/2010 23:25

Only looked at 1 (nearest). Other possibility had Open Evening on same night

CecilyP · 24/09/2010 11:08

It sounds like you live in a rural area and don't really have a choice. I would look on it as a plus that you are happy with your one sensible option.

It is different if you live in an urban area with several schools within either walking distance or a short bus ride away and where the children from primary school will be dispersing to a number of secondaries anyway.

stillfeel18inside · 24/09/2010 11:15

I think there's always this feeling when your children are in year six of "are we doing enough?", especially when other people all seem to be busily scoping out lots of options. If you are happy with the school, and it's nearby (that is SUCH a big thing in secondary school - my DS just started and I'm thanking my lucky stars we didn't choose one further away - they get loads of homework and it would be so hard to fit it all in, plus clubs if we were further away) then fill out that form and sit back for quite a nice year, before the big change next year! (Yr 6 is fun, especially if your school decides to boycott SATS!)

Original poster

hatwoman · 24/09/2010 12:10

cecily - you're right. although we're new to the area (moved here for 2 years but looks like we're staying) and had thought about moving back to sw london...so part of me is still in London scramble mode.

the school in question got ranked 20th best comprehensive in the country by the Independent. so I really can;t complain.

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SuzieHomemaker · 24/09/2010 13:09

Hatwoman

Sounds like you are in a good position - our choice of one got ranked as totally useless by Ofsted!

In your position I would be very happy and stick with just the one! There really isnt a lot of purpose in looking at other non-options.

Original poster

hatwoman · 24/09/2010 13:35

it's hard though isn;t it. I kind of pride myself as being the opposite of a helicopter parent. and of being very pro state-school pro-comprehensive. very pro dds taking responsibility, confident that our home enovironment and the examples we set will be the most influential thing...all of which should mean I chill out. but suddenly my little girl is getting grown up...and it feels like the last big decision that I'll have much of a say in. and, more than anything else, I want her to be happy. [hat shuffles off thinking of the Slipping through my fingers scene in Mamma Mia and not welling up at all. honest]

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dexter73 · 24/09/2010 13:51

We only looked at one as there is only one in our town. Going anywhere else would mean a 45min bus ride to school. Luckily our school is very good and dd loves it there.

cory · 24/09/2010 14:30

We have to think and look and measure carefully as our catchment school is not suitable to ds' disability and council are likely to try to fob us off with some unsuitable school.

Last time they allocated dd to a school that did not have wheelchair access because the school we had mentioned was not on their list of Schools Suitable for the Disabled, so it was obvious disability could not be a real issue. When we queried why our preferred school was not on the list, it turned out they did not have adequate provision for the visually impaired. And therefore it logically follows that it could not be the right school for a child with joint trouble...

Original poster

hatwoman · 24/09/2010 14:37

what a pile of rubbish to have to deal with cory. what's completely ridiculous is that a school that doesn;t cater for visual disability isn;t on their list of suitable schools, while a school lacking wheelchiar access is? wtf? who on earth made up the rules that ended up with that. makes me so cross that people have to fight such stupidity.

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Creamlegbar · 24/09/2010 15:05

Haven't read whole thread but I did learn something the hard way in my area. Only put one preference, not two. That is the way to get into school no. 1 where I live.

mumblechum · 24/09/2010 15:08

Only one (grammar). Luckily ds got it as his first choice. The others I put down in order of league table rankings.

swanriver · 24/09/2010 15:10

Have looked at four, some twice, or dh went separately, so far. Helps a lot to even out impressions. Rowdiness, cramped classrooms, spotty teenagers - it helps to see these things in several different settings Every school so far I've been to has had something to recommend it, that is the problem! I think also size and location can be a shock at first, on second visit schools can feel more neighbourly or more user-friendly.

sonotboden · 24/09/2010 16:10

if you have one school that your DD wants to go to, you are happy with and you are guaranteed to get a place at, why would you put yourself through more than one open evening?

like muminbeds, i have only ever gone to the one for the catchment area school- we are also in beds. we are fortunate in that we are in catchment for good comprehensive education. I still know parents who drag around, say 4 middle schools before choosing the one down the road that all the local kids are going to.

Saracen · 24/09/2010 21:15

"Last time they allocated dd to a school that did not have wheelchair access because the school we had mentioned was not on their list of Schools Suitable for the Disabled, so it was obvious disability could not be a real issue. When we queried why our preferred school was not on the list, it turned out they did not have adequate provision for the visually impaired. And therefore it logically follows that it could not be the right school for a child with joint trouble..."

Oh man. Now I am REALLY hoping that my disabled four year old remains happy with home education and never wants to try school. I can't be dealing with idiots like that!! Where do you get the patience? Would have made a nice story for the local newspaper though.

(Sorry for going OT to the original post!)

pointydog · 24/09/2010 21:29

none

usualsuspect · 24/09/2010 21:31

one

kid · 24/09/2010 21:33

I visited 3 schools even though I had already decided which one I wanted to pick.
It could have been between 2, but the other one that I didn't pick has some severe behaviour issues so I took that off our list.

We had to put at least 3 choices on our application form, I put 5. I knew we definitely wouldn't get 4 of them so knew which school we would more than likely be offered, I was right

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