Anyone still unsure about their order of preference for High School Applications?

[swanriver]

I have a choice of four Outstanding schools. So far so good.
So why can't I decide which one to put first?

Do I choose the more academic strict school further away or the rougher but still quite academic local school. Will my child be happier in a slightly more mixed ability local school (which has excellent results) or in a school which has lots of homework and detentions, BUT seemingly excellent teaching, and excellent facilities. But no local sportsfield...

Anyone else still agonising?

Not sure you are going to get a lot of sympathy on here with your dilemma, but - have you visited the schools/ asked your dc which s/he feels most comfortable with? We have a choice of two but ds was clearly very much more at home at one than the other . . . reminded me of when we were picking a nursery, not so very long ago, it seems . . . .

Um is your child sporty or academic??

Has you child visited? What are their preferences?

He likes them all. He's not un-academic, but not a swot, not very sporty, but could do with the exercise, very messy and easy going. Just don't know whether to push him academically ifysim or let him find his own way in a slightly more open environment.

Hard to advise, but at least you can rejoice in having a choice and a nice problem to be dealing with.

It partly boils down to your son's personality and your relationship with your son. Many boys, IME as a former secondary teacher, do respond to encouragement/ pushing, whereas many girls can manage to strive for excellence on their own. Do you need the school to be pushing him for you or are you happy taking that role at home and letting him enjoy the benefits of a more mixed ability local school? Is he strong enough to be himself, with support from you, and to achieve what he can, or is he likely to conform to the average and underachieve?

HTH