How do we choose between poor local secondaries and superb ones an hour away for DS (currently year 5)?

[AThousandApples]

We have a DS (year 5) with whom we're looking at secondary schools ready for applying for a place in the autumn. We're starting looking now because we don't have terribly good options, so we have quite a bit of weighing up to do.

All the secondary schools within a few miles of us are below average (in terms of GCSE performance). The best (and nearest) one is considered in need of improvement by Ofsted. The up-shot of this school is that it's nearby, and DS could get there easily and increasingly independently, as well as back home while I'm at work. If he stayed to do an after-school club, it would be relatively straightforward for him to get home while I'm at work (a grandparent could pick him up for example), or for me to fetch him afterwards. And with the short journey time, he'd have a life! Enough time to sleep, wind down, etc.

The problem is, Ofsted considers that this school is letting down brighter pupils; it isn't teaching to their needs, and they risk not fulfilling their potential. DS is fairly switched-on. He's already working at Level 6 in a couple of core subjects, and will be sitting Level 6 SATs papers in 2015. I've never been pushy with him - just taught him to do his best and give everything 100%, and that's good enough for me. But I do want him to achieve what he's capable of in his schooling, and my concern is that at one of our local secondaries, he won't be stretched and will lose interest and motivation, and possibly lower his ideas of what 'doing well' looks like.

There are some massively-better-performing secondaries in a city about an hour away, and increasingly, kids from our community seem to be applying for places in these schools - and more often than not, getting them (most of DS's closest friends are likely to go to these). The schools are more academic and achieve much better GCSE results, and also seem to be strong with pastoral care too. Academically, they seem a better fit for DS. But he'd need to spend a few hours a day on a bus (unsupervised). He'd need to be catching said bus earlier than we currently get out of bed!

And logistically with work, it would be a nightmare if he did an after-school club and therefore missed the bus home; he'd have to hang around for over an hour before I could fetch him. He'd make friends further afield, so there'd be a lot of us driving him to see mates. And I just worry that he'd be knackered from the travel and early starts, and mightily grumpy from the lack of time for himself (he's very autonomous and absolutely thrives on having plenty of time to do his own thing).

Obviously we'll be visiting these schools throughout the year to weigh up our options, and of course we may not get our preferred choice anyway; but since at this stage we do have a choice, I'd be interested to hear what others might decide (or even have decided) in the same situation. What other things should we be considering? How have things worked out for your DC in a similar scenario?

Grades really aren't the be all and end all, I realise that. Most of all, I want DS to be content and to feel like he actually has a life still beyond the increasing busyness and demands of the school day. But I do want him to fulfill his personal academic potential, for his own self-confidence and his future.

WWYD?

Many thanks for any advice.

Thank you all so much for your posts. So many useful perspectives and considerations for us to think about.

I think moving will be out of the question for us - we are settled here and it's close to work, family, etc. And we love home.

But DS's dad and I are going to start talking with DS about options this weekend (his dad will read the thread through too) and we'll all definitely get visiting and getting to know our options this coming summer term, so we can make an informed decision in good time.

Thank you all again for your insights - really helpful.

If you don't / can't move, I would go local, be on the lookout for the school improving in relation to high ability students (most schools seem to rise to the challenge to chase a higher ofsted rating next time), be prepared to keep at the school, and be prepared to encourage your DS to read around the subjects, take him to extra curricular events (it doesn't have to be tutoring - look out for events at the Science Museum, Historical Re-enactments at NT places, summer drama projects, anything that supports and extends his school learning).

He will be a differnt child in terms of his independence and maturity by secondary and getting to and from school will be with his friends - you really don't want to be arranging a grandparents pick up from an after-school club!

Hmmm tricky.

Have you actually travelled the journey at the time you would have to take him in? Using the bus/ train or what ever he'd use?see what it's like, the real timings and if there are other kids from the same school on the route.

If it really is 1hr max from leaving home to getting through the door then maybe that's ok for him. We are in a big city. My kids travel by public transport ( bus if lazy and early bus and train if up for a bit of a walk, it's faster). Dd leaves at 7.30 mostly. DS at 8 am , both are there for registration at 8.50 (2 schools, same site lol).

Kids often go to schools other than the one nearest. Even if not selective. I start work at 8am and at 7.45 I pass a clutch of kids on the way to the catholic school, so they also have a journey of a hour.

However.... Unless you work near DS school if you've driven an hour there you have an hour back...

Following.... Our dc are younger but we have similar things to consider. An hour to a selective grammar (although we could probably get some group transport to cut the travel time) versus local comp 10mins walk. The comp does seem to get good results for its intake but at about 50% 5a-c's a lot of the intake have low aspiration (we live in a mixed outer london borough which is one of the most deprived in england so there are local crime/gang problems) amongst those from more educated (but not affluent) families. We know local families who have done both and been happy. It is more difficult to find people who will give a realistic view with pros and cons. Eg our neighbours (who have gone local for philosophical reasons) will only say "x is a very good school". But because their reasoning is different to mine i struggle to work out if i would also find it good! (i went to a comp 45 mins from home and it wasnt great. I had a rough time for 4 years until i got into classes with kids keen to learn and the neighbours went to private schools so maybe have an idealised idea of what a mixed intake is like......). Then there is the commute - a single ride with short transfers (45-60mins) could be ok but multiple changes not so. Also the areas being walked/travelled through. I will try the commute myself to see if i like it and if not that will be a big influence on our choices. Temperament of the child is important too. A social child might get on ok anywhere but for those who struggle they will tend to struggle more with a more mixed group imo - if you have natural ablity being thrown in at the deep end is probably ok but if you don't a peer group with more in common (whether that is location/ability/background whatever is relevant) might be better. All tricky stuff. Good luck and let me know how you get on.....

My dd2 has a journey of about an hour, door to door, and dd3 is joining her there in September. It's a 15/20 walk, or short bus journey, then a longer bus journey (but only a few miles), then a 5/10 min walk at the other end. It's fine. The buses are very reliable and regular.

It depends very much on what his actual journey would be like?

"It depends very much on what his actual journey would be like?"

And, I can't stress this enough, how late is possible to make it, and what about weekends? And is the 15/20 minute walk one you would be happy with your child doing at 7.00 at night? And where might their friends be living?

If you are looking at a school with what look on the surface like less than stellar GCSEs you need to dig a bit deeper. How do lower, middle and high attainers do? Do high attainers make at least expected progress in all subjects? How do they set/stream and when do they start doing it? What sort of extra curricular activities does the school have and how well attended are they? What GCSEs do they offer- and what ones do they actually do? (Some schools offer a wide range but can't actually do them if they don't get a big enough take up).