Secondary school standards - I am sick of friends asking me about it, and I really can't say

[roisin]

DS1 is in yr6 and I work at our local catchment secondary. IMO the statistics - CVA and 5GCSEs (or lack of them) speak for themselves, as does the latest Ofsted (satisfactory - but only just).

DS1 will not be going there - will probably go to the local independent school. (4 of the other 8 local schools are now in special measures!)

Friends keep asking me what our school is really like, and why I'm not sending ds1 there.

I feel there is very little I can tell them whilst a paid member of staff, and that it would be unprofessional of me to do so. But I find these situations very awkward.

How can I get people to stop asking?

Iused to get caught in a similar situation when I worked part time as a teacher and worked for two days in the commuity from which our pupils come. THe parents knew I taught at the school and therefore would ask me for my opinion on the school, I had a policy of listing the positive. My thinking being that they got the negative from elsewhere in bucketloads and someone needed to be giving the other view.

the world could use some more straightforward politicians twinset! And I think Ladymuck is onto the right idea.

I think that everyone can find something to complain about, even at the "best" schools, whichever they are. What is harder ime is to determine which aspects of school are of the highest priority to your family. And because we really only tend to have experience of one or two schools that we went to at each level, we can be rather bemused by the apparent differences.

We had two local secondary schools I was determined my daughter would not go to. One I maintained if the authority insisted she went there I would rather have chosen to homeschool her.

We also had a brand new academy - not one taking over from failing schools but brand new. The year she would have started the school would have only had years 7 and 8. It sounded perfect for her, and ideal for her special needs. None of the parents wanted their kids to go there as the school was not even finished. In the end she didn't get in and dd ended up in one of the two schools I didn't want her in.

I have now have no issues recommending this school, even though it has just come out of special measures. My daughter was always going to do well academically, however I seriously doubt any of the local schools, including the 'better' ones could have done so much to meet her special needs (aspergers)and she is developing into a wonderful young lady.

The school is not perfect and does have a lot of serious issues, but it has met my daughters needs head on in partnership with us. One school with an excellent reputation we actually walked out off on the open evening after hearing the way the deputy head spoke to parents!

Our only regret is the current school won't have a 6th form until a year after she leaves.

Say you are not sending ds there because you don't want to work in the same school he will attend. I am in this situation and it can be quite difficult.