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Secondary education

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

Original poster

How early can you take a look around a potential secondary school?

32 replies

CarlaTheGnome · 01/07/2023 07:41

We're hoping to move house next year and we don't want to have to move again. This is hopefully going to be our 'forever' home. So DS who has only just started primary will be going to secondary school in the area we're about to move to. We have quite a wide area in mind covering several catchment areas. Would I be completely mad to view a few of the secondary schools now before we make a decision on our final location? Would they even let me view when DS isn't due to start secondary for another 5-6 years?! I realise a lot can change within a school during that time, but I feel like school is such a big consideration in this moving plan that I need to do what research I can.

OP posts:
Patchworksack · 01/07/2023 07:44

They don’t normally let you ‘view’ except at the open days in September/October. We did a few in Y5 as you don’t have much time to make a decision in Y6. I guess you can go and leave the 5yr old behind, nobody would know. I’d just ask for feedback on local Facebook groups.

fiftyandfat · 01/07/2023 07:47

Anyone can go to an open day/ evening. We did several in year 5, then reviewed in year 6.

pizzaHeart · 01/07/2023 07:47

I don’t think secondary do 1:1 visits as such. If you are thinking of moving next year just go to open evenings this autumn to all schools in the area plus research extra information online. It’s true that a lot can change on 5 years but the tendency of being a good school will stay, I’m not using “good” as Ofsted term just in common sense good.

Sirzy · 01/07/2023 07:48

An awful lot can change in 7 years! When Ds was in reception we had one great school and one very poor school in the town.

change of leadership and things have done a complete 360 with the “poor” school now being over subscribed with a fantastic nurturing atmosphere. The other school sadly is struggling massively and is at risk of being forced into becoming an academy.

TheCheeseTray · 01/07/2023 07:58

I would ask locally other parents and teachers but no don’t visit yet 7 years is a long time in teaching - heads come and go.

I managed to get my daughter a place in an outstanding primary aged 4 although we were out of catchment due to a combination of factors. She thrives. A year before she left a new headteacher took over and within 6 months the cracks were there. My son started in reception due to sibling policy within another year the school was dire all the extra curricula stuff that had made it outstanding gone - totally gone. The new headteacher was solely focussed on academic achievement, the school had been one of the top ten primaries in the U.K. under the previous head - those of us with older kids hung in to get them finished the younger ones we had - we pulled them out. Today 6 years later, the school is full of vacancies, whereas there used to be 10 applicants for each space - the school is no longer full. The school has just been inspected - it’s not good. So my advice is to wait.

Figgygal · 01/07/2023 08:00

You'd be absolutely nutty op to do this
You can go open evenings in September or October but to do so this far in advance would be a waste of everyone's time

Spendonsend · 01/07/2023 08:02

Im sure you could go to the open evenings.

Although id agree schools change a huge amount in 7 years.

Also your child will. Im not sure id have spotted the right things when my son started primary.

Treacletoots · 01/07/2023 08:06

Don't be that parent OP. The over obsessed narcisstic parents round our way do this, sending their little darlings to the outstanding schools outside of their own area.

Backfired spectacularly this year when 5 of the local schools got downgraded. Including one of the very famous formerly outstanding grammar schools.

A lot can change in a year, nevermind 7. You can't control what a school will be like in a year or two let alone this long. Buy the house if you like it. Deal with the school closer to the time. Also remember that your child will also likely choose their own secondary based on where their friends are going, regardless of what you want.

Peony654 · 01/07/2023 08:07

You could go to open evening but they won’t do personal visits, imagine the time it would take if they did that for everyone. I’d look at ofsted and ask locally for experience but it will be a bit of a gamble with the many years gap until she goes

Peony654 · 01/07/2023 08:08

Also remember that your child will also likely choose their own secondary based on where their friends are going, regardless of what you want.

this is so important

starpatch · 01/07/2023 08:09

Yes definitely arrange to go to the open evenings, even if you have to fib about your child's age.

NoSquirrels · 01/07/2023 08:12

Choose based on the new primary schools you visit, and ask them where most of their pupils go to secondary.

I honestly wouldn’t bother viewing before Y5, when we did open evenings. You have no idea what their skills and talents and interests and needs will be in 5 years’ time, how much nurturing vs how you academic excellence etc etc. And the catchments are so much bigger at secondary that you usually have a few good options anyway.

TeenDivided · 01/07/2023 08:14

Go to open days/evenings. Some schools run them in July rather that Sept/Oct so watch out.

Personally I think you're (kindly) nuts. You'll have no idea so early what you are looking for in a secondary school because your child will develop in the next few years, and schools can change massively in 6 years as well.

Just find an area close to a few schools classified as Good (preferably recently). That's probably the best you can do right now.

5childrenand · 01/07/2023 08:16

It’s just too far in advance. Round here they made a massive change to catchment areas the year before we applied for ds which totally changed the schools he could get into from our house anyway.

2chocolateoranges · 01/07/2023 08:18

Far too early to view a school , schools can change so much in 6 or 7 years.

usernother · 01/07/2023 08:40

Yes, that would be completely mad. Any school could completely change before you child is due to start it.

BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz · 01/07/2023 08:43

Peony654 · 01/07/2023 08:08

Also remember that your child will also likely choose their own secondary based on where their friends are going, regardless of what you want.

this is so important

They might want to choose but it's not a decision for the child to have 100% say over

TeenDivided · 01/07/2023 09:00

BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz · 01/07/2023 08:43

They might want to choose but it's not a decision for the child to have 100% say over

Show quote history

I agree, most 10yo aren't mature enough to take an all round vision.

Listen to their opinion and include it in weighing up the options, but don't just give them a free decision, particularly if they'll just base it on where friends are going.

NaughtPoppy · 01/07/2023 09:04

Pointless to visit before year 5.

My kid is about to go into year 9 and there have been 4 different headteachers since we visited in year 5.

greysockmissing · 01/07/2023 09:19

I viewed a couple in Y4. However my views on what schools would work best for my child changed dramatically between YR and Y4. My top choice in YR was not my choice when it came to it.
It might be worth viewing to avoid a really awful school but I think viewing too early is probably a bit of a waste of time.

NotSoFastMyDear · 01/07/2023 11:56

Treacletoots · 01/07/2023 08:06

Don't be that parent OP. The over obsessed narcisstic parents round our way do this, sending their little darlings to the outstanding schools outside of their own area.

Backfired spectacularly this year when 5 of the local schools got downgraded. Including one of the very famous formerly outstanding grammar schools.

A lot can change in a year, nevermind 7. You can't control what a school will be like in a year or two let alone this long. Buy the house if you like it. Deal with the school closer to the time. Also remember that your child will also likely choose their own secondary based on where their friends are going, regardless of what you want.

@Treacletoots

>Including one of the very famous formerly outstanding grammar schools.

two that I know. Tiffin Boys and Sutton Grammar

NotSoFastMyDear · 01/07/2023 12:01

@CarlaTheGnome

A lot can change within 4 years. Only here where I live the Oustanding were downgraded and as heads of school change the local Inadequate became Outstanding. Seriously. The same for GCSE results. Also you don't know what talents will your kid develop. My kid in Y3 was an avid Chess player. Now at the end of Y5 he completely lost the interest in Chess and got into programming...etc ...

NotSoFastMyDear · 01/07/2023 12:04

Peony654 · 01/07/2023 08:08

Also remember that your child will also likely choose their own secondary based on where their friends are going, regardless of what you want.

this is so important

We actually and himself would like to stay away from most of his class. I don't think that friendship is always the best criterion to use. My son's friend is very sporty. My son is more academic than sporty. They are planning to attend two different schools

faletr · 01/07/2023 13:02

We've been going to open days of local secondaries since my dd was in nursery. Obviously we'll revisit over the years and not base an application on a single visit 8 years ago! If you have the time, why not go and see? As others have said, open days are open to anyone. I've even visited some boys' schools out of curiosity, despite having all dds 😂

BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz · 01/07/2023 14:07

When I started viewing schools it felt a bit like looking for a house- walking around and listening to music gut, seeing if I could "see" dc there, see them actually learning. And because my child was 10 at the time, it was easier to imagine as they were so close to the age they would be when attending.

There are some things you may not even consider, if you look too early - bus routes (but they are only 4 I'll drive them), sports clubs (they like gymnastics now but might not in 5 years), trips (eg they may develop a passion for history as they go into y4,5,6, but the school focuses on sport trips rather than history etc).

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