Secondary dilemma - unsure about local school, please reassure me I’m worrying about nothing.

[RedShoesGreenWellies]

I apologise in advance. This is a bit of an essay but I wanted to share all the thoughts and research so everyone had all the information available.

Our local school (school A) had a year 7 intake last year of 25 and there are only 137 in the school. This means the whole year group is in the same mixed ability class for all subjects, all the time. At GCSE the curriculum is English language, English literature, maths, triple science and two of Spanish, history, geography, art, hospitality and sport. But this is dependent on what everyone else chooses so there might only be 2 of these options running.
I am really unsure as to whether sending my DS1, and later on DD and DS2, to this school would be alright, I mean, it will be alright, but it’s so small and other further away schools offer so much more in terms of options at GCSE, extra curricular, setting for subjects based on ability etc.

There is another school (school B) we could possibly get to, it has a dedicated school bus (which we would have to pay for because out of catchment - and it’s very expensive) but it means no after school activities can be done because the bus would leave at the end of school. I also don’t like the school, the towns youths had an anti social behaviour order put on them as well as a curfew and more recently a teacher was sent to prison and put on the sex offenders register. I also don’t like how the school is so pretentious and went on and on about it’s outstanding ofsted report (from 2013). So not filling me with confidence.

Further afield we have a school (school C) which is 56mins away on the bus but would arrive at school at 0805 and the bus home would be 1730 so getting home at 1830. There would be 90minute dead time from when schools closed until the bus - probably not an option.

Another school (school D) would be 60 min on 2 busses. Would get to school at 0810. The school has breakfast and library open from 0800. However, to get home would be a train and a bus. The train wouldn’t be until 1730 so home around 1900. School has clubs until 1600 and library open until 1700 plus then it’s a 20 min walk to the train - potentially an option because could go to DH parents after school. DH parents have also offered to be bring DS1 home after school at 1700 so he would be home 1730ish. He would have the option of activities and library, just library, be with friends or go to grandparents. We would then make tea for and have tea with DH parent(s) because it’s a long way for them.

There’s a fourth school (school E) which is 48 min and 2 busses but may as well be at local school because they had intake of 17 and only 147 in school. Plus impossible to get home before 2100!

We have a 5th option of a state boarding school (school F) which grandparents (on both sides) have offered to help pay for. It would just be weekly boarding. I’m not too sure about this, more because of the financial strain on my parents. I don’t think it’s fair to them as they would be paying quarter of the fees. (DH parents another quarter and we pay half). Ok for DS1, but I have a DD and DS2 so fees are going to get into an area of we just can’t afford it. This is probably more something we would have to do if any of the kids wanted 6th form as the alternatives for 6th form are a school B or school D.

The 6th option is my parents, who live about 60 minute car journey away have offered for DS to go and live with them. I also don’t think this is fair on them, although their local school (school G) would be ideal, and would rather not do this, especially as DD and DS2 who are younger would then need the same opportunities as DS1 and it just wouldn’t be fair.

We have both considered whether we can reduce work hours and be a taxi service to school for the kids but this is going to be a 10 year commitment. I won’t be able to do it because I have to get DD and DS2 to school and pick them up. I’m already working less hours because of this. DH could do it but would add hours in the car to his day. We considered the schools in the town he works in as DS could be dropped off slightly early and then would just have to do homework or activities until he can be picked up at 1630. However, we have no chance of any of the schools because they are way too oversubscribed and we are 45 minutes away in the car.

To note, we have only looked at school A, B and D, won’t be looking at E, probably not at C either because of the 90min dead time.
Will look at F and G if either of these options would be something we can do.

I feel as if I am way over thinking this and getting myself stressed over nothing.

I'd move, pretty much all of those options sound dreadful.

I would go for the local school, at least for the first few years and get a feel for it. Logistically and in terms of reduced family stress this would be best. If the range of GCSEs still seems limited, there are ways round that. One of my DDs did one online, so that she would have what she wanted for A-level entry.

DD is Y3 and DS2 is YR so 7 and 4 (nearly 5).

Good idea, if we save the money we would spend on boarding in Y7-Y9, that would probably work for GCSEs. We probably would be able to manage it for all 3 of them then. Although, not sure how this work work if we are then needing to fund boarding for 6th form - I will do some calculations and see what the numbers are.

Unfortunately the nearest public library to school C shuts at 1600, which is the same time the school shuts, plus its a 30 minute walk away from the school. Ive had a look around to see if there are any cafes near by and there isn't. The closest shuts at 1500 and the next closest is near where the library is. I'm starting to think C is not a good option.

Yes, I would say the birth rate here is dropping as well, but we are also getting a lot of people move in from elsewhere such as from London, Birmingham, Manchester etc. Something to do with wanting rural living after all the Covid lockdowns.

I think the school is viable. It has always been small as far as I am aware. I know there are approx 4 others in the county with pupil numbers less than 200, another 4 or 5 with less than 400 and another 5 or 6 with between 400 and 500. I know one school only has about 80 kids between 11 and 16. The LA doesn't seem to be closing any schools.

We get 3 preferences. That's a good idea, we could try that. Our closest schools are not oversubscribed at all and movement between them should be relatively easy. Its only the schools near DH work which are oversubscribed because that is a town.

With school C the 90 minute dead time is from the end of any extra curricular activities the school offers and the bus. The school is physically shut at 1600 and then the bus is at 1730.
With school B, there is a dedicated school bus which leaves right after school. However, the activities can't be done because there is no public bus which will come our way until 1800, meaning home at 1900, this leaves another big dead time from the end of activities until the bus when the school is physically closed.
I would like DS to be able to do some activities if he wanted to because there is not much locally he can get involved in and it would be good for him to have other experiences.
It is a good point you make though - I will look closer at our priorities.

Wow where do you live that you have two such tiny schools nearby that haven’t been a) closed or b)merged?

I’d go for option A every time. Most of those commutes are way too long, and as he gets older you’ll be continually ferrying him back and forth to the school area to see his friends. Imagine how great the pastoral care and individual attention must be in a school that small.

As a teacher I love teaching mixed sets and there is lots of research about the benefits. (I don’t teach maths or science though, that have tiered exams - I know teachers of these disagree.) It’s not something to add to a list of negatives, in my opinion.

@PerfectMatch no unfortunately there is no day boarding, the state boarding school only does day which is 0845 to 1630 assuming doing extra curricular, or boarding.

@SheilaFentiman - Yes, very remote.

@Beamur School A, when I've looked into it, actually runs a surprising amount of activities. They are all cross year group but they are running 2 or 3 every day. They range from sports, to cooking, to chess and drama production to other things.

@lanthanum They run between 2 and 4 options depending on what the class chooses. Say it was 50/50 on spanish and art, they would run spanish and art as one block but if it was 24 wanted sport and 1 wanted geography, they would run sport. They are running 3 options for the current Y10 and 4 for the current Y11 but the year which has just left (would be Y12 now), they only ran 2 options.

Your choices aren't great at all. Did you not think about this 3/4 years ago and look to move?

If it was me, I'd put DC in local school for me with the plan to move within the next year or 2 to the area with better schools & move DC1 to the locak schoop there & be ready for other DC to joining secondary.

No, because 3/4 years ago DS1 was only 6. Secondary hadn’t even crossed my mind at that point.

I did think about it last year and thought it would be alright because everyone has just always moved to that school, relatively few go to B or state boarding. But now I’m having 2nd thoughts when I’ve looked into it more and learned more about secondary education.

I think I’d apply for the local small
school and move house (being careful to choose somewhere with likelihood of slam space) when eldest in year 9 at the latest

Gosh, I'm not sure we'd be happy with any of those! The first school might be ok if you think your son would like those subjects at GCSE, but the choice is extremely limiting and with the school being so tiny I would worry about the lack of resources and opportunities for subject specific trips etc.

But all the other schools sound like a total hassle to get to, and would depend a lot on how organised and willing your son is in the morning to get up early.

With school B, do you know what their extracurricular offer looks like? Do they only do after school clubs, or is a lot of it at lunchtime (knowing they have kids who have to be on buses)? And presumably the bus would be with kids from the same area?

What does A’s offer look like in comparison? Numbers that low must limit things like sports teams and music groups.

Also, when do schools A and B start teaching GCSEs? If they’re both Y10 (and both undersubscribed schools), you could consider a change during Y9 to benefit from better GCSE options - although they could of course change approach.

Actually, do you know what A’s numbers are like at GCSE? Do other people do the same and drop off, further restricting the choices?

Some very great questions @EduCated

Actually, do you know what A’s numbers are like at GCSE? Do other people do the same and drop off, further restricting the choices?

This is a very good point. I hadn’t considered this. I shall investigate.

[With GCSEs] the choice is extremely limiting and with the school being so tiny I would worry about the lack of resources and opportunities for subject specific trips etc

This! This is my biggest concern. I do like many aspects of school A, but that just sums up exactly what I’m really unsure about.

I would be really worried about the GCSE options at A. Especially since if your children haven't had the benefit of a broad curriculum before picking options, they won't necessarily even know what they would like or be good at if you think about moving for GCSE.

School D is sounding good to me. FWIW, DD has been doing an hour's commute (tube and bus) since 11 and got used to it really fast. Plus he has relatives nearby in case of a problem (strikes or something?).

They are running 3 options for the current Y10 and 4 for the current Y11 but the year which has just left (would be Y12 now), they only ran 2 options.

This would really be a concern. What were the two options they ran for that year? Is there some promise that they will run at least one of geography, Spanish and history to give some element of academic rigour?

GCSEs that consist of maths, two English, triple science, art and PE, while not disastrous if that's what a student enjoyed and would do well at, are hardly setting up an academic, less creative child for A levels they might prefer. I am all in favour, let me add, of creative subjects being given time on the curriculum - and DD took drama while DS2 took PE - but this seems like a recipe for disaster. Even if they split it, having to take PE would have been a mare for DD, and having to take art a challenge for all my DC.

That's a good point about extra-curricular in school B - is that the sum of your objection? I bet if they have a lot of kids bussed in and out they do activities at lunchtime. A local school to me which serves a wide area has a long lunch break (and thus a later finish at about 4pm) for just this reason.

I really didn’t like B. I didn’t like the atmosphere, the heads speech, the pretentiousness of how amazing they were and how they are the best, behaviour there isn’t the best, and no clubs at dinner only after school. However, I think the education is better compared to school A as they get much better results than our local school.

I’ve been speaking to a lot of parents today. School B is the default school to go to if you don’t want A but no one has anything good to say about it other than the education options are better so they put up with the negatives and try to counteract at home. I spoke with one parent who took their eldest out of the school and put them into school A. I just don’t think the school is right and I can’t see DS1 being very happy there.

Overall, I think my real preference is school D. I can’t really put my finger on it, but I really liked it there. All the children were happy, they have a good range of subjects, the teachers were positive and enthusiastic, yes the head highlighted all the good points but also mentioned where the school needed to improve. I like how they have accommodated the children who have long journeys with opening for breakfast and having the library open until 5pm. I mentioned to another parent today that I had looked at this school and they pointed me in the direction of another parent who has an child in Y8 there so we had a good chat about it. This child really likes it. They have a long journey and it’s a long day but they have all their homework and everything done before they get home so it’s just family time at home. I did learn the journey home train and bus would get back to out village at 1830 rather than the 1900 I originally thought it would be from looking at timetables (apparently the bus stops a 30 second walk from the train where I had originally factored in a short walk which meant missing a bus and getting later one, the earlier bus is actually better as it goes through our village rather than stopping on the road end) so that makes me happier. The travel still bothers me because, especially in winter, public transport is regularly cancelled later in the day. The parent says they make the drive to the school if they have to and thinks it’s 100% worth it. D is about 30-40 minutes in the car so I suppose we could do the same or pair up and share when public transport fails us. Plus having the family support near that school is making me more confident about it.

I feel like I really want to put D then A then B. I am really torn. D has big transport issues, A has big limitations on curriculum and options. This is so hard!

I think school D sounds really good. If there were an issue with transport, could your husband's parents have DS to stay overnight occasionally? Maybe he could leave a bag of basics there just in case - pants, socks, toothbrush etc. Plus 30-40 minutes drive isn't unbearable if you did have to.

Regarding just the GCSEs that is fine - all the core necessary ones and some options depending on interests. All the 'missing' subjects can be taken up at college, sixth form or university level without a specific GCSE in them. Many subjects are treated very superficially at GCSE and aren't really worth doing even if you want to do them later on.

Plenty of subjects can be taken up at A level without a GCSE, true, but I would dispute that blithe"all".

If he doesn't do MFL at GCSE there is really no practical way to do it in school at A level. Same for geography, also drama, DT, music (unless you played outside school to a good level and had also done theory), art I strongly suspect (not my area tbh), computer science.

Speaking as an MFL specialist, I would say that GCSE MFL may be "superficial" - by it's very nature it is not in depth, studied as one of 9/10 subjects - but it forms a crucial grounding for the A level. It is certainly worth taking - for itself and as a path towards further study.

@RedShoesGreenWellies be aware that if you put D A B, you will certainly get A over B as it is evidently a lot nearer. That's obviously fine if you would prefer A of course.

How likely are you to be given a place at D btw? I must say that is a very long day - 7.10am to 6.30pm out of the house. What does your DS think?

aaaargh by its very nature apologies for the aberrant and abhorrent apostrophe there

D is a very long day out of the house, it's true, but there is the option to spend time at his grandparents, and if he can get homework done there or in the library if not doing activities, then once he gets home he can relax a bit.