How to choose a secondary school in 12 hours?

[Ooopsies]

We have lived abroad in a foreign country for several years. 5 days ago we landed back ‘home’ in the UK. Enrolled the DC in the closest school this afternoon after a lot of ringing around. DS has gone into Y6 and I was informed by the school I need to complete a secondary school application form by tomorrow. School have provided the information booklets and the form but I have no clue how to choose a school so quickly. The primary I can cope with, DS won’t be moving but I am going to be looking around and getting DD on some waiting lists for other schools (assuming I want to move her after I’ve thoroughly checked this one out as well as the others).

Before anyone says anything, I miscalculated and we though DS would be in Y5.

What am I after?

• How to assess a school without looking at a school?
• What are the most important things to look at?
• What areas of a website should I focus attention on?
• What should I look out for that signals a good school?
• What should I look out for that would be a big no?
• Anything else?

Im also going to thank in advance as I am very stressed right now. I will definitely be taking any and all advice on board and acting upon it immediately. I will try my best to provide details if they are asked for.

@Ooopsies Im local to Whitehaven. You’ve had a lot of good advice about logistics and what to look for. I’ll focus on a brief summary of curriculum strengths

Keswick =
Very good for Sciences and Languages
Well rounded school.
The more academic school.
GCSE: Most do triple science and EBacc
Lots of extra curricular including science, extra languages and lots of sports.
Even mix of low/middle/high attainers.
SEN support, and general support and pastoral care for everyone is amazing.

Whitehaven =
Very good for Technologies and Arts
Becoming a well rounded school.
GCSE: Beyond the core there are 3 free choices from academic and vocational subjects.
Developing a good range of extra curricular which includes sports and arts.
Slightly more low/middle attainers, although this is historical and is changing.
SEN support and pastoral care are good and improving.

Cockermouth =
Generally ok with everything, nothing stands out as it’s specialist area to me.
Academic school.
GCSE: They have pathways so it will depend on your child’s ability band.
Decent range of extra curricular
Skewed towards high attainers due to historical factors on the west.
SEN support good. Not so convinced of pastoral care for others from what I’ve heard but I have no first hand experience.

St Bendicts =
I know very little having never considered it although I hear it’s an ok school.

Workington =
I won’t touch it because of my own biases but it is a good school now. I don’t think you would get in from Whitehaven these days.

I have kids in Keswick who are doing well. They commute from the west each day. (Take into consideration the money required for the bus!). I considered cockermouth (again, bus money!) I am considering Whitehaven for my youngest (current Y5) although I am biased towards Keswick. I have family in Whitehaven and they are enjoying the school.

I would get on the phone ASAP this morning and ring the schools to see if you can visit. Explain the situation. Any which allow you to look at such short notice are more likely to accommodate your needs over the years and work with you (or they’re desperate for applicants). Try and take your DS with you if you can and look at his reactions and ask his opinions.

I would also be out having a look at the uniforms and behaviour this morning and later on today. Go knocking on neighbours doors for the gossip if you have to.

It’s really short notice, but there is still time. - Good luck 🤞

It’s great you got some local replies. I wouldn’t worry re visiting schools as it’s v late notice and schools are busy; a well-organised popular school might be most inclined to say no. I also think there’s a limit to what you can see by looking at a school; schools are communities not just buildings. Hope your DC settle well into school wherever they go.

I’ve had a busy morning.

I spent from 7:30-8:30 curtain twitching and eventually went for a walk to look at what the kids were wearing and their behaviour (that sounds really creepy, I promise you, it wasn’t).
There seems to be a lot of green, grey and navy uniforms so that’s suggesting to me that cockermouth, keswick and Whitehaven are the popular ones.

I annoyed/harassed every parent I saw when I dropped the DC at school and that was really valuable. Got some really good options and facts out of people which is helping contribute to the decision.

I rang all the schools, I didn’t bother with Workington after speaking to parents.

I didn’t get past the receptionist at St Benedict’s. I’m not going to bother with it because the receptionist informed me they took their last place from a non catholic at a feeder school so we have no chance. That also leaves us with a short list of 3 - yey!

Left a message with cockermouth and still waiting for a response.

I spoke with the receptionist at Keswick and she got someone to ring me back. They have offered for myself and DS to go for a visit at 2pm to meet with the head and have a look around. As it’s been offered I’m taking them up on the offer.

Whitehaven also rang me back, apologies it was short notice (this was about 9:30) and said we could go for a visit at 10am as the head would be available if we are still interested. We have just returned. I was impressed. I like the head and they were using all the fancy facilities they have just had built. Certainly seems like a community school which cares and wants to do the best. It was quite a nice, calm environment. We even witnessed lesson change over and it wasn’t chaos. The head was open about their past school issues and the improvement plans in place as well as whose responsibility each if the items was. I asked a lot of other questions as well and happy with the responses.

I wasn’t expecting to be offered visits, I would have been happy with a phone call with an appropriate person, but I feel like you can’t turn down a visit if it’s offered. I also feel very underprepared but, never mind.

I feel sorry for DS as he’s only been in this school for less than 2 days and I’ve already taken him out for school visits. The primary were quite accommodating, even with my flustered phone call to ask whether I could take him out less than an hour after he had got there. I have also found out we are in a feeder for Whitehaven as well as being in catchment so quite far up their admissions list.

Wow that’s great you got visits! I guess I just meant don’t worry if you can’t get them. Glad you got to speak to other parents too. Are you collapsed on the floor yet, you sound as if you’ve achieved an amazing amount in the time available !

Very impressed by all you have done! Well done.

You are putting my day to shame, you have been so productive. This is actually amazing. Is there a word record holder yet for fastest school searcher? 😂

I’m glad you got visits. That’s really good. I didn’t think you would this late but well done you.

I wouldn’t be too impressed by a school that hadn’t got back in touch with me. I understand they are busy, they have their own school stuff to deal with in the mornings and they might not be able to accommodate a visit, however, I would have expected at least a phone call at some point in the day.

I am also hoping for an update to your saga as I am genuinely interested in what you decide.

Haha, this one’s for you @Hurryupfriday.

We visited Keswick this afternoon. Overall, impressed by the school and the head. Such a good learning atmosphere. Kids seemed to be really engaged in the classes. I loved the language and the science labs - they really are big on this aren’t they! Also, school nurse on site? I thought that had gone with the dark ages? I can understand now everything I have been told by parents this morning. It really is good. There is a lot more going on there than Whitehaven, especially for, as you say, sciences and languages. Long way but I’ve dug out some bus time tables and it’s not as bad for travel as I expected.

We now need to decide what to put on the form. Like you, I am not impressed that Cockermouth haven’t got back in touch. I’ve decided they are going last and we can decide between Whitehaven and Keswick purely on the basis that we have physically seen and interacted with the schools so I feel more positive about them. We are going to have a brain break for a hour or so and then do some thinking. DH and I have a lot to discuss and will try and get DS opinion. Although I think he’s a little overwhelmed by the whole thing.

Not quite collapsed on the floor, but not far off 😂. I’m looking forward to getting rid of the form. I feel like I have done a years worth of work in 24 hours! Hopefully it will have all be worth it. On the plus side, at least it’s all done and out the way, I’m a wreak now, can’t imagine how I would have been if I had had months to think about this. Probably a good thing this has happened

They’ve had a school nurse for as long as I can remember. It is a fantastic addition to the school. Pastoral care there is really good. I think it’s a great school.

I would say, as a final point to help your decision making, choose the school that fits your DS. It can be easy to be swayed by what you see, try and be objective. What’s going to work for your DS? What is he going to enjoy? How will be feel about travelling? Will he be comfortable in the school? What are the priorities for his education? Think about the good and the bad from throughout the day. Pull a list together of everything you have researched about the 2 schools. Get your ideas straight in your head about what’s important and match them against the 2 schools. As daft as it sounds, this is the game hard a bit. Still a few hours to go, you can do this!

ITS DONE!

In the last 24 hours I have stressed, worried, looked demented in public, harassed other parents, felt like a creep staring at teenagers in the street, undertaken what feels like a years worth of research, been to 2 schools in one day, confused the who knows what out of my DS and his new primary school and deliberated and discussed all the details for the past 2 hours with DS and DH. But we have done it! Form is completed and submitted. We have the confirmation email and back up screenshots so it’s definitely submitted.

For the interested locals out there who have followed this we have gone for Keswick. Seems the best fit for DS. Whitehaven is 2nd. Cockermouth 3rd.

Thank you everyone who has advised, supported and told me I can do this. I couldn’t have done it without you all. 💐

And now ….. I sleep 😴 😂

Great stuff @Ooopsies well done! That is a year's worth of work in a day! Sounds like you have made a great decision

Phew!!

And well done!

Amazing achievement @Ooopsies. Well done! Be proud of yourself! Hope you enjoyed that well earned sleep.

(and thank you for the update - it helps me for next year)