Only secondary school is bad - what lengths to avoid?

[Curlewwoohoo]

What would you do if the only secondary school your child will definitely get into, sucks? I'm talking disruptive kids, unhappy teachers, ineffective management. Maybe my title was a poor choice as avoiding may not be an option and there might be other ideas to mitigate.

Put it last choice.
Put other ones you prefer higher up on the off-chance.

If other schools have criteria you could meet to get higher up then consider this. For example, would moving primary schools get you into a formally 'linked' primary school for a better secondary?

Do other schools have obscure or less obscure criteria such as 'aptitude' tests or church attendance criteria you could meet (depending on current year group).

Moving is expensive, disruptive and costs money, but could be an option.
Private tutoring as and when needed at secondary also costs money but could mitigate poor classrooms.

I’d sell my soul

In reality… I would move or temporality rent a dirt cheap studio flat close to my preferred school and then do whatever I had to do to get that address to be used eg… move in to the studio for the period necessary!

Do you think you really would, though, @Todayuneed ?

It would mean moving to a different town, away from friends and family, and taking younger sibling out of a great primary school.

If the secondary school child is moving school they will be making new friends and the same will happen if you want to younger child to go to the same school.

I honestly would

In fact I did it of sorts

and zero regrets

I would sit all selective exams within 30
miles

i would sit all schools with sport/ music spaces (admittedly we were prepped well in advance to do this)

finally, move. Even though our options are good 7 people in my DC year 6 have moved purely for school catchment

Is decent secondary really that far away?

how far is primary child from moving to secondary?

and even if it was a longer commute to the primary - I would do it. Short term pain for long term gain

Also look at any other schools that have spaces- a few good schools within 10 miles of here do, usually because they are religious in an area without many families. Scour the CC website to analyse past admissions data and talk to your primary school headteacher

Dependent on a county with a grammar school system

It’s obviously it’s dependant on being near selective state schools.

however I am not in a grammar school county and suspect most aren’t (which counties even are? apart from Kent, and I guess the north of Ireland) and my child was able to sit 3 selective state entrance exams.

check out 11+ forum for details of the ones that may be near you OP

@Itsmetheflamingo there is no such thing as a selective state school unless it is a grammar school.

It is that simple

It’s obviously it’s dependant on being near selective state schools.

Do not exist unless grammar

But you don’t need to be in a grammar school county, was my point. That’s why I am referring to them as state selectives

I'm trying to keep things hypothetical for this thread because I'm just interested to hear how far others would or wouldn't go to avoid a poor secondary. Rather than give all of our info and get advice on what we should do. I know the options available, and they are few, unfortunately.

It’s common for people to move house where we live.

I will give more info if it's annoys people.

This isn't correct. In my county there are lots of state schools that offer 10% of places based on selective criteria (often sport or music). They're not grammar schools as grammar schools offer 100% of places based on academic selection.

I would move. When we chose our house the top priority for me was to be close enough to the best secondary in our area to guarantee a place. We live on a busy road, and have a small garden, but my DCs are thriving at a school where the teachers are enthusiastic, the after school clubs are excellent (and free), and the students are friendly and hard working (mostly).

In places like Northumberland, there are towns with one secondary school, and the others are 30 miles away, or even in Scotland.
If that one school in town is not good, your choice is travelling. Do you drive? Some situations like this need a parent who can get there in case of emergency.
The surrounding schools will be used to this so speak to them.

I would move. Really. Lots of people move for schooling.

I’m in central London where there aren’t grammar schools, but there are state schools with weird selection rules that you might fit into (eg Grey Coats), and independents with very good bursary policies (I know about Dulwich, I’m sure there are others). So I’d be researching like mad for things like that, and making sure I fitted the criteria.

Where is a state that is selective in any way (aside from religious affiliation)? Just one

What county?

Hertfordshire

We moved. State of schools were simply too bad. No regrets.

my daughter is going here

https://damealiceowens.herts.sch.uk/download-page/?dlm-dp-dl=80993

she took 4 other selective tests at state schools. I could name hundreds, so no need to ask 🤣 have you reallly not heard of selective schools outside of grammar counties?