What do you look for in a school?

poet123

I think gut feeling is a good indicator of whether a school is right for your child too. All the things you mention are important, but I would not be bothered about the pool, or the extracurricular activities too much, as you can always buy those services elsewhere.

Lkie your husband, evidencing manners and having the school re inforce that with their rules is important to me. My son's (state) school has the rule that all pupils stand for the Head.

Treacly

Gingham_Ribbon wrote: »

there was a parent helping out in the library and one doing some other work with the children

I think this touches on an important point...ask not what your child's school can do for you, but what you can do for your child's school!

Gingham_Ribbon

Treacly wrote: »

I think this touches on an important point...ask not what your child's school can do for you, but what you can do for your child's school!

Exactly. I'm pleased to say that our son's school welcomes help and support from family. So much so that, when I jotted down some ideas on how to improve something, I was called in to discuss it with a senior member of staff and it was implimented. :T

I can't tell you how nervous I was about handing over that piece of paper! There's a fine line between interfering and helping and I'm glad it was seen as the latter!

mountainofdebt

The other question to ask yourself is if you went down the private route would it be financially viable to do the same if a sibling came along (or was due to go to school)

thb I think the post important quality you've mentioned is that your child be happy at that school - its all very well being able having x, y and z facilities but if they are unhappy would it be worth it ?

As an example of what I mean my son wanted to go to the goodness-knows-how-old girls school for sixth form whereas I tought it would be better if he stayed at the school he was at which had all the bells and whistles you could ask for. However Oh felt son was old enough to make his own choice (even though he agreed with me) but it turns out we were both wrong and it seems to have been the right choice.

daska

It's interesting what characteristics are more important to different people. Personally, while I like good manners, the excessively good manners at my school attracted parents who failed to look further and see the abuse that resulted from the teachers 'religious' beliefs. Unfortunately, having direct experience of several school with 'dodgy' (and damaging) ethos' I try to look further than the good manners, for sparks of independence and mischief rather than prescribed thought and fear and maybe I veer too far in the opposite direction LOL.

daska

nickyhutch wrote: »

A child needs a meal at lunchtime - it doesn't make any difference, nutritionally, whether it's hot or cold.

Important for me, when choosing for my son (although there wasn't really a choice - the school two minutes walk away in our village was great), was the fact that all the children he'd grown up alongside at baby club, toddler group, playgroup and nursery would also be attending.

I did 7 years of cold lunches with the same menu every day. IMHO it was quite a problem because the food was so boring that the kids skipped lunch and filled up on whatever they could get hold of. So, instead of a nutritionally adequate but boring lunch we ate lots of crisps and sweets.

poet123

daska wrote: »

It's interesting what characteristics are more important to different people. Personally, while I like good manners, the excessively good manners at my school attracted parents who failed to look further and see the abuse that resulted from the teachers 'religious' beliefs. Unfortunately, having direct experience of several school with 'dodgy' (and damaging) ethos' I try to look further than the good manners, for sparks of independence and mischief rather than prescribed thought and fear.

None of the schools I attended, nor any of the schools my four sons attended, sacrificed the latter for the former. Nor was it achieved through either fear or prescribed thought.

libbyc3

my dd went to a state primary, whos previous ofsted was level 4, (although had had a change of head before she started) as private was not an option for us and we moved to the area and surprisingly this was the only school with space. with not a days extra tutoring she passed the 11 plus and now attends the local grammar.
85% of the girls she is with were privately educated in primary - ie tutored for the 11 plus since they were 5. there were several drop out in the 1st2 years as they just could not take the pressure of independent learning and other girls cant wait to leave.
My point is, in the long term a good primary will prepare your child for the grammar entry test as well as giving them balance rather than 'hot housing'. They really do need the natural ability for grammar school, not just be able to pass the 11 plus.
I am also aware of a couple of the girls who 'failed' the 11 plus from the private sector, and this really affected their self esteem as they felt more disappointed with themslves than the state kids who dd took the test with.
this is only my experience and if I could have afforded private education I might be saying something different!

daska

poet123 wrote: »

None of the schools I attended, nor any of the schools my four sons attended, sacrificed the latter for the former. Nor was it achieved through either fear or prescribed thought.

OMG! We very obviously went to the same school and you are one of the brainwashed ones...:eek:

:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

my point was really to acknowledge that it's our own experiences which dictate what is most important to us. I recognise that mine left me very cynical about outward shows of 'niceness', I feel much more at home with someone rude;)

poet123

daska wrote: »

OMG! We very obviously went to the same school and you are one of the brainwashed ones...:eek:

:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

my point was really to acknowledge that it's our own experiences which dictate what is most important to us. I recognise that mine left me very cynical about outward shows of 'niceness', I feel much more at home with someone rude;)

Sod off then, you don't know what you are talking about!:rotfl: