local school or the better school.

Mimi_Arc_en_ciel

the brownies etc wouldnt matter to me - theres no reason DD cant go to school in another area and go to local clubs.

Local school - HT was VERY pushy. She tried to get me to take DD out of her current nursery and place her into the school nursery (no way is that happening!) she tired to tell me people had given the nursery we attend a bad report and pulledn their kids out (DD been there since she was 6 months old and we're very happy with the nursery - in fact baby number 2 will also attend the same nursery as DD) The school itself ir un down - it still has the same gym equipment and flooring etc they had when i went there all thhose years ago lol HT told me that althhough there is some structure, come 1pm the kids can do whatever they like (play out, stay in etc) which i dont think is a good as there is no real structure. The school has no extra clubs for DD to attend (other school has after school ballet and gym which DD loves and would be easier to let her go to the school one) The local school teachers german - which i thought was odd as the comp pushhes french. There's no trips for DD's age but will be when older (currently she goes out quite a bit with nursery to local farms, at xmas they go and pick a xmas tree etc) and i just generally hated the school - the kids look scared/miserable (maybe an off day lol) my niece is in the last year at that school and says how horrid it is etc (although she probably would say that about any!)

Other school HT more relaxed, when we visited she had just finished assembly and all the kids were skipping out etc. The classrooms were much brighter with lots of displays everywhere. Playground outside has sand pit, climbing frame, water area, it even had a tardis the kids had made! DD was able to go and paint whilst we was watching and talking (she didnt get to do anything at local school) which i thought was quite nice. They do trips, after school clubs. Theres a news letter each month (which im getting now) to keep you informed (local school dont do this) It just as a whole looks a much better school.

Ive spoke to a few people in the village and they've all said that they wish they had sent their kids to other school but as they dont drive etc they couldnt.

I did ring and speak to someone in admissions a while back when we first went to the school and they said that although we wouldnt be first in, we wouldnt be last either (cant remember the exact order it went in) but they did say we can also go to the school gov board if we wasnt accepted.

mishkanorman

What are your choices for junior school like ? Is that in the same village or will that be a drive/journey away ?

If your child is going to go to the further away school now but will be going to the same school as all the village kids anyway I would say send her to the village school now, there is nothing harder than making friends when they have already had 3/4 years + together (its not un-doable but still tough) and a major part of school IMHO is settling in - happy comfortable children will thrive whilst those who have to start from scratch at the basics of friend making will find school life that bit harder.

mishkanorman

Actually, Ive just read your post above mine. You have made your mind up, sounds like you are just looking for extra justification. If you and your oh are sure, dont worry about the rest !

Savvy_Sue

Mimi_Arc_en_ciel wrote: »

(Obv that’s if we get in – the other school IS out of our catchment area but head says if we apply early enough we should be fine (she said they’ve never turned a child away in past 3 years who has been out of catchment)

Head can say what she likes, but what does the school's admissions policy say, and what does the LEA say? For example, with one school I was told "historically children living North of this road and West of that road will not get in."

My understanding was that you all applied by a certain date, and the applications were looked at on that date, following the admissions policy. ONLY if the policy says "first come first served" does when you apply become remotely relevant, as far as I can see. It doesn't say that, does it?

clearingout wrote: »

You should also be aware that going to a feeder school is not a criteria for entrance to any high school I know (although I accept different areas do things differently)and that siblings/distance are the primary criteria (after looked after children and special needs, obviously) for entrance to schools at all levels, unless religion comes into it.

Agree, and even if it IS a feeder school now, it may not be one in 4 years time. And even if it is, the secondary schools may have changed beyond recognition by then.

clearingout wrote: »

I don't want to be doom and gloom but many 'outstanding' schools are oversubscribed which is something to consider when making a choice and at the very least, you shouldn't count your chickens (in other words, be very careful what you say to your daughter if there is even the remotest chance that she won't get in). And the final point is if you put down the better school as first choice and don't get in, there is potentially the problem of not getting your second choice and then being allocated the school that no one wants to go to!

All very true.

Mimi_Arc_en_ciel wrote: »

I did ring and speak to someone in admissions a while back when we first went to the school and they said that although we wouldnt be first in, we wouldnt be last either (cant remember the exact order it went in) but they did say we can also go to the school gov board if we wasnt accepted.

Yes, you can go to appeal, but if you look at the long thread about school appeals you'll see that you need to have some grounds for appeal, ie the LEA has to have applied the selection criteria wrongly, or unfairly, or something like that. Appealing on the grounds that you really really want your DD to go there won't get you very far!

Spendless

Attending a feeder school IS a criteria for Secondary school here (and for Junior school, if you send your kids to seperate Infant and Junior schools but Nursery for a Reception place doesn't count). In my town it goes
Children in public care
Catchment
Siblings (out of catchment)
Attending a feeder school (for Secondary and Junior school places)
Anyone else living in the town
Anyone else who doesn't live in the town.

Having said that. There's 60+ children haven't got to my local Secondary for September, some of those who come under 'attending a feeder school' criteria.

Alos my pyramid of schools have changed to foundation status, and they are going to alter the admission criteria, so attending a feeder school is higher up their criteria.

Mimi - I would look into what your LA admission policy is.

Plus - I agree it sounds like you've made your mind up, but just in case you do have to send your child to the nearest school, some of your concerns; the gym/flooring being dated. Surely, this isn't the school's fault? I'd have thought that was a funding issue from your LA? My kids school is just getting a new hall, after many years of needing one. The reason they didn't have one some years back, is when they were next on the list to be re-furbed, some arsonists set fire to a Secondary school a few miles away. The council re-directed money to re-build that and everything else got cancelled. So it's not always the school's 'fault' it's in need of work. The playing from 1pm. I'll be honest, I'd have loved that, especially for my DS who couldn't sit still to save his life in the younger years.

ashaput

I would love to find a better school for my child. Both, local and better school, will spend your money then why don't take the better one

JodyBPM

Unless you live in an area which is very sparsely populated, I would be VERY suprised if you would get a place in an outstanding school which is out of catchment AND 7 miles away. In this area there is a real lack of primary places, and more than about 0.5 miles out you are unlikely to get in! (no set catchements here, criteria is Looked after children, SEN, Siblings, nearest school, then done by distance from home to school). I guess different areas will differ, though, but I would def have a plan B if you are thinking of going for the outstanding school.

clearingout

Spendless wrote: »

Attending a feeder school IS a criteria for Secondary school here (and for Junior school, if you send your kids to seperate Infant and Junior schools but Nursery for a Reception place doesn't count). In my town it goes
Children in public care
Catchment
Siblings (out of catchment)
Attending a feeder school (for Secondary and Junior school places)
Anyone else living in the town
Anyone else who doesn't live in the town.

Having said that. There's 60+ children haven't got to my local Secondary for September, some of those who come under 'attending a feeder school' criteria.

Alos my pyramid of schools have changed to foundation status, and they are going to alter the admission criteria, so attending a feeder school is higher up their criteria..

attending a feeder school is pretty far down the list - which the point about 60+ children not getting in quite clearly illustrates. If the OP is attending an out of catchment primary, she's likely to be out of catchment for secondary as well which, if the secondary is also popular, is going to cause problems come year 6/7 - there is then every possibility you end up in the school you would have done if you'd gone to the nearest primary but minus the friends you've made at the 'better' primary! Unless of course, the OP intends to move into secondary catchment in the next few years (researching now whether that's affordable would be sensible).

I appreciate I'm all ifs and buts and maybes but 'good' schools are popular and there is a need to take wider issues into account when taking the plunge, I think.

Moneybot

JodyBPM wrote: »

Unless you live in an area which is very sparsely populated, I would be VERY suprised if you would get a place in an outstanding school which is out of catchment AND 7 miles away. In this area there is a real lack of primary places, and more than about 0.5 miles out you are unlikely to get in! (no set catchements here, criteria is Looked after children, SEN, Siblings, nearest school, then done by distance from home to school). I guess different areas will differ, though, but I would def have a plan B if you are thinking of going for the outstanding school.

I think it very much depends on where you live for this to apply. Roughly London forget it but most areas it's worth a punt because the other school isn't likely to run out of places anyway.

Spendless

clearingout wrote: »

attending a feeder school is pretty far down the list - which the point about 60+ children not getting in quite clearly illustrates. If the OP is attending an out of catchment primary, she's likely to be out of catchment for secondary as well which, if the secondary is also popular, is going to cause problems come year 6/7 - there is then every possibility you end up in the school you would have done if you'd gone to the nearest primary but minus the friends you've made at the 'better' primary! Unless of course, the OP intends to move into secondary catchment in the next few years (researching now whether that's affordable would be sensible).

I appreciate I'm all ifs and buts and maybes but 'good' schools are popular and there is a need to take wider issues into account when taking the plunge, I think.

It's not the whole picture and not all of the 60+ come under 'attended feeder school' though certainly some do. Son's year is the year of millenium babies, so has been always been choc-a-bloc. The 1st criteria of children in pucblic care has a handful at most. eg last year 2 children had a Secondary school place on this criteria, and 1 of them (cos I know them) lived in catchment the next criteria.
In previous years it's been very unusual for children to not got in on 'attended a feeder school'. The HT spoke of him remembering it happening once before - he's been there around 10 years.

But it's certainly worth taking into account how big your child's school year is. I've always been aware of how large DS's was, that was apparant when there weren't enough nursery spaces to go round when they were three, or even when you couldn't get them into the playgroup aged 2. For that reason, there's no way I would have moved out of catchment before DS got his Secondary school place.

The OP needs to do her 'homework' regarding this.