So hard choosing a school for my son... HELP!!

stebiz

mrcow wrote: »

Which bit was harsh?

If it was about the obsession remark, then I'm afraid that it's true, you only have to take a look at all of the different threads that they've started on the subject.

It is a very important decision, but my post was just trying to point out that she is never going to get the answers from people who don't know the schools in question. She needs to speak to the head teachers involved and send her children to the school that she feels in the BEST imo, and if that means that it's not local, then so be it.

If I had a local school where bullying or bad behavior was a recognised problem, then there is no way that I would send my children there.

Getting involved with the school is important too. Joining the PTA is a great way of doing this.

Well done to your daughter getting into grammar btw. I hope that she enjoys it. My Dad tutored me into grammar school (over twenty years ago) and I took the 11+ to get into a grammar school 20 miles from my home (I was the second person in my school in 11 years to take the 11+ - the first was my sister). It was so the best thing for me even if it did mean a big commute every day.

Hi Mr Cow. I hadn't checked the threads in all honesty and I can understand how it can look as though they are being obsessive. I guess it shows just how concerned she is. Fortunately were I live I don't even need to worry about nursey or infant/junior schools - just senior ones. I took mine to their local school but I am fortunate that I live in quite a good area and only a short distance from the school.

Thanks for your comments about the grammar school. I hope she enjoys school life as much as you appear to have done.

Regards
Stebiz

Bun

Hi there,

I can't really reply with my own experience of choosing schools, and you have already had lots of good advice there, but I can comment on the commute which you are considering. Unless you have included it all, the journey probably won't be fifteen minutes.My son goes to a nursery 15mins bus ride away two days a week. This was most of the way to work for me when we started, now I work from home and as we love the nursery, I take him by bus. Although it is not worth sending your son to a poor school, our journey can be as follows: five minutes walk to bus stop. On a good day wait a few minutes and get on bus. Fifteen mins on the bus. Get off, five minutes walk to nursery. All fine.

Or, on a bad day wait for up to fifteen/twenty minutes for either a bus not to arrive or just be late, or more commonly, let two go past as we don't fit on with a buggy. Get stuck in traffic for 25mins, whilst being squashed by legs, or me standing over the buggy to stop my son being poked by bags. Battle through lots of business people to try to get off the bus before the driver drives off, because he can't see me.

Sometimes I find it a complete bind (not to mention the couple of times I've got off when my son is extremely tired after nursery and throws a strop so loud and prolonged I can't hear myself think). The only easier thing now is that I can at least fold the buggy up. I could not actually invisage being able to fit on a bus with more children unless they were past buggy age. I'm sorry, I can't remember how many children you have but I know it is/will be more that one.

I would hasten to add that I tend to try to walk everywhere if possible and the bus travel here is generally fine in itself, just a nightmare at peak time. I do this trip twice a day, which when added up just with finding out how his day went (as I know you are also keen on doing) adds up to over two hours a day travelling. If I drove (need to retake my test) I would consider it no problem , obviously taking a difficulty in parking into account.

mdean

HappySad wrote: »

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MDean - What are the middle class clap trap? My values are to have him do as well as he can educationally, to enjoy and love his childhood at school, to see learning as a life long chalenge/enjoyment and to also develope a strong network of friends while showing great respect to all people where every their background (race/culture/age).

The middle class claptrap is the Daily Mail/Tory/New Labour idea that ever parent should stress and move to get into "good" schools.
The consequence is that schools are not properly mixed and the so called "worst" schools get even worse because all the children with no choices are concentrated there.

Forget reading ofsted reports and pouring over Sats tables -they tell you nothing - Its only the outcomes for your son which matter. Instead visit and see for yourself, talk to the teachers, see the kids in class and get a feel for the school. My expectation is that 1 of the 3 local schools will be great