Buying a house and school.

Davesnave

SingleSue wrote: »

It was thanks to an excellent junior school that my middle son was able (albeit with a huge amount of support), to go to a mainstream high school.

Without their determination and hard work, I wouldn't be dropping youngest off for his start at university tomorrow.

Oddly, it was the other way around for us. The primary school I worked in was officially 'good' and enjoyed very high levels of parental support, but it didn't handle our daughter's special needs particularly well. Had it not been for Mum's tireless work at home, she would have left there almost illiterate. Mum intervened when the special needs unit went through a bad patch due to staffing issues.

Secondary level began shakily too. A similar situation prevailed, with the special needs unit in difficulties, due to experienced staff retiring or moving-on. Daughter, smart enough to read the situation for herself, went into polite refusenik mode as regards the special needs unit and stayed in class. This was in the 'best' state school in the city at the time, as measured by exam results.

Thankfully, by year 8, through work at home, daughter had enough skills to cope OK in mainstream. A couple of very inspiring teachers spotted her latent talent, so the situation was saved, but it was a very close-run thing!

That's why bouicca's comment chimes with me:

"What matters is the fit between your child and the school."

Unfortunately, exam results, and even other parents' or children's experiences, won't always be a reliable indicator of this.

teddysmum

With the change of just one person, a school can change completely in a few months.


I once did supply work in a school where the head had no respect for staff and refused to have special needs children statemented as he thought that was a reflection on himself.


One family had a child in every year (2 classes per year) so half the staff had a disruptive pupil (the worst of whom intimidated classmates, as she would destroy their work, but the head refused to have her removed from the room).


Children gave up because class time was unpleasant and staff were regularly absent through stress.


I didn't go there for several months, but did have one day's work as the head was on a course.


The difference was unbelievable.


The head retired and the very much respected and respectful deputy took his job. Everything was organised, special needs help was provided and there was a happy feeling about the place, with the little girl getting the help she needed, in a special unit .


The staff were more relaxed, as were the children , who now had pride and were eager to impress the new head. There were few staff absences (hence this was my last job there).


The school was praised in an inspection report ; all down to just one person, as one of the staff explained and they still called her by her first name as she'd been a colleague for years. They were like a happy family and I would have loved a job there.

SingleSue

Davesnave wrote: »

Oddly, it was the other way around for us. The primary school I worked in was officially 'good' and enjoyed very high levels of parental support, but it didn't handle our daughter's special needs particularly well. Had it not been for Mum's tireless work at home, she would have left there almost illiterate. Mum intervened when the special needs unit went through a bad patch due to staffing issues.

Secondary level began shakily too. A similar situation prevailed, with the special needs unit in difficulties, due to experienced staff retiring or moving-on. Daughter, smart enough to read the situation for herself, went into polite refusenik mode as regards the special needs unit and stayed in class. This was in the 'best' state school in the city at the time, as measured by exam results.

Thankfully, by year 8, through work at home, daughter had enough skills to cope OK in mainstream. A couple of very inspiring teachers spotted her latent talent, so the situation was saved, but it was a very close-run thing!

That's why bouicca's comment chimes with me:

"What matters is the fit between your child and the school."

Unfortunately, exam results, and even other parents' or children's experiences, won't always be a reliable indicator of this.

Youngest's junior school that had been so excellent for him was actually not very highly thought of, it was just me saying it was good.

His experience at senior school left a lot to be desired, it was ok for the first 3 years but then it became an academy and things went downhill fast with youngest consigned to the rubbish bin due to a prognosis made when he was still pre school. I moved him after GCSEs to a college rated outstanding (and it is indeed outstanding) and despite not meeting the conditions for entry, someone there noticed there was something about him they just couldn't turn down so accepted him but with the proviso he repeated a GCSE year before moving onto level 3.

He was their top student for all bar the first two months of level 3 after being labelled a failure at his high school.