which school?

[beast5680]

anyone else going through the "finding the right school" visits? how the hell do you decide which is the right school for your kids :?  secondary schools near me all have their bad points and good points and all seem about even in everything but its a nightmare trying to choose :roll:  my daughter is no help she changes her mind like the wind on where she wants to go as well

[auf_wiedersehen_pet]

anyone else going through the "finding the right school" visits? how the hell do you decide which is the right school for your kids :?  secondary schools near me all have their bad points and good points and all seem about even in everything but its a nightmare trying to choose :roll:  my daughter is no help she changes her mind like the wind on where she wants to go as well

What are the good bad points?

Try....

Ofsted report,
All the usual data - A*-C%, A*-G%, Value Added, etc.
Tackling the Head at open evenings and put him/her on spot.
Tour of the school - during a normal working day not a "show day".
Talking to pupils.
Talking to parents.
Compare number on role to max capacity. Oversubscribed?
GCSEs offered - depth and breadth of curriculum.
Bullying policy.
Extra curricular activities.
Staff turnover.
Pastoral system.
Learning Support system.
Issues/interests which are directly connected to your daughter.

The list is endless. Probably the best is the gut reaction from being in a school during a typical working day and taking to staff and pupils. Don't fall for flashy prospectus/website - they mean nothing at all.

[Niel]

I'd add asking around the local area about drugs and alcohol, one former Grammar (sp?) school around here has a wonderful reputation, until you dig a little deeper, their 'value add' is carp, they have a significant bullying problem and drug dealing too, just talking to parents who want the best for their kids they soon realise (in about year 9) that they've made a dreadful mistake, but the picture of high A*-C's (no-one sits any exam they might not get a good result in) and the school being a status symbol seduces them....
http://www.wikimapia.org/#lat=50.849754&lon=-1.159315&z=16&l=0&m=a&v=2&show=/1432039/

What are the good bad points?

Try....

Ofsted report,
All the usual data - A*-C%, A*-G%, Value Added, etc.
Tackling the Head at open evenings and put him/her on spot.
Tour of the school - during a normal working day not a "show day".
Talking to pupils.
Talking to parents.
Compare number on role to max capacity. Oversubscribed?
GCSEs offered - depth and breadth of curriculum.
Bullying policy.
Extra curricular activities.
Staff turnover.
Pastoral system.
Learning Support system.
Issues/interests which are directly connected to your daughter.

The list is endless. Probably the best is the gut reaction from being in a school during a typical working day and taking to staff and pupils. Don't fal for flashy prospectus/website - they mean nothing at all.

[welshlaner]

I'd add asking around the local area about drugs and alcohol, one former Grammar (sp?) school around here has a wonderful reputation, until you dig a little deeper, their 'value add' is carp, they have a significant bullying problem and drug dealing too, just talking to parents who want the best for their kids they soon realise (in about year 9) that they've made a dreadful mistake, but the picture of high A*-C's (no-one sits any exam they might not get a good result in) and the school being a status symbol seduces them....
http://www.wikimapia.org/#lat=50.849754&lon=-1.159315&z=16&l=0&m=a&v=2&show=/1432039/

excellent point same in my area the local so called "good school" expells or refuses to enter pupils in order to get good results.

Depends on the child, if by 11 not actual acadamic then a school which claims good results might not be the best, plus even within 5 years schools can change quite a lot

Try and find parents whose kids are at schools a bit older ask as many questions as possible try to compare they kids with yours.

Don't get taken in by spin

[simdeb]

after the recent ofsted report at the school my son attends i will never put faith in any ofsted  report again!!!!

to be fair in my opion they are a load of rubbish the inspecters which came one had never taught children in any aspect be it a club or school my kids have all gone through it or still at it and when i was asked about the report by the local education department i told them RUBBISH
 - how can they judge a school on 10 - 20 mins worth of watching a lesson
- how can results from  year group 6 from lets say 2000 up to 2006  keep going up and up they are different children in each sat test when they are in year 6  it scares me they seem to be wanting  more and more pressure on children when will they stop??????

i could go on and on and on


but as been said before you know by gut instinct and if they have had a bad ofsted they get an awful amount of money in support and advice so the children do benefit  just puts an enormous amount of personal and work pressure on all the staff

[thermidorthelobster]

- how can they judge a school on 10 - 20 mins worth of watching a lesson

They don't.  They judge a school on the strength of the continuous stream of paperwork the school feeds back, describing the school's processes, procedures and audit trail.  The inspection is mainly to confirm whether or not the school is doing what it says it's doing.

I suspect, but I'm not sure, that a good OfSTED merely reflects that the school is following its own procedures, and that the procedures are sensible, rather than anything about it being a relatively good or bad school.

I believe you can get a good impression of a school by spending an hour or two watching what goes on.  That's how I ended up in the school I currently work at, and it was definitely the right decision.  Watch how the children react to the teachers, and how they relate to each other when they think an adult isn't watching them.

[beast5680]

I believe you can get a good impression of a school by spending an hour or two watching what goes on.  That's how I ended up in the school I currently work at, and it was definitely the right decision.  Watch how the children react to the teachers, and how they relate to each other when they think an adult isn't watching them.

well we did one visit last night to a local one and i must say i came away very impressed by the teachers and the pupils who were there, although its my daughter who,s going some of the teachers ability to instantly hold the attention of my son who has adhd and engage him in conversation about their subjects was very good, five more to go see next week so it will be interesting to make comparisons

[Niel]

- how can they judge a school on 10 - 20 mins worth of watching a lesson

I suspect, but I'm not sure, that a good OfSTED merely reflects that the school is following its own procedures, and that the procedures are sensible, rather than anything about it being a relatively good or bad school.

Old Ofsted inspections were often inaccurate as 'the team' would be in the school for several days+ and build 'relationships' with fellow teachers (most inspectors having been teachers), the influence that had distorted the reports quite often. BTDT where multiple parents in the 'consultation' told the inspectors about bullying, by kids caused by a teacher who couldn't teach, net result one sentance about occasional 'interpersonal issues'.

New Ofsted is a short form checking, box ticking exercise by comparason....IMHO

[clbarclay]

Bullying policy.

 :lol:  :lol:  :lol:  :lol:  :lol:  :lol:  :lol:  

Never take at face value what any school has to say about bullying, some are better than others, but I would probably end up in jail if any headmaster ever said that bullying doesn't happen or isn't tollerated in their school to me again. Having been on the sharp end of unbearable bullying through 2 schools its the headmasters that I have a greater grudge against than any of the pupils.

I then ended up at the local state school that had nothing special to say for its self and life improved no end for me.

[Hobnailkelly]

Find one within walking distance.  None of the 'school-run' crap and the excersize will do her more good than anything else.

[Range Rover Blues]

Choice of six, crikey, that's good.

I'd be tempted to look at the practicality of it for the whole family.  Where do her friends want to go, is there a trend for any particular school.

We never had any of this when we were that age did we?  growing up just seems so much harder these days :?

[Range Rover Red]

We never had any of this when we were that age did we?  growing up just seems so much harder these days :?

IIRC, we had a choice of ONE, didn't we?

[Biodiesel-Bev]

Choice of 6 schools????

We're in the catchment for and have the choice of 1 school and its cr*p.  My friend is a teacher there and she wouldn't send her own kids to it.   :shock:

So my choices are 'no choice'.  Saving like mad to send my boys to private school.

[Lord Shagg-Pyle]

I'd avoid any school that offers the following activities:
1) outdoor pursuits and team building in the Helmand Province
2) remote classrooms in the Tora Bora mountains
3) chemistry lessons that offer a once in a lifetime experience!
4) a chance to travel and take part in the world's biggest game of hide and seek.
5) single sex education, only if your child is male

[Wireless]

You've all been sucked into it, you all believe you have a choice to make, the reality is all you can do is 'express a preference', which you will note is considerably less than being given the opportunity to choose.

Most decisions made are based on the distance from the school to your home, so you will need to make sure you move house nearest to the secondary school you wish your child to attend, a couple of years before your child makes the educational move from primary to secondary school.

Most people don't realise this until it's too late.

The only other option open to parents is an appeal to the LEA, but since they tightened up the role of the appeals panel, removing some of their options, you'll find that in most cases they will back the original decision made by the LEA on which school your child will attend.

I wish you all good luck though, my 'children' are all in Colleges or University, so we've been there, done that, and there is no t-shirt.

[Thrasher]

Went through that last year, finally she went to the school that "felt right", worked liked a trooper to get there, and achieved her aim.

Re: The above post, I agree. However the school which R'Vanneth chose was a single sex comprehensive, and as such they have no catchment area. Therefore they take from each of the ability "zones". Thankfully R'Vanneth is a hard worker and very clever, so she achieved her aim.

She started in September and is loving it.

I guess I was just lucky?

[Bob696]

- how can they judge a school on 10 - 20 mins worth of watching a lesson

I suspect, but I'm not sure, that a good OfSTED merely reflects that the school is following its own procedures, and that the procedures are sensible, rather than anything about it being a relatively good or bad school.

Old Ofsted inspections were often inaccurate as 'the team' would be in the school for several days+ and build 'relationships' with fellow teachers (most inspectors having been teachers), the influence that had distorted the reports quite often. BTDT where multiple parents in the 'consultation' told the inspectors about bullying, by kids caused by a teacher who couldn't teach, net result one sentance about occasional 'interpersonal issues'.

New Ofsted is a short form checking, box ticking exercise by comparason....IMHO

ofSted .... bunch of highly trained failures. Last time I met an one he was the 'ICT expert' and freely admits he hadn't taught in a class room for 15 years! (I think that must have been at the 4 BBCs to a school stage) Yet he comes into my classroom and tells me what I am doing wrong with 30 twelve year olds on 30 seperate machines (note he didn't tell me how to put it right) [Edited] did he know?
I wouldn't cross the road to wee on most of them if they were on fire!

[simdeb]

we chose a different school other than the catchment area for all the three at secondary and it meant them catching a bus which went straight by it, but i made a bit of a thing about extra help for my son who is dyslexic