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[Andy B]

....
that sounds like for like what has happened to two of the local schools near me it couldn't be the same school could it ?

A bit far from Salford I would think, but Radcliffe High & Coney Green. They're called Radcliffe Riverside East & West

[TheBoy]

..... do you have any other children at the school etc...........

 ... even this was changed by the time my daught wanted to go to high school. It was brought in to stop kids from neighbouring Manchester from taking up 'our' (not my choice of words) kids places. This left people like us with the possiblilty of children at different schools across the borough! That was till Mrs B got on the case!! She managed to get the rules changed back!!         after she'd put the case forward as to why our daughter would be going to the same school as our son. (where's 'I'm dead proud' smilie?  )

You hear similar stories every summer on the local news.  Not good.

[x25xe]

The Boy is quite correct in my opinion.  The social element is very important, as is the general ethos of the school.

As far as primaries are concerned, when looking at schools you cannot beat a visit to the school in normal time - i.e. not a specially arranged general prospective parents visiting time.  This will allow you to see the school in as natural light as possible.  You will then be in an excellent position to judge for yourself if the school meets your own criteria.

As far as league tables and Ofsted scoring are concerned, ignore all the figures that they state, apart from one which is value added.  This measures the progress of the children from the time they joined the school to the time they leave.  Scores of 100% or more are what you are looking for.

If certain curriculum areas are lower than the national average, ask about the information concerning the cohort of children.  This often explains any apparent failings.  Basically, the school may be in an affluent area and, as such, the "base line" scoring is high.  If said school attracts children which are from less privileged backgrounds the "base line" scoring may be lower.  I do not agree with this system, but that is the way the government set it.

The bottom line is that ALL schools should be welcoming children to their roll of pupils as each child is worth approx £3K of funding per year.

As I do not have any children, I have not had to go through the application process.  I can understand the difficulties in obtaining a place at an oversubscribed school though.

I hope to have demonstrated above that, just because a school is deemed to be good there are often just as good, if not better, alternative schools.  It is not purely on academic achievement there are other important factors involved as well.

This answer has not, I know, answered the general theme of this thread, but I hope it is interesting to some people.

[Marks DTM Calib]

Still no help when all three of your nearest schools are over subsribed......its a bloody lottery and one that costs us the tax payer loads of wedge for no benefit.

[TheBoy]

Still no help when all three of your nearest schools are over subsribed......its a bloody lottery and one that costs us the tax payer loads of wedge for no benefit.

I think that is a problem for many newish housing estates that are built on edge of older towns - there are often places in town schools, meaning the more local one(s) on estate are not big enough to cope with the estate. Additionally, the sizing of the school to be built by developer is probably based on some silly stat of a small % of houses having that age kids, whereas these estates normally attract young couples.   It seems to be the same story everywhere.

[Kevin Wood]

It seems to be the same story everywhere.

Yep. 180 odd housesrabbit hutches going up in our village at the moment. It'll bring loads of extra council tax in. Not one penny will go towards extra infrastructure.

 

Kevin

[x25xe]

It seems to be the same story everywhere.

Yep. 180 odd housesrabbit hutches going up in our village at the moment. It'll bring loads of extra council tax in. Not one penny will go towards extra infrastructure.

 

Kevin

Exactly!    Council may also get section 128 money (or whatever it is called) on top as well

[Martin_1962]

Not having any kids I was completely ignorant of this and just wondered why there are so many chelsea tractors on the school run. Now I know.

All this "choice" nonsense that Labour have invented is a poor excuse for failing to provide a decent service. If every school, hospital, doctor's surgery, etc. was performing adequately it wouldn't matter which one you went to, and you'd be happy to just get the one who's catchment area you were in.

As it stands, I suspect if a school performs badly it's now a self sustaining situation because anyone who cares will avoid it. Meanwhile the government aren't at fault because "they gave you a choice".

 

Kevin

Wait until you have them!!!

You can fit three in the back easily BTW

[Kevin Wood]

You can fit three in the back easily BTW

Not ruddy likely! I'd do a Jimbob before even getting close!  

Kevin

[Martin_1962]

More details.

There are 5 government funded secondary schools in the area, and 3 fee paying.

Our catchment area school is dire and came to our school claiming they can help your disadvantaged child - when asked about normal children - oh we have them too or words to that effect.

The best two schools of this type are both religious, 1 is Catholic, one is church going CofE (requires references from the vicar), since I do BDMs no hope . The other two schools, one is the other side of the city, and the one we did choose for Emma-Jo is the nearest, middle best, mot in catchment area and very heavily over subscriibed. It is most east side parents first choice if not church going and it is church goers second choice.

Anyhow we found that the local fee paying grammars (one all girls, one merged from a girls and a boys, and one a bit posh) all offer bursaries, for clever children from not well off families. The penguin school we didn't notice until last week!!!! (taught by penguins - see Blues Brothers). The other two Emma-Jo passed easily but the more exclusive school offered 1/3 discount. The larger merged school offered a lot more, my daughters teacher went to that school so I think that helped.

To be honest it is wrong that I have to do this, our children are supposed to go to the second worst school in Worcestershire, and the over subscribed school has to cope with TWO large new estates as well.

20 years ago the school we won was free!

As to mixing in, none of mine will go to the sink school there is rapant bullying and they are already picked on a bit, the boys do tend to stick together but I worry that if they went to sink school they will end up as bullies them selves.

But I have 3 years to wait before worrying about them.

[Martin_1962]

You can fit three in the back easily BTW

Not ruddy likely! I'd do a Jimbob before even getting close!  

Kevin

What about your wife? You haven't been married that long have you?

[Jimbob]

You can fit three in the back easily BTW

Not ruddy likely! I'd do a Jimbob before even getting close!  

Kevin

 

Waiting on 1st count results this week!

[zippo]

it  depressing that people from around the uk don't have a very good opinion of our education system (me included)
Whats more depressing is that our government seem proud of their achievement's to date

[Kevin Wood]

You can fit three in the back easily BTW

Not ruddy likely! I'd do a Jimbob before even getting close!  

Kevin

What about your wife? You haven't been married that long have you?

She's probably the least keen of the two of us on having kids.

Kevin

[Martin_1962]

You can fit three in the back easily BTW

Not ruddy likely! I'd do a Jimbob before even getting close!  

Kevin

What about your wife? You haven't been married that long have you?

She's probably the least keen of the two of us on having kids.

Kevin

They change - give it another year or two and she will go all gooee at the site of a baby, when her friends start - thats it.