Friday 9 November 2018

STARTING PRIMARY SCHOOL: Things to Consider

STARTING PRIMARY SCHOOL: Things to Consider
Primary School. An exciting time in a child's life when they make new friends, learn new things and gain new experiences. Primary School. A really hard time in a parent's life when they wave goodbye to their child for five days of the week, smile through the tears of sadness and hope with all of their might that their child will have a happy school experience. It's that time of year when parents will anxiously look around primary schools to decide which one is best for their child, ask all the questions they have and imagine what their child will be like sitting at the desks and playing with their friends. I honestly can't believe that this year it's our turn to do all of this in readiness for Isabella starting school next September. How is my first baby, the one that made me a mummy, already getting preparing for going to school?

I'm feeling extremely emotional about the whole change to be honest, but that's for a different day, as today I want to focus on things to consider when looking around a Primary School. They can seem like quite intimidating places, especially if you personally had a negative school experience or haven't been back to one since leaving aged 11. I've already put together a blog post all about the type of questions to ask when looking around primary schools, with the hope of helping those parents that just aren't sure what they're looking for. So, now I thought I'd look at the things to consider when deciding which primary school is the best fit for your child. Personally, I didn't want to just look around the catchment school because, although Isabella may not be able to get into the other schools, I wanted to know what was out there. Each school is very different for many reasons, such as the ethos, budget/funding available, headteacher, approach to the curriculum, pupil intake, size, catchment area, location etc. There are many factors to consider when it comes to looking at the school as a whole, as well as how well that school is going to fit into your family life too.
One of the first things I'd recommend doing is reading the school's Ofsted report with an open mind. An Ofsted report covers many aspects of the school, including data, staffing, pupil progress, pupil intake, quality of teaching, parent feedback etc. It is the perfect place to start to get a picture of what school life is like there, as well as finding out areas Ofsted have identified as needing improvement. There are four gradings school's can receive at the end of each inspection: Outstanding, Good, Requires Improvement and Inadequate. Personally, I read Ofsted reports with an open mind because the pressure that comes with having an Ofsted inspection can impact on the quality of teaching etc. and therefore maynot be a completely true representative of what day-to-day life is like within the school. Having said that, it is a good place to start and helps parents to understand what the school is life. 

Another thing to consider is the logistics of going to a certain primary school over another. Will you be needing a before/after school club? If so, does the school have one? Is it onsite or offsite? How much does it cost? What are the opening hours? Do you have any other children? How will the timings work with picking up/dropping off at nursery and school? Do you need a childminder to do the drop offs/pick ups from school each day? Are there after school clubs and how do they fit into your family routine? This may all seem a little overwhelming, but it is important to consider these things prior to signing your child up to a certain school.  
Lunch times may be something you need or want to consider, as schools offer different lunch choices. All children in Early Years Foundation Stage (Reception) and Key Stage One (Year 1 and 2) are entitled to Free School Meals, regardless of your household income. This is a hot meal provided every day, funded by the government, so to me it makes sense to make the most of that. I don't plan to send Isabella in with a packed lunch until at least Year 3 because it seems silly to miss the opportunity to get a free hot meal each school day. That's completely personal preference and if your child has allergies/dietary requirements etc. then it would be worth discussing this with the school prior to them starting to ensure they can be catered for adequately. 

Each county seems to take school holidays at slightly different times, so it is worth looking into when yours are and whether that works with childcare plans. This is especially important if you are near county borders, as half terms can be completely different weeks making it difficult to organise childcare etc. 
One of the last big thing to consider is the secondary school that the primary school feeds into. I know that secondary school seems like a lifetime away, but if those primary school years go as fast as the first four years of Isabella's life then I know it will come around very quickly. If you live in a rural location it might be worth checking if there is a school bus service that comes through your village/town, as well as reading the Ofsted of the secondary school. You could even go to look around the school or keep an eye out for their open day if you're interested to see what it has to offer.

If you're also looking around schools at the moment then I really hope you find the perfect one for your child and that they love it too. It's a big change for us all and I really hope it's a positive one for everyone.

What are/were/will be the things you consider the most when looking around primary schools?

Feel free to leave a comment - I love reading every single one :)

Helen x 
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20 comments

  1. Starting primary school is certainly as huge step for the parents as well as the child. A agree with all of your tips here.

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  2. When my first started primary school, I think it was a lot harder for me than it was for him. I think it's the fact it's the first time you can't be with them if they're struggling that's really scary, isn't it? Your little one's primary school looks absolutely beautiful!

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  3. there is so much to think about isn't there? I always imagined when my kids were back at school childcare and working wouldn't be as much of an issue, but the hours of 9-3 fly by!

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  4. This is a really good guide with so many good points - starting school is such a massive milestone so it's important to make the right decisions and be as prepared as you can!

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  5. We're preparing to make this decision at the minute! I have all the open days scribbled down haha to be honest I'm feeling out of my depth and under a lot of pressure to make the right choice so thank you for the super practical advice x

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  6. I can only imagine how stressful this could be for a parent! Great post and I really learnt a lot from this :) xx

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  7. As we live in such a big town I think that distance to travel will be one of our biggest factors. The time goes so fast doesn't it - my daughter has less than 2 years to go already!

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  8. Ahh I don’t envy you it’s such a hard decision. Some great points here though. We have just chosen the 6th form with lots of consideration. One more to go now x

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  9. Aww, I remember these days well. I can remember the day all 4 of mine started primary school and what we both went through.

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  10. I never thought about considering what secondary school the primary schools feed into. That’s a very good point! I remember when I was little, there was one choice and that’s all. Now it seems there are so many choices and although that is great for parents, it can be a little daunting...so your posts are really helpful.

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  11. This is a really useful post for parents about to start looking around schools. Just a note for any welsh parents reading this, key stage 1 don’t get free school meals here for some reason, it’s means tested and not for everyone like in England. I hope you find a perfect school for Isabella xx

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  12. Great tips for parents who have little ones ready for Primary School next year.

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  13. Love these tips, my nephew is ready for primary school so I'll have to share these with my sister in law x

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  14. I don't have any children, so I have never had to experience picking a school before but these sound like good tips!

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  15. Reading the Ofsted report is a great suggestion, most of us don't even consider reading there report.

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  16. Looking at schools out of catchment area is great advice. It's what I did and luckily Ellie got in and had a great experience there. She's in her last year of high school now so choosing schools seems like a lifetime ago, we're looking around colleges now.

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  17. I agree with all the tips you have mentioned here. My kids started reception in Sept and it was life changing.

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  18. Living in a tiny village it was never really an option for me to consider a different primary school for my oldest, he just went where every other child in the village went but it was a whole different matter when we moved to Nottingham. So many options, so many poor schools. I could have done with something like this back then as it was a nightmare trying to select a school x

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  19. Great tips! My little girl started school this year and it was such an exciting but scary time. She took a while to settle in but is now really enjoying it! Another thing I would say is go with your gut feeling for a school too!

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  20. When I made the selection for my eldest to start school it seemed relatively easy as she already attended the preschool. I struggled more when it came to my son as his sister had moved to a junior school which was turning to a primary and he would be the first reception class. In the end I selected that school out of convenience but thankfully he loved it

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