Are the achivement rates for the school your children currently attend, progressing/ deteriorating, stable or up and down over the years?

How great is the differences between the schools achievment rates. and have you taken into consideration discrepances between factors ie Student population ect.


Have you read the Ofsted Reports for both schools? And made the appropriate comparisons.

What are the differences interms of traveling to and from each school.

Have you asked your children how they would feel about another change? Do you think it would impact on them (only you will know what they are capable of handling, good or bad)

Are the achivement rates for the school your children currently attend, progressing/ deteriorating, stable or up and down over the years?

Progressing actually. The recent inspection came out good and not too many improvements needed.

How great is the differences between the schools achievment rates. and have you taken into consideration discrepances between factors ie Student population ect. The difference isn't as great as it was some years back achievement wise. The population is pretty much the same.

Have you read the Ofsted Reports for both schools? And made the appropriate comparisons.

Yes. The other school still got a better report but their current school seems to be doing well...for now.

What are the differences interms of traveling to and from each school. I'd say that is probably the biggest difference because the other school is further away but still within walking distance.
Have you asked your children how they would feel about another change? Do you think it would impact on them (only you will know what they are capable of handling, good or bad) To be honest that's probably what i'm the most concerned about. They say they'd like to change but I know it's only because I asked them the question lol. I don't really want to be moving them around like that but the fact that it's been a few teachers who recommended that I try and get them into the school makes me wonder - one of them was a teacher in their current school. It seems that being in the other school will help them in some way

Help them how?

Have you asked these teachers that are no longer employed by the supposed better school?

Maat

Personally I would have to make some serious considerations before moving my children...the concequences of such moves can be even more negative then a poor a performing school.

I am assuming that we are talking about primary schools and if so the bench mark for how well these schools are performing are based predominately on SAT results....Have you read up/saw the news lately on the consequences of SATs?

Is by any chance the 'supposed' better school RC?

You say that the school your children are currently attending is improving...Is the other school doing the same or as it remained consistent over several years?

Personally I would go for improvement rather than stagnet (it just means that the school is attracting more able children than the other. And again, is this improvement based on SATs results?

When you say the other school got a better report How so? One of the things I focus on in those inspector reports is School/Parent/communtiy envolvement/partnership. Quality of teaching (not necessarily rescources)

But if your children are happy with the move(or atleast won't be traumatised by it) And the school really would be of benefit. Have you developed a relationship with your current school...do you think you can reproduce that relationship with the other school? Then go for it, particularly now while they are still quite young. But if it isn't really going to make that much of a difference than leave them where they are...where they have already laid down roots.

Besides with more children like yours the current school will be able to increase its 'SATs results'. Concequently appearing just as good if not better, on paper as the other school.

What is the ethnic makeup of both schools?...An issue to be considered by some.

Help them how?
Well this is what I was thinking but from what I can gather children from this other school stand to be seen more favourably when secondary school time comes. It's almost like the reputation of the school really does carry them rather than the childrens' ability!

Have you asked these teachers that are no longer employed by the supposed better school?

Good point and no I haven't spoken to teachers of the other school but I have spoken to the head. One of the teachers from the childrens' current school taught in the "better" school previously and she is the one who took me to the head who she apparently knew well. At the time there wasn't much the head could do because the new centralized admissions process was coming in. I think the centralizing took some of the power away from the head teachers.

Maat

Personally I would have to make some serious considerations before moving my children...the concequences of such moves can be even more negative then a poor a performing school.

I am assuming that we are talking about primary schools and if so the bench mark for how well these schools are performing are based predominately on SAT results....Have you read up/saw the news lately on the consequences of SATs?
Yes it's primary and my oldest is 7 at the moment so we aren't affected by the SATs at the moment - although I strongly disagree with them.

Is by any chance the 'supposed' better school RC? No and I prefer it that way. Are Roman Catholic schools supposed to be seen as better??

You say that the school your children are currently attending is improving...Is the other school doing the same or as it remained consistent over several years? Not sure as I haven't been keeping track of them but will have a look. You see....the other school has always had a good reputation but what's annoying is that it seems like there's only 2 schools near- ish by that are highly recommended by quite a few peopel when it comes to talk of where the children should go. The recommendation is usually followed up with the amount of input the headteacher makes with the children. I didn't realize how muich influence they had at the classroom level.

Personally I would go for improvement rather than stagnet (it just means that the school is attracting more able children than the other. And again, is this improvement based on SATs results? Yes I noticed with both reports that the school starts off well in all subjects then something happens in the last 3 years or so where some subjects aren't as strong as they were in earlier years. Goodness only knows why that is. Perhaps the SATs aren't pitched well.

When you say the other school got a better report How so? One of the things I focus on in those inspector reports is School/Parent/communtiy envolvement/partnership. Quality of teaching (not necessarily rescources)
Well it seems that the personal development and focus on the pupils is better in the other school but again only marginally better. Where the better one was considered exceptional (1)in a lot of areas their current school is considered good (2). Although thinking about it now, if the other school has always been good then it should a whole heap of 1's right about now non?!

But if your children are happy with the move(or atleast won't be traumatised by it) And the school really would be of benefit. Have you developed a relationship with your current school...do you think you can reproduce that relationship with the other school? Then go for it, particularly now while they are still quite young. But if it isn't really going to make that much of a difference than leave them where they are...where they have already laid down roots.

I've built up relationships with those I need to at the school and do know the head as well I want/need to right now. I'm thinking of getting on the board of governers though to keep an eye on things and mek up noise as and when I need to.

Besides with more children like yours the current school will be able to increase its 'SATs results'. Concequently appearing just as good if not better, on paper as the other school.

Aaah thanks. I hope so. If anything I'm more inclined to go with whether or not they are happy at the school. I moved around to a few schools when I was younger and it kind of unsettled me which I think makes me worry probably more about how the move would affect them.

What is the ethnic makeup of both schools?...An issue to be considered by some.


Predominantly us with a few spips of white dashed here and there LOL.

Thanks alot for the input by the way. It's been really helpful to reason the situation out