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Pre-school?Nursery?Prep?? arrghghghgh
Hi Ladies
My husband thinks i've gone mad but maiya is now 16 months and i'm getting really stressed about the whole pre-school/primary school thing!
Maiya goes to nursery 2 full days a week and they have three separate rooms - the last being I guess like a pre-school as is from 2.5 until they go off to primary school. Problem is the state primary school (with a pre-school attached) that we want maiya to go to isn't in our catchment area and we won't be able to afford to move for 6-7 years.Grrrrrrr. The primary school closest to us is pretty crap!! There is a lovely prep school for kids aged 2.5 - 11 and we could just afford the fees BUT we couldn't afford private secondary education. So would it be fair to put her in a prep school for primary years and then move her to a state school later. aarrghghghghghgh!!!!!
what do you think? should i just keep her at nursery and then send her to the crap primary until we can afford to move to the area with the ace primary/secondary school.
being a first time mum i don't even really know how this whole school thing works!! any thoughts much appreciated
p.sorry for long post!!
My husband thinks i've gone mad but maiya is now 16 months and i'm getting really stressed about the whole pre-school/primary school thing!
Maiya goes to nursery 2 full days a week and they have three separate rooms - the last being I guess like a pre-school as is from 2.5 until they go off to primary school. Problem is the state primary school (with a pre-school attached) that we want maiya to go to isn't in our catchment area and we won't be able to afford to move for 6-7 years.Grrrrrrr. The primary school closest to us is pretty crap!! There is a lovely prep school for kids aged 2.5 - 11 and we could just afford the fees BUT we couldn't afford private secondary education. So would it be fair to put her in a prep school for primary years and then move her to a state school later. aarrghghghghghgh!!!!!
what do you think? should i just keep her at nursery and then send her to the crap primary until we can afford to move to the area with the ace primary/secondary school.
being a first time mum i don't even really know how this whole school thing works!! any thoughts much appreciated
p.sorry for long post!!
0
Replies
can you put your daughters name down for the primary where you want her to go? is it definately oversubscribed every year? if the birth rate was down in your area the year your lo was born there might be places available. Also the school may change and not be so good by the time she starts. a couple of staff changes and some bad sat results and it will all change!!
is your local school a really bad school as in you wouldn't go in without a bullet proof vest or as in the sat results are n't very good?
The school my child is going to doesn't have the best sat results or the best reputation but is actually an excelent school and - most importantly - they have happy lovely kids.
Other children going to the prep school may well go onto the local comprehensive. just keep your options open - if you can get her a place at your first choice school go for it and assess whats best and possible at each and every stage.
best wishes x
Sorry it's taken me so long to reply!
Have you contacted the LEA or the state school that you prefer to find out about their admissions policy? The LEA should have something on their website, I had a look at the one for our area and it was quite informative. It tells you exactly what their criteria are, and also in some cases how many applications they received and how many places there are. It is possible that if you could get Maiya to go to that pre-school, she might have a better chance of getting into the school.
Also, can I ask what your concerns are about the school closest to you? Is it really as bad as you think? You've probably already done this, so sorry if I'm stating the obvious, but I would find out as much about it as I could if you think it's the one that Maiya is most likely to be allocated. Do you know any parents of children who go there? Have you visited the school and asked them about the things that most worry you? Some schools do end up with a bad reputation without really deserving it. And as julesy says, schools can change.
I don't have any knowledge or experience of private education at all, so I'm not sure about that. But I would try not to worry too much (I know that's easier said than done). Maiya has such a supportive home environment and I honestly think that is more important than anything else.
On mat leave currently but I have taught in state primaries and independent prep schools and I would say save your money, send your child to state primary and then send them to private secondary if you have saved enough by then. If not there are excellent state grammars and comprehensives in some areas. I personally don't think it would be a good idea to send a child to a private prep school then onto state secondary as it would be a BIG change of scene for them.
Hope that helps x
my dd2 is 15mons n alredy has a place to start there wen she's 2 as my dd1 has setttled in well i think d skool is brilliant but i hav twin boys who r 3wks n wouldn be able to afford them in independent schools as we might hav 2 girls dere already.
is it bad or wrong to have 2 in an independent school n a two in state school am jus so confused as i'm stuck, don no if it would hav any negative effect on the kids wen they start gettin older.
please i need some urgent advice, sorry lyndaB didn help at all but thanx 4 puttin this post up