My feed
Premium

Please
or
to access all these features

Join the discussion on our Education forum.

Education

Would you apply for a secondary school you hadn't visited.

17 replies

Picturesinthefirelight · 25/08/2014 00:08

Dh is a teacher. I work at an out of school activity & am not allowed time if fin term time.

Dhs school Open Morning which is compulsory for him to attend us the same day as the open morning for ds's feeder secondary school.

Neither of us will be able to attend. We could get grandparents to take ds but is that enough.

Ds is currently being assessed for an autistic spectrum disorder. The school is a very academic school. It's an excellent school but we are not sure if its the right fit.

Dh went to the open day 2 years ago with dd but we were thinking from her point of view (a musical, drama, literature loving girl). She applied but chose a specialist school in the end.

If I take the day off I risk severe penalties (I'd lose my franchise) as does dh. But this is important for ds.

Don't know what we can do.

OP posts:
Report
Coolas · 25/08/2014 02:23

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Ericaequites · 25/08/2014 03:12

Contact the head teacher, and explain your situation. Ask if you can arrange to visit at another time arranged in advance, and if you could meet with the senco. I'm sure this isn't the first time someone has had a conflict.

Report
ladybirdandsnails · 25/08/2014 09:29

I would arrange a private appt at the school. You need to make sure it's right for him. Surely any humane person can see this?

Report
senua · 25/08/2014 09:56

Some people purposely organise a private visit because they know that Open Days are PR puff; they would much rather see the school on a normal working day to get a truer picture.

If the school won't organise a private visit then you have your answer there and then.

Report
addictedtosugar · 25/08/2014 10:04

It was primary for us, but yes, I applied without visiting any of them, because the "parental choice" was anything but. There was only ever one school we were going to get into. So I didn't visit any.

However it sounds like you have a choice of schools. If this is the case, I think you need to try and arrange another appointment to visit that school, and others you stand a chance of getting into.

Report
ChippyMinton · 25/08/2014 10:11

Most schools offer day and evening events and would surely accommodate a private appointment for SEN? Ring and ask them.

Report
SeagullsAndSand · 25/08/2014 11:04

No

We visited a school we were set on for dd and absolutely hated it.

Report
Picturesinthefirelight · 25/08/2014 11:33

They don't have any open mornings unfortunately.

I have visited the school in that its next door to the junior school & they use their facilities for concerts/swimming/PE etc. I also attended a new parents social evening before dd changed her mind.

Dh works 45 miles away & I 20 miles away. All events are 10-1pm so no nipping off for an hour.

I just feel I need to ask questions about policies, homework (a big issue for ds as he has problems writing) & pressure (he is very clever but not good under pressure)

The school is academically selective & he has already passed the entrance test (children from the junior school can take it early though they also hold another in October)

OP posts:
Report
tethersend · 25/08/2014 11:38

Email the head and ask if it would be possible to arrange to visit another time- not attend another open day. Many heads are happy to arrange 1:1 meetings and visits. Of course, some aren't, so be prepared for that. Personally, I think a refusal to arrange a visit could be indicative of an inflexible attitude on the part of the head, which would concern me.

Report
tethersend · 25/08/2014 11:40

I should say, it would concern me if they refused a visit given the possible SEN. I wouldn't be concerned if the head was unable to arrange personal visits for every potential parent.

Report
Hakluyt · 25/08/2014 11:42

Ring the school. Explain. Arrange a private visit. Shouldn't be a problem. If it is a problem, it's not a school you want your son to go to.

Report
ErrolTheDragon · 25/08/2014 11:53

What the others say. You said he's passed an entrance test, so I infer it's a private school - they should be very happy to arrange a visit at a time which suits you for a potential paying customer! It's in the interests of the school as well as your DS that the school suits his needs.

Report
Greengrow · 25/08/2014 14:36

I have never heard of a school which would not allow a parent to arrange a one off visit - and that is private schools. Many parents both work full time with children in private schools so saying parents can only come on fixed days would never work.

Report
tethersend · 25/08/2014 15:25

Unfortunately, there are plenty of schools which are difficult when it comes to arranging individual visits, particularly if they are oversubscribed.

I'm an advisory teacher for children in care, and have come across a number of schools where I've had to be incredibly forceful to arrange to visit the school in order to decide whether or not to place a child there. Anecdotally, Academies are the worst.

Report
difficultpickle · 25/08/2014 15:30

I would brief grandparents to take him and ask questions. I had to move ds this summer term when I was in hospital long term. I sent him with my mum along with a list of questions for her to get answers to. He has SEN and his grandma was able to get clear answers on all the points that concerned me. I had to get her to look at 3 different schools for me and choose the one she thought was best for ds. A private appointment wouldn't have worked for me as I still wouldn't have been able to attend.

Report
camptownraces · 25/08/2014 16:18

Yes, for son, we applied for a place at a secondary school we hadn't visited.
The following March, he was offered a place. AFTER the offer but before decision had to be in, the school put on an additional tour, plus Q&A session for parents.

If grandparents are available, yes, do as difficult says. It's important for pupil to be engaged in the process.

Report
teacherwith2kids · 25/08/2014 21:24

I would get grandparents to take DS. I would then ring the school myself, and ask for at least a telephone consultation, and at best a meeting or tour, with the SENCo or whoever you think might be able to answer most of your questions.

I did the same for DS - as a teacher, I couldn't go to the open mornings. I sent DS along with DH (who doesn't 'do' education much - tbh very much like you sending grandparents along). This was great, because DS could see the school just like evertyone else, without a parent asking in-depth questions [DS had many ASD traits, that first became apparent when he started school ... we had no guarantee that they would not reappear in all their glory on transition to secondary].

I then rang and asked the school whether I could either visit individually or have a meeting with an appropriate person to discuss DS. I had, in the end, a lengthy solo tour with an assistant head, who ensured that iI met all the right people to ask all the right questions (and whose extraordinary knowledge of and close relationship with every pupil we passed on the tour did much to 'sell' the school to me!

When I was looking at schools for DD, on the other hand, she did the daytme tours with DH and the evening tours with me. i did ring to ask one of the grammar schools whether I could visit at a different time, and got a VERY shirty response. I didn't push it, becauase DD is much more 'mainstream' than DS, but I have to say had I had that attitude when explaining I had a child being assessed for a specific SEN, I would have got VERY cross indeed and would have pushed for the request to be referred to the head and SENCo for their opinion, rather than going by the word of the receptionist. [As it happened, DD hated the school when she toured it anyway, and DH was deeply unimpressed too]

Report
Please create an account

To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account.