Dd1 goes to a just-about-adequate school which is not local to us. We moved here when she was in Year 1 so didn't have much of a choice wrt a school as local schools are oversubscribed. Dd2 is due to start school next year, and I am constantly agonising over where to send her.
Our local school is superb. Great OFSTED, great results, and it is local. Dd1's school is a bit crap - nobody from there ever seems to get into the selective highs in the area and the teachers are pretty hit-and-miss too. It is a beautiful school though - lovely landscaped gardens, excellent quality of equipment and classrooms etc. The sort of place you like to go to every morning. It is also very multicultural, which local school isn't. Dd1 loves it. She is down on the waiting list for the local school but now, 2.5 years on she doesn't want to move. I can't blame her, she's made lots of friends and formed associations with the school. Local school is tiny compared to her school, and quite old and tired looking (not that that matters obviously but she probably would take an instant dislike based on first impressions).
We have sort of decided that dd2 will go to the local school. It is miles better in terms of the education she'll be getting, and a good school all round (not having much of a cultural mix is the only negative, but that's unavoidable as it obviously just reflects the mix in the area), but I just can't get around the fact that they'll be in different schools. They are very close in spite of their 4 year age gap. Will they grow apart? They wouldn't have much in common to talk about when it comes to school isn't it, since they wouldn't know each others teachers or school events etc. And school is such a big part of their lives at this stage.
I remember reading on MN a poster saying that her ds and dd go to different schools and therefore are like two only children rather than siblings; this made me so sad for my dds. Even the littlest things are upsetting me. The fact that they wont have school photos together for example. It's crazy really, this has even been keeping me up at night. On the one hand I think why deny dd2 the chance to go to a really good school (dd1 didn't have a choice) and with much bigger options for secondary, and then I also think do I want them to grow apart in the process? They both want to be at the same school obviously. They'll only even be at the same school for a few years but I still can't decide either way.
Please tell me your stories. Good or bad.
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nothingofthesort · 30/12/2009 00:25
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