Warning- snob alert! Two good primary schools in SLOUGH offered ds a reception place in BOTH(!) Have to make a choice quickly! Lynch Hill School v Stoke Poges School? Please read my dilemma & advise

[dimwitmummy]

Blimmin long story, but I would reeeeally appreciate your wise views!

I applied to Slough Schools as well as schools in neighbouring Bucks. Namely, The Lynch Hill School(LHS) and Stoke Poges School (SPS). Both are equal distance from my house, main difference is, Lynch Hill is a 'foundation' school and Stoke Poges is not.

Initially I refused the offer from LHS, but somehow the LA didn't acknowledge it, and LHS sent me a letter the other day welcoming ds to their school! I was confused and after a few phonecalls discovered, BOTH schools are expecting him! I always wanted Stoke Poges School..cos it's in a posher area , but now that i'm being given a 2nd chance..I think I made a mistake the 'first' time round.. and feel that I may wanna get him into Lynch Hill..SO confused(!)Both schools are the same distance away (either direcion) from my house.

I'm fairly new to the schooling system and don't have much knowledge bar what I have read in the Ofsted reports and from what I've seen on BBC's league tables for performance. Lynch Hill ranks slightly higher, despite being located in Britwell - an area in slough which is very run down and has a reputation to match, if not worse.

I called both schools asking if I can visit them, but both have too much on and invited me in on a 'set' day in mid-June, but I need info before that, as I need to give one place up! We drove to both schools on different mornings to see the type of people who's children attend these schools.

Lynch Hill had a majority of white children (25% from ethnic backgrounds ) it's located in a not-so-desirable area.. whereas Stoke Poges had more Asian children. (not racist in anyway, we are part of the ethnic minority)and is in a pretty 'wealthy' location. Both schools parents looked like professionals and all of very smart appearance. Just wanted to get a feel of things. Lynch Hill has more activities in its playground and a lot more space. Some people I spoke to said how SPS (Stoke Poges School) has gone 'down hill' and isn't what it used to be, whereas LH (Lynch Hill has improved)

The only reason why I didn't opt for LH before was due to it being located in an area renouned for racism/ bad manners/ lower class/ high unemployment and single parent households. I was under the impression that the school wouldn't be up to much as the children attending would be that of the locality (chavvy) and at the risk of sounding like a right snob (apologies, but i just want best for ds) i rejected their offer of a place given to ds... But the school scrubs up very well in reports etc.

Ds is very adaptable, makes friends easily and would be happy wherever, I'm sure. It's just me who is confused. Anyone here advise me of what I should do?

Would you send your child to a 'foundation' school in a crap location as opposed to a run of the mill state primary? Do kids do better at these funded schools? If the school was in a tripe area, would the kids attending it be influenced adversely...I feel like I'm looking a gift horse in the mouth. Anyone have experiences similar...gawd, im so confused

WWYD?
please advise, i'm desperate!

Stoke Poges School Ofsted Report and the league table here
Lynch Hill Ofsted Report and the league table figures here

[dimwitmummy]

riven, ds will attend this school till 11, and tbh, both are too far to walk to alone, and on the bikes, both are very easy to get to (cycle tracks, straight roads) if only the travel/ transport thing made a difference but it doesn't..can't find any factors apart from the above to help decide..

[MumInBeds]

Are either of them a feeder school to a secondary you would rather him go to?

[colditz]

Don't send your child to the school where the children of single parent households go, he'll catch a tapeworm and start dropping his aitches.

Plus, the children of single parents have enough to contend with without having to re-educate your son out of the disgusting bigotry he is bound to have picked up from home.

[dimwitmummy]

ooh, i hadn't thought of the feeder scholl thingie.. no idea on that one. just googled it but to no avail.. saying that, if the grammar schools are still around, i'd hope for them. slough still has 12+/ 13+ exams so that determines where the child will go..pass= grammar, no pass= normal secondary

[dimwitmummy]

coldits, thanks for the input. I wont rise to it i didn't mean to cause offence re. single parent households etc, so i apologise for offending. I myself have been bought up in one (untill i was 14 and mum remarried)- it's more the other factors- if you lived around this area, i'm sure you'd understand.

[dimwitmummy]

riven both are about 2miles. maybe i'm finding it hard to picture him walking alone as he's a tiny sized 4year old. Saying that..i think we walked to school alone at that age..

[colditz]

I live in an extremely similar area and my children attend a school that is mainly fed by single parent households.

I understand perfectly ... you don't want your children to mix with children who only have one parent at home. You have decided that children like mine are something you don't want your child to experience.

Which is your choice - however, you can't deny that it's a bigoted choice to make, to decide that children will somehow make your child's experience of school worse because their daddy moved out 3 years ago.

[DecorHate]

What are class sizes like? The Lynch Hill data suggests there are over 30 in each form which isnot good but Stoke Poges may be undersubscribed which would also be worth looking into reasons why....

Have a look at the LA websites andsee if they have data to show how many people have been applying in recent years.

There is a school near us which gets great SATs results and Ofsted reports but is perceived as undesirable by parents due to location and other factors. Lots of schools in deprived areas have been allocated more resources in recent years. I would also look at the SEN figures for Lynch Hill - they look very high - I am
impressed they get such good SATs results in spite if this - might be worth delving a bit deeper

[Smithagain]

Yes, I send my children to a school in an area which is perceived as highly undesirable by lots of parents. It's a lovely school and has all sorts of things going on, some of which only happen because of the extra resources that they attract because of the high percentage of children with special needs.

Purely on the rather shallow grounds of their websites, my gut reaction would be that Stoke Poges looks fine and dandy, but a bit dull and maybe resting on its laurels. Lynch Hill looks like a really creative place - nice displays and a fab website with lots of news and a fun, child-centred approach to life.

[Clary]

I'm sorry OP you do sound like a snob - but at least you are upfront about it!

Foundation school is just another way of saying a state school that is not Voluntary Aided, which a lot of church schools are.

AFAIK there is nothing very remarkable about being a foudnation school so don't get hung up on that.

It's a shame that you didn't visit both schools in Sept/Oct when they would probably have had open days, as that is the best way to get a feel of a school.

Can you even ring up and have a brief chat to either head? From what others and you say I might be inclined to go for Lynch Hill. It's a big big school isn't it - if that bothers you. That is a very very good Ofsted report tho. Mind you both reports 2 years old so not to be relied on so much maybe...

[Clary]

Sorry I meant to amend my post as it's a bit glib about a Foundation School. What I meant was that being foundation or community school doesn't make a lot of difference to the overall way the school works IME.

[autodidact]

I didn't realise Slough had any posh parts.

Why don't you toss a coin?

[Smithagain]

Coming back now having glanced at the Ofsted reports. It is very, very hard for a school to get an overall "outstanding" rating with a high proportion of special needs children. The system is stacked against such schools achieving grade 1s. So Lynch Hill is doing very well indeed.

[HeavyMetalGlamourRockStar]

Think I'd go with Lynch Hill - to be successful in a deprived area is a bigger challenge and to be shows better teaching. My dc goes to a middle class school where quite a lot of work is done by tutors and parents and the teaching is pretty average but they get great results.

[Clary]

Yes Riven I'm a bit surprised by that too.

I live on the edge of a big town and if I was looking at schools 2 miles away I would be skipping past at least one school in every direction.

[seeker]

I would never send my child to a school I hadn't visited.

You cannot POSSIBLY know which school would suit you and your child better without seeing it in action.

[seeker]

Don't take no for an answer. SATS are over - ask to go and visit both schools next week.

[edam]

Because she lives in Slough and some of the schools are a bit, um, ropey? (My SIL and BIL live in Slough, btw.)

[FanjolinaJolie]

I wouldn't pay any attention to league tables.

Read Ofsted reports but the main thing IMO is your gut instinct to what the school is like.

And driving two miles each way twice daily is a small sacrifice if it's a school you love.

[mrz]

Riven schools should only enter children into the SATs (Y6) if they are working at level 3 (the tests are level 3-5) or above otherwise they are recorded in the SAT data at the level they are working at (teacher assessment) and are most definitely included in the picture.