Choosing a primary school

If your child was born on or between September 1, 2019, and August 31, 2020, applications open today (Friday) for primary school places for September 2024 and close on January 15, 2024.

After recovering from the shock that your child will soon be old enough to go to school, it’s time to start thinking about the options. Before you begin, reflect on your priorities as a parent. What is important to you?

• Atmosphere and ethos: Do children appear valued and treated as individuals? What is their behaviour like? Is a religious school important to you?

• Convenience: How close is the school to home? What will the daily commute be like?

• Achievement: How well do students perform? Does the school have high expectations and do they make good progress?

• Curriculum: As well as the basics, what about music education, sports, and the arts?

• Facilities: Does the school have plenty of outdoor space? What are the classrooms like? What about shared areas, school hall, dining facilities and the gym?

• Before and after school: Do you need a breakfast or after-school club? If so, what options are on offer and what are the costs?

• Social: Will your child’s friends attend a particular school or are you confident they’ll make new friends easily?

There is plenty of information available to help you make your choice, including:

• National test results: Standard Assessment Tests (SATs) in reading, writing and maths, are taken in Year 2 (7-year-olds) and Year 6 (11-year-olds). Remember they don’t cover subjects like science, humanities, music, arts, or sports.

• Rating: Ofsted assigns ratings ranging from Outstanding to Inadequate. While the ratings and reports can be informative, remember they are Ofsted’s judgement, not yours, and their reports can be several years old.

• Reputation: Talk to other parents with children at the school. While their views are valuable, remember that your child’s needs may be different, and there may be changes in leadership and staff.

• Websites: School websites provide information on SATs, Ofsted reports, curriculum and extracurricular activities. Look at newsletters and event diaries that give insights into school life and communication with parents.

• School visits: Visiting a school, attending an open morning, or scheduling a visit is undoubtedly the most valuable step. This allows you to experience the school first-hand, meet the head teacher and staff and ask questions.

You can find a range of information about Island primary schools at iow.life/iwprimary.

If you are considering private education you can find reports at iow.life/iwindependent.

Good luck in your search.

Remember, you know your child best, so you are in the position to make the right choice for him or her.