Independent or state primary - I need to make a decision!
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modernista
- Posts: 302
- Joined: Wed Nov 03, 2010 12:03 pm
Re: Independent or state primary - I need to make a decision
Inaquandary,
Apart from all good points raised by earlier posters-
We put out DD in an indie because it had a longer day with excellent after school day care. She was dropped off and picked up from various extra curricular activities avilable on site till Year 4 when she walked back and forth from them as required. If an activity got cancelled, she simply went to the after school care and got fed.
What I think the indie did best was give my DD the oppurtunity to try, drop in and out of various activities till she made up her mind (I had to pay for all of them!). It depends on how much your DH can do whether he has a long commute as well etc.
I did try a nanny for a year but I feel while nannies are very convenient and time flexible (nurseries will charge you by the minute for every minute you are late after closing time), I feel my DD (only child) really thrived in the mixed age group of the after school care. People often remark how unlike an only child my DD is and how comfortable she is with younger children. This may be less relevant if you have two and they are younger.
Apart from all good points raised by earlier posters-
We put out DD in an indie because it had a longer day with excellent after school day care. She was dropped off and picked up from various extra curricular activities avilable on site till Year 4 when she walked back and forth from them as required. If an activity got cancelled, she simply went to the after school care and got fed.
What I think the indie did best was give my DD the oppurtunity to try, drop in and out of various activities till she made up her mind (I had to pay for all of them!). It depends on how much your DH can do whether he has a long commute as well etc.
I did try a nanny for a year but I feel while nannies are very convenient and time flexible (nurseries will charge you by the minute for every minute you are late after closing time), I feel my DD (only child) really thrived in the mixed age group of the after school care. People often remark how unlike an only child my DD is and how comfortable she is with younger children. This may be less relevant if you have two and they are younger.
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Inaquandry
- Posts: 8
- Joined: Mon Dec 01, 2014 8:45 pm
Re: Independent or state primary - I need to make a decision
Modernista - tbh I think that's what it's going to come down to with us - convenience and great after school care. The boys are close enough in age that they can be there together and really benefit from the activities and holiday clubs on offer. If the village primary offered and after sch club I think we'd stay - really tough decision.
As an aside - there's not much mention of the Indie in the Independent schools section....if anyone is local to north west kent/bromley and has a good view of the local schools would they mind a PM chat?
As an aside - there's not much mention of the Indie in the Independent schools section....if anyone is local to north west kent/bromley and has a good view of the local schools would they mind a PM chat?
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modernista
- Posts: 302
- Joined: Wed Nov 03, 2010 12:03 pm
Re: Independent or state primary - I need to make a decision
Inaquandary,
Can you in any way locally find parents of children who have been to the school. We went in blind because we lived at the other end of London. A few days before moving though, I met a granny of my DDs friend at a birthday party and she said her DD had gone to a GDST school and recommended it highly. Start talking about it and someone will know of someone.
Can you ask to see the aftercare facility in use? When we first saw the school, the after school care room had a big table in the centre, no kitchen and therefore a drink and biscuit as refreshment. It was then we got a nanny. During the course of the year, the afterschool care moved to another area, they had a kitchen where did some basic hot food and there were bean bags etc scattered around. For a while we had the luxury of testing it and then we fully converted to it.
School holidays are longer in indies but we found it easier to manage two extra consolidated weeks every year rather than shorter days.
I wish you all the luck in making what you fell is the best decision for your kids and hope everyting works out.
Can you in any way locally find parents of children who have been to the school. We went in blind because we lived at the other end of London. A few days before moving though, I met a granny of my DDs friend at a birthday party and she said her DD had gone to a GDST school and recommended it highly. Start talking about it and someone will know of someone.
Can you ask to see the aftercare facility in use? When we first saw the school, the after school care room had a big table in the centre, no kitchen and therefore a drink and biscuit as refreshment. It was then we got a nanny. During the course of the year, the afterschool care moved to another area, they had a kitchen where did some basic hot food and there were bean bags etc scattered around. For a while we had the luxury of testing it and then we fully converted to it.
School holidays are longer in indies but we found it easier to manage two extra consolidated weeks every year rather than shorter days.
I wish you all the luck in making what you fell is the best decision for your kids and hope everyting works out.
Re: Independent or state primary - I need to make a decision
You could also try asking in the Kent and Bromley sections on here.
The trouble with taster days for children at schools is that you don't get to see it properly for yourself on a working day. Yes, I think you should be taking a really close look at the aftercare and clubs when children are using them on a normal evening as this seems to be the biggest selling point for you ........ even better if you can do it unannounced but this probably is not practical.
The trouble with taster days for children at schools is that you don't get to see it properly for yourself on a working day. Yes, I think you should be taking a really close look at the aftercare and clubs when children are using them on a normal evening as this seems to be the biggest selling point for you ........ even better if you can do it unannounced but this probably is not practical.
