Local school or "better" school?

**BuFfY** · 25th March 2009, 20:06

When enrolling your children in a new school, what factors do you take into consideration? Do you go to the local school because it is close, or do you look around and pick the school that you like best?
Does decile ranking/ roll size/ ethnicities within the school factor in your decision? Or is it all about the image of the school?

I teach at a very small school in East Auckland and I am very curious as to why parents decide on the school they send their child.

**jaymzw** · 25th March 2009, 20:15

I was sent to my school(still there) because of the Catholic Character. Im not Catholic and neither are my parents so whats up with that?
But the small roll (600 students) means everyone gets looked after. My school is decile 9 i think. To be honest i think my mother just didn't think she could trust me around girls. No decent reason to go there but i suppose as you have said my school has a high decile, small role size, a large variety of ethnicitys.

EDIT: and for the record i wouldn't say that my school would be any 'better' than other schools,

**JimO** · 25th March 2009, 20:21

my boys go to the local and closest school, the "best " schools arnt that far away but we decided that they will get the education they need without the old buildings etc. I asked their teachers and the headmaster at their intermediate school and they all said that if the boys want to do well at school they will do well werever they go. they are in the top class in their form and in the top of that class, one has been asked to put his name forward for head boy next year

**Mully** · 25th March 2009, 20:44

I went to the local primary schools - no point in polishing a turd.....

**BiK3RChiK** · 25th March 2009, 20:47

When it came to my childrens education, I chose the best available to me. We have a local College in our town, but no way are my kids going there! Rather, I sent them to a school in a neighbouring town 15 to 20 minutes away by bus that I have to pay for.

Always choose what's best for your kids IMO.

The options at the bigger, better schools were just so much better than the options at the local school, so opportunities at the better school are greater. Also, I have noticed that so much time and effort at the local school is put on drug control and teen pregnancies, etc.,, that my kids are far better served elsewhere, where numbers of brighter students are so much higher that the troublesome kids hardly get a look-in

**BuFfY** · 25th March 2009, 20:54

Originally Posted by BiK3RChiK

When it came to my childrens education, I chose the best available to me. We have a local College in our town, but no way are my kids going there! Rather, I sent them to a school in a neighbouring town 15 to 20 minutes away by bus that I have to pay for.

Always choose what's best for your kids IMO.

The options at the bigger, better schools were just so much better than the options at the local school, so opportunities at the better school are greater. Also, I have noticed that so much time and effort at the local school is put on drug control and teen pregnancies, etc.,, that my kids are far better served elsewhere, where numbers of brighter students are so much higher that the troublesome kids hardly get a look-in

What about for primary school? Hopefully you aren't speaking about that in your post!

**98tls** · 25th March 2009, 21:03

Interesting thread,many many years ago when 8 i was sent off to boarding school,big bucks,quality teachers blah blah blah,made no difference to be honest.Ive done well but looking back the school i went to decided nothing.

**sunhuntin** · 26th March 2009, 07:16

i think if i had kids, id move towns. i dont think id send kids to any school in this town. the primary ones are "ok" but the intermediate and high schools are shit. we have two intermediate options. rutherford, which is full of no hopers, and wanganui intermediate, which is full of the no hopers that rutherford didnt have room for. [plus the principal is a massive perve. was always looking at the girls legs when i was there]

we have one good high school, but thats like a couple thousand a term. the other schools are just shit. city takes the kids from rutherford, girls takes the leftovers from them, and so does high school. just yesterday a fight between city and high school girls put one in hospital. no way id send my kids into that environment.

hell... i think thats half the reason i dont want kids!

**MisterD** · 26th March 2009, 07:26

Originally Posted by 98tls

Interesting thread,many many years ago when 8 i was sent off to boarding school,big bucks,quality teachers blah blah blah,made no difference to be honest.Ive done well but looking back the school i went to decided nothing.

That's my feeling too, if your kid's smart and has the right support at home there's not a whole lot the school can add to or detract from the result. (Discounting the obvious ready-made influence network you get from somewhere like Grammar.)

There are good teachers in "bad" schools and crap teachers in "good" ones...however you want to define good and bad, although none of the information available to parents really enables you to judge. You may as well pick the one with the uniform you like the best...

**yungatart** · 26th March 2009, 07:31

I'm with Mr D on this (kind of)
My kids attended Catholic primary schools...but when it came to high Schools I chose based on the needs of the particular child. Courses available, the kid's personality and educational "must haves' (eg music, support for leaning difficulties etc)

**Tank** · 26th March 2009, 08:00

Originally Posted by BiK3RChiK

When it came to my childrens education, I chose the best available to me. We have a local College in our town, but no way are my kids going there! Rather, I sent them to a school in a neighbouring town 15 to 20 minutes away by bus that I have to pay for.

Always choose what's best for your kids IMO.

I agree. We are lucky in that our son is gifted smart. 18 months ahead in school. Topped out the class in every subject in the 'gifted' program that the school runs every year for the last 3 years.

Did the Australasian exams - finished in the top 1% of students for 2 subjects and in the top 5% in the other 3.

In a independent learning center at the moment and again coming at the top of the class.

Out local high school sucks. The next one that is OK is huge - and is the largest high school in NZ - so we know he runs the risk of being lost.

We have 2 private schools within 10 mins of the house. We are sending him to one of those - class sizes of 12 for selective classes (physics etc) and a max of 25 for core subjects (English etc).

The school dosnt do the NCEA which we like as we think that's a waste of time - (another thread that one) - they only do the Cambridge exams and come in the top 1% of all Cambridge schools in the world.

Unfortuantley last night I got told what it was going to cost. Me thinks that there are some big sacrifices coming up for the next 5 years.

and I've already been told that the second bike is a no-fricken-way.

**jaymzw** · 26th March 2009, 20:13

Originally Posted by Tank

Out local high school sucks. LONG BAY
The next one that is OK is huge RANGITOTO

We have 2 private schools within 10 mins of the house. We are sending him to one of those KRISTEN OR PINEHURST?

Yeah i agree about Long Bay,

And knowing some people attending Rangitoto i don't think it's much better especially as you said it would be so easy to "get lost in the system"

**Usarka** · 26th March 2009, 20:21

No point in spending shitloads on a quality education if your kid is not an academic, the school likely won't change much.

The major thing imho that separates an really expensive hoity school and an average+ decile public school is there is more chance of getting into an old-boys club so you can become company director or judge in 20 years.