Feeling nervous as you wait for school allocation day?

You’ve submitted your primary school application—now, the wait begins.

For many parents, this period is filled with anxiety. You might be worrying about: 🔹 Your child’s peer network—who will they befriend? 🔹 The logistics of drop-offs and pick-ups, especially if you don’t get your first-choice school. 🔹 How the school will fit into your family life.

But here’s something that might help you feel (at least a little!) more at ease…

Your child will experience up to seven different versions of the same school.

Think of primary school as seven smaller schools under one roof. 🏫🏠

Each year, they’ll have a new class teacher 👩‍🏫👨‍🏫, who will shape that class’s unique culture and dynamic. Some classmates might change, new friendships will form, and every year will bring its own atmosphere and rhythm. This means that, while your child stays in the same school, each year will feel like a fresh chapter 📖—with different challenges and rewards. 🏆

Schools are dynamic places, not static institutions.

On top of class changes, other factors add to the evolving nature of a school: 

📚 Curriculum changes—what’s taught and how it’s delivered shifts over time. 

👩‍💼 Staff turnover—teachers, teaching assistants, and leadership may come and go. 

🏫 School culture and policies—what a school is like today might not be the same in five years.

In fact, research suggests that the variation within a single school can be just as significant as the variation between different schools. 🏫🏫 In other words, the best and worst experiences your child could have at a single school might feel like attending two completely different schools!

So, what does this mean for you as a parent?

🎯 Manage expectations. No school is perfect. Even if you get your first choice, some years will be great, others might be tougher.

👫 Remember that schools are made up of people. While policies provide structure, the mix of teachers, staff, and students each year creates something beyond anyone’s control.

🛠 See variation as a feature, not a flaw. One of the key aims of education is to prepare children for the complexities of the real world 🌍—a world where circumstances constantly change. The ups and downs your child experiences in school are, in some ways, preparing them for life beyond the classroom.

And finally… a reality check.

The ‘Outstanding’ school with the brilliant headteacher and SENCO 🌟 you desperately want? Leadership can change. Policies shift. No school stays the same forever.

The data you’ve researched? 📊 It reflects the past five years, not the next five.

A

nd the toughest part? You’ll never truly know the counterfactual—what might have happened if your child went to a different school. It’s this uncertainty that creates so much stress for parents. 😓

That’s why it helps to focus on what you can control—your child’s confidence, curiosity, and ability to adapt. 🌱 Because in the long run, that will matter far more than any school ranking. You can read more about how I define the difference between school and education here.