Advice needed -school for my daughter! social or academic?

amother

Yesterday at 11:13 pm

I'm deciding between two schools for my 1st grade daughter and could use advice/insight/experience! We plan to be in our current city for at least 3 or so more years.

One school is a significantly better run, better staff, more creative, great learning, much more child-centric and happy etc... but has few girls that live in our neighborhood and the ones that do are not my daughter's type.

The other school has kids in the neighborhood -about 4 girls or so- whom my daughter likes and plays with (though none seem to be a best friend for her), but the school itself is shvach and I find them old-fashioned and a bit rigid. But kids there do seem happy and she will have good friends there.
She is a very social child and is super focused on that, though I would also like her to develop better skills at focusing and doing things that are hard for her and to love learning.

Appreciate all thoughts, especially personal experience! thanks!

amother

Whitesmoke

Yesterday at 11:20 pm

The better run school. That’s what I’d pick. If she’s social she’ll iyh have friends in her school and a well run school will also have a handle on helping the child's social development.

For the girls in the neighborhood who go to the other school, she can be friends with them out of school hours. Some of my dd’s best friends are the neighbors who all went to different schools.

TravelHearter

Today at 12:12 am

I would say the better run school, but try to put in effort on your end to have her interact to those girls out of school. Offer to drive to play dates, drive kids home from you if it’s far, etc.