To send my extroverted DC to a tiny village school?

[hibbledibble]

I'm thinking of moving rurally.

We currently live in central London and eldest DC goes to a 2 form entry school with classes of nearly 30 (school is undersubscribed). She is an extrovert and very social and active.

We are thinking of moving very rurally, where the entire school will have less pupils than in her year. There will be small (circa 10-15 pupils) composite classes.

To me this sounds great to have such small class sizes, but I'm not sure how she will find the change, and the social side. I also wonder what the reality of such a small school is.

Is this an entirely nutty idea?

You will have to accept it.

It’s one of the reasons we didn’t choose rural but rural-ish. I grew up needing a parent taxi and hating it. I knew I didn’t want my DC to have that experience as teens or as a parent to be the taxi (too selfish). Everything else about rural village life I’d be up for, but not that so it heavily influenced our house buying in the end.

If you move from London (are you a native city dweller?) then you’ll probably be appalled at the state of public transport in the provinces.

Tbh, I was moved from London to a tiny village/ hamlet when I was a kid and was so miserable I ended up at my nan's in London for most of 6th form...

I think the main problem was having to rely on parents for lifts everywhere - there wasn't even a village shop where I moved to. The secondary school was in a town half hour drive away, and I felt really left out of the social life there, and I guess it won't be long before your children are at that stage.

Sounds sensible to get out of London, and I understand you are looking for rural location but the only advice I would give is to look at public transport in the area! If I was just in the bigger next village which had a station and a bus route, that would have been so much better.

Our school is tiny - 34 in total across an infant and a junior class - and the plus is that the pupils all get a very individual education. The more able are stretched, and there is plenty of support for those that need it like my ds. It is a very nurturing environment and the teachers really get to know the pupils when they have them for years.

I am worried about his transition to high school in 18 months, especially as all his friends are in the year below, but all the village schools around here are the same (I send him to cubs in town to widen his social group). Our previous leavers all appear to be doing well in their new schools so I might be being a bit precious.

You say you hope the school would set based on ability.

A) Hardly any primary school does, in my opinion.

B) Why don't you contact the school and find out, rather than just hoping?

London schools are some of the best in the country. Rural schools are facing a lot of problems with funding. Tiny schools like the one you describe in your OP are closing at a rate of knots because the expense of running them is becoming increasingly unjustifiable.

Be very sure that the grass is greener before you make the move.

Where my mum and dad live the bus only runs one day a week. One into town at about 11, one back about 5. Other than that you’re on your own!

The nearest shop is a 15 minute drive away. I dreamed of nipping out to buy magazines or sweets or phone credit.

The wi-if is also really dodgy, but there are some hot spots in the village. This means groups of teens congregating in odd places. There’s also pretty much NOTHING to do, so every now and again some poor kid will drink too much cider and set fire to a haystack, or worse, decide to drive home after getting pissed because there’s no taxis unless you book 3 days in advance, and total their car down a dark country road.

Have you ever watched the BBC faux doc called This Country? It’s hilarious but it rings true in some ways, especially for how life can be for young people in small rural villages.

There are of course a million plus sides to the move but I would say do it soon if you’re going to. All of the above is quite bearable as a kid if you’ve never known any different, but 7 is imo close to the age where she’ll start to take city life for granted!

@hiddledibble Another relevent point is that dd is academically very able. I wonder if composite classes (mixed year groups) would allow her to work with older children on more advanced work.

I think this can happen - I remember our top class was a few year fours, year 5s and year 6s. I was one of the year fours, and ended up with groups in year 6s, but this meant I ended up basically repeating 2 years, and by the end I was incredibly bored. (At one point I was officially moved up a year, but it was decided I wasn't socially ready for secondary school).

I've just realised, this was like 16 years ago though! hah

@ReggaetonLente

Hah, that sounds EXACTLY like my parents place - tho there you actually have to call the bus prior and make a special request that they stop at their local stop.

That show was hilarious, brought back awful memories.

There's rural and rural. I live in a village and yes, the bus service is non existent after 7pm (although pretty good before then) but people share lifts etc. We factored in being a taxi service prior to moving.

Our wifi is very good. Our village has a shop, a cafe, and a GP surgery. Some villages nearby have more facilities, some less.

We don't regret living rurally because our quality of life is good. However, I would say look carefully. I really wouldn't go too small. Our dc went to.the local secondary which had an intake of 11 classes per year. They coped really well with the change because the secondary did loads to prepare them for the transition.

I would ask.any primary you're considering how they cope with composite classes and how they prepare the kids for transition to secondary school.

I went to a small rural school, but I knew most of the class when I started. I loved it, but high school was a big adjustment, more could've been do to adjust to thousands of pupils in a school rather than 70... But I'm an extrovert and I thrived.

Are you sure a rural area would suit you? You've already made judgements about the people who live there. There are different kinds of people everywhere. Do you not think the teaching standard is as good?
Can you take your daughter to look round the school, see how she feels?

Just seems such a drastic move. You don't need to live in a field and go to a school with 4 other kids in it to avoid drugs and gangs. If you do go extreme rural from London my advice don't burn bridges, rent not buy, keep jobs etc.

We moved from a larger state primary in the UK to a tiny rural primary in Australia. My two DD's have slotted in wonderfully.

My gregarious younger child is extremely popular and sociable as she was in England.

That doesn't just go away...if a child is naturally outgoing, they remain so.

We've found no issues with claustrophobia and both children love the fact that their friends can call for them...they can also walk to the local shops and cafe easily to meet up. Mine are 13 and 10....the youngest was 7 when we arrived.

Oh and read Amanda Craig lie of the land - black comedy / murder mystery about a London family that move to the sticks it's pretty good

We moved out of London but to a town. Family are in a tiny rural village.

If I had the chance I would go for a village but not one with composite or tiny classes.

We're in a larger school and because there's more in a year they can set for maths etc as more teachers etc. In a small school you're trying to differentiate 6 ways instead of 3 and you don't have other teachers to take some of the sets (our students move classrooms).

Friendships - I initially envied the tiny school where everyone knows everyone but if theirs onlky 3 girls in your "year" and the other 2 don't like you you're stuffed.

Can be very cliquey. Great if youre part of that but theres nowjere to hide or go if you fall out with other children (or parents!)

Clubs - we have tons! Small school physically can't put tons on.

Small school does look so pretty though but I wouldn't choose it if I had an option of a bigger one. If there's no option then you make the most of it!

I've met lots of people that have moved here from London and love the different life - but we aren't properly rural!

yawning what makes you think I have made judgements about the people that live rurally?

Part of what I love about this potential move is that the people are so friendly and welcoming.

In regard to the funding, this rural school is in Scotland. I'm not sure if that makes a difference, but generally Scotland seems to be better funded.

The lack of public transport is a really good point. I'm a native Londoner, but ready for a change. Perhaps we should move to be on a bus route.

Please don't underestimate the culture shock of moving from central London to somewhere very rural, especially if you are a native Londoner. It is one of the most extreme cultural contrasts that you can find within the UK.

I think it's easy to forget when you're used to the urban sprawl of London that it's possible to live in a fairly rural village within striking distance (and crucially, with decent public transport links) of most of the major cities in the UK.

*yawning what makes you think I have made judgements about the people that live rurally?

Part of what I love about this potential move is that the people are so friendly and welcoming*

That in itself is a judgement - I live in the countryside and I can promise you that there is just the same proportion of people who keep themselves to themselves as in the cities.

You seem to have a very idealised version of country life, with very little understanding of any of the practicalities.

I think you would be far better off in a nice small town, which would still be surrounded by countryside with cycle paths galore, than going from one extreme to the other.

My children are at what used to be tiny (Y6 of about 8-10 kids) but recently has become mid-sized with 2 classes in most year levels, class sizes from 12-18. All the evidence we have is that children who move into the bigger high schools thrive. Many of the current Y6 cohort (24) will move to schools with 150 or more per year level and all the evidence is that past students are thriving, the small primary giving them skills to cope well with the shift.

I think tiny schools can be amazing, but sometimes you get lucky and have a great cohort and teacher and sometimes it just can’t be made to fit, despite accomodations. I’d never move somewhere knowing that if a school turned out to not suit your child there was no alternative.

We live very rurally, small school although not as small as you mention (one form entry but not composite classes).

It is great for young kids, especially playing out, green space, neighbor kids calling, trees to climb, but by secondary age they want to move to a town and start talking about mopeds..

A lot of rural teens are involved in road traffic accidents. That seems to be how rural teens die. I'm already worrying about the cars full of kids as soon as a peer gets a driving license, or someone's big brother... We'll drive our kids everywhere and be taxi at 3am because you have to if you choose to live in the middle of nowhere with mid to older teens.

I grew up very rurally, my parents thought they'd given me some kind of wonderful gift but there were no kids my age within walking distance. I asked to go to boarding school and once I finished school I never went back for more than a week's visit, stayed in my uni town to work during the holidays, and moved abroad straight from uni, returned after a few years and moved straight to London.

Rural might be great for a 7 year old but in 4 years she'll be 11 and very likely to be frustrated by beingfar from secondary school friends and having to endlessly weedle for lifts or feel left out.

Move to a town.

People talking about being able to walk to local shops and cafes are talking about towns - that's what you want for kids over 10 ish.

London totally rural should be interesting.We live in a small town,3 buses a day non on a Sunday.I am a taxi service.
You'd think cycling would be a good way for kids to get around but nowadays there is so much traffic,no cycle lanes but lots of narrow twisty roads.
I love it here but my teen less so.