To pull DD if the class is above 30 pupils?

[unicormb]

DD is down to go to the local primary v close to our home, when we visited before the summer we were told that this reception intake was a low birth year, and that as such there would be two smaller classes of 20 pupils, where there would normally be two classes of 30. This was painted to us as a good thing, and obviously it would be... if it were true.

All the paperwork came through at the end of term and it turns out there is only going to be one reception class after all. As an ex teacher my gut is telling me that due to budgeting they've decided to stick 40 kids in one class with one teacher and an extra TA, rather than splitting across two.

I don't want my child in a class with 40 other kids, especially for her very first year of school. 30/31 I accept as the norm, but over that I think it will be very very busy and confusing for her, she only just turned 4.

Apparently the teacher is ringing me this coming week (instead of home visit) WIBU to enquire on class numbers and de-register DD if they are intending to do as I feared? DD is summer born and I could have them home with me while we wait for a better placement to come up.

This is what I feel might be happening.

It's not KS1 though is it? It's EYFS.

Just ask them and go from there

And what if they say 'actually yes Unicormb, there are forty kids in this class this year'? That's kind of what I'm asking - WWYD?

The only allowed 30 in reception thing is news to me as when my DS started in reception in 2019, not long after we received an email stating that school intake is currently 33 per class but that they had applied to have this reduced to 30 max intake from the following year onwards? I’m in England

ICS is reception to year 2. Doesn't matter that reception is EYFS. I'm a other who thinks either they have only got 30 kids, or they're putting some in a year 1 class - given they've always arranged themselves as two x 20, they'll always have had to have mixed year classes and it won't be anything unusual.

In fact when they say 'there's only one reception class' - that might be literally what they mean, with any children above the 30 going into the year 1 class.

There would be no guarantee that the class structure would change in a year's time. And you would need to reapply for a deferred place.

You say 'so how are you intending to make sure that you keep within the legal limit of 30 and ensure standards of teaching are maintained?'

Reception counts as an infant class.

I could move her to any of the good schools nearby, there are quite a few.

Thanks @titchy

Or you could request that now. Just do an in year request and wait for a place to be offered.

They haven't always arranged themselves as 2 x 20 - in my OP I said that they told us they don't usually have low numbers and classes are usually 30. But this is a low birth year, apparently.

@unicormb if there are other good local schools around maybe that is what other parents have already done. Are there any private schools nearby too?

But I haven't found out what's happened yet. You're really confusing me. I don't want to pull her if she's in a class within legal limits. But if she is... WWYD?

Also if they only have one class now, and it's full, does that year group stay forever as one class while all other years have two? Do they create a splinter class as more kids move in or transfer? It's just really confused me.

I recall reading somewhere that class limits were changed during COVID, I hope that was temporary but I wouldn't put it past the government to sneak something like that in. They have form.

Am a little confused, on one hand you seem very concerned about your dd's education and yet you are sending her to school at just turned four. Why aren't you deferring her?

Ask in phone call - how many , ratios to staff, how they support younger ones etc
If not happy you can apply for another place this year but may be waiting and hold this place in meantime or try to apply for a deferred place in Sept 2023 at this or other schools

If the teacher confirms when you speak next week that there are more than 30 kids in the class make an immediate application to a different school. I'm not sure there's anything else you could do between now and getting the confirmation.

I've had a quick Google, think rules for eyfs and ks1 still stand but as academies can use who they like, it could be a case of one teacher for the two classes, with TA/Hlta support. I'd want to know the exact set up before making a decision.

You need to be clear how many teachers are there and how many TAs I can not and would not put my child in a class over 30.

if there’s 40 children there needs to be 2 teachers

To answer the question rather than insist you’re wrong yes, I’d pull her if this emerges to be the case.

I've worked in a class of 40 Primary One children, with two teachers. It was very well-managed, but what made it particularly difficult was having two extremely challenging pupils (both in need of constant 1:1) in this one class.
Had there been two classes, they'd have been split up.
So it's not so much the number of pupils, it's the mix of children in there. And the presence of a couple of additional support needs children can really tip the balance.