To be considering private school at reception?

[Aramist]

We live in a small village which happens to have a really good private school 5 minute walk away. We've looked round, talked with the teachers, done our research. Loved it.

We've also looked around the nearest state school, which is a 5 minute drive away. Also a nice school, headteacher brilliant. Lots of recommendations.

The thing is, even though we can comfortably afford it, the class sizes at the private school are tiny. We're talking maybe 6 or 7 kids per year group. I think there are something like 20 (if that) kids in the whole of key stage 1. I can see that being a lovely thing, family feel and the attention my DD will get would be great, but I worry about her socially as I can see her being a quiet and sensitive child at school.

With the state school, each year group has about 30. Big classes. I work in state and have a class of 30 and it's hard work, can be chaotic and I just can't give every child the attention they deserve. I'd also worry with her potentially being quite quiet she'd get a bit 'lost' in a big class like that, but at least she'd have local friends (not necessarily in same village though).

The other issue is if we moved house. Our house isn't necessarily our forever home but we're happy for now.

I'm torn. Any words of advice?

If you think it's so hard to choose, I'd say go with state school and save the ££

I'd only consider paying ££ for private school if I felt it would be money well spent

Unless you are absolutely minted, I'd save my money for secondary. I never understand why parents send their children to private nursery and reception - or even primary most of the time.

Children in reception are basically learning through play and in my experience they happily do this in the state system. State secondary schools are more hit and miss and I'd rather spend money (though I never had enough!) on making sure my children didn't get their education wrecked by disruptive fellow students at that point.

@CoffeeCantata your last point - that also happens in primary. Alot.

Starting with a disclaimer that I haven't read all of the responses.

The question in financially viability is entirely crucial. We experienced a small private school closing not long after we had moved our DS there. Your description is fairly reminiscent of that school, with particular regard to the smaller class sizes in the early years.

Previous posters have mentioned bullying and fall out being worse in smaller schools, I would agree with this. How much action is a school with so few pupils going to take?

It may be that your local small private school delivers everything we hoped ours was, but the reality we found was quite different. I had visions of a Blyton type affair, not teachers knowing every detail of theirs students lives (and gossiping about it), tennis courts that were forever 'due to be cleaned' and buildings on the wane.

Best wishes with whatever you decide, I'd definitely go for State in this scenario

I would consider 40 in a year group at secondary school to be too small tbh. But I’ve had a DC who has had lots of friendship issues so that colours my experience. I’ve also had kids in a very small primary school - it’s sweet when they are young but an issue in the later primary years IME.

I was attracted to one form entry/small class sizes when my kids were little. It is actually a long time to be stuck with the same group of children. One of my children had a couple of miserable years when the option to change class might have helped a difficult social dynamic.

If you really like the private school I might be inclined to try it for reception and KS1 where I think most kids are happy to make friends with whoever is there. And maybe look at moving to a larger school for KS2.

But would you pick this private school, with just 6 other kids in the class, over an outstanding state primary? (They do exist)

I personally wouldn’t.

How many do they need to offer a wide range of GCSE subjects, each taught by a specialist teacher? I’d guess more than 40….