To send my child to a school with 8 classes per year

[Mabelthebore]

This is a high school. It has a very good reputation but I am concerned about the huge size of the school. I believe there are 24 kids per class (8 classes per year group). Other alternative school has only 2 classes per year group, mixed reports about it and not as wide variety of subjects as the bigger school. I fear my daughter might be a bit lost in the big school. She is coming from a small village junior school.

That would be too large in my opinion but you know best how your daughter would cope in that environment

Seems quite normal to me.

I’ve taught in schools with 8 class cohorts. They are big, but each teacher only has to learn their own classes just like everywhere else. I remember standing watching Y9 do SATs after working there for 3 years and I knew them all. Wouldn’t worry about it I don’t think.

Ours went from a one form primary to a 9 form comp.
They were both fine and thrived on the variety of clubs and activities on offer.
2 form is too small to make sports teams, choirs et.

I'm in a city where that's very normal. They have form teachers and class for some continuity and quiet spaces for lunch etc. Means there's lots of choices for friends, clubs and classes etc.

Totally normal and what I teach in

Sounds normal to me for secondary - some of mine went to one with 10 firms per year.

My kids go to a secondary with 250 children per year group. They have loved the opportunity to find their tribe and all the subject options and clubs that were on offer.

Having gone to a small high school (87 in my year) I would avoid the small school. While the teaching was good socially it was hard if you stood out in any way (I was smart and so was the bottom rung of the social ladder).

For secondary school it's completely normal. Mine had 12 forms per year.

Is this a secondary school with children aged 11 and over?
Absolutely normal, if so.
For example, I went from a primary school of two classes per year, to a High School with 14 classes (from memory). Intake of about 360 kids. Went from a small town school to a big town High School, about 7 or 8 miles away.
It was fine.

My son goes to an 8-form entry grammar school and we were initially worried, since he came from a one-form primary. But it's been completely fine. The site is large enough to keep the younger years in their own areas so it doesn't really feel so large. He's very happy there.

It's fine. 2 forms is very small to make friends. Their friendships and interests change of time and its easier to find your tribe in a bigger school.

I have worked in a good school with 8 classes per year and also three classes per year.

There will be more opportunities in the larger school for different clubs. (More teachers to run them equals more options).

In both schools there would be a form tutor who would ‘look after’ your daughter. I would go for the one with the better result’s especially if they have maintained good results for a few years.

Perfectly normal size year group in our city where the majority of kids come from one or two form entry primaries.

I thought 8 classes per year was the norm in secondary schools - the one I went to had 8 and it was fine. My daughter goes to one with 6 per year and it’s regarded as a ‘small school’

We have a school locally with 50 children per year. They all have to do exactly the same GCSEs (no choice) as its the only way the timetable works.

Sevondary schools sound massive but its not as bad as it first seems... year groups are split down, maybe different lunch times for different year groups, and a lot more facilities.

I went to a rural primary with fewer than 40 pupils in the whole school to an 8 form secondary. It was a blessed relief for me. My DC (at different schools) are both in year groups with 8 forms of 30. It's the norm where we live.

The range of sports and other clubs on offer is amazing. There wouldn't be the staff or interest in a smaller school to accommodate them all.

Obviously depends on the child, too, but I would see it as normal and positive.

One of my schools was 10 form entry. Another was 6 form entry and that was regarded as a small school.

Agreed. Around here every secondary school is at least 8 forms some are 9 and one is definitely 10 and that's with 30+ in each form.

Although we have several primary schools that are 4 and 5 form entry so 8 form for secondary seems perfectly fine.

That's less than 200 kids in a year group.

Perfectly fine and normal.

I went to a school that must have had about the same. It was good. 2 is far too small for senior school. My nephews & nieces go to those same school now & it's 3-4 times as many!! It's huge.. they've had a lot of opportunities. & they've all come through the local small infants/jumiors. No problem adjusting. It's just a bigger group of people to be friends with 🤷🏻‍♀️

That is smaller than every mainstream comp in our area.

Most schools round here have 8 to 10 forms with 30 kids!

So 24 kids and 8 forms is lovely and small!!!

That's a perfectly normal school size.