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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To Move Schools?

6 replies

ToMoveOrNotToMove123 · 07/10/2025 09:35

Help us out please we’re feeling very conflicted.

SCHOOL A -
• 250 kids,
• DD1 (yr5) 32 in class, DD2 (yr3) 28 in class, DD3 (yr1) 35 in class.
• DD2 has ‘got a name for herself’ from reception and has only with the current supply teacher seen any change which up until now has really affected her self esteem. Current teacher has identified and rectified the issues.
• DD1 is in a peer group with only one child going up to Secondary (majority going private) this will be most likely for the others too looking at where siblings etc are.
• Ofsted GOOD and it’s a really lovely school, the kids are all happy to go in.
• Very nurturing family atmosphere although not great parent-school links.
• Current friendship groups and we know the teachers and staff well.
• Fantastic trips and extracurricular.
• Location - walking distance (although we have to drive due to Secondary School run)

SCHOOL B -
• 80 kids
• Average 10 kids per year group
• Mixed age classes although taught separately for Maths and English
• OFSTED Good
• It seems very similar to current school just much smaller and more emphasis on outdoor learning.
• Feeds the secondary school and past years 100% of pupils have gone.
• Seem to have a good range of extracurricular (but obviously we don’t know until there)
• Location - 20minute drive from home but 5mins from the secondary we already drop at.

Our main reason for even thinking about this is that the class sizes seem to steadily be increasing (in just the last year they’ve doubled and become two form entry. Last year DD2 was in a class of 40).
DD2 would be able to make a fresh impression and our first would have just under two years primary left to make friends before having to go to an enormous secondary. We’ve also looked around several other schools and really disliked the larger ones. This was the only one we felt was better than current (which is very good) and would even be remotely worth the upheaval.
Thank you for reading any help or tips are really appreciated.

YABU - Don’t move
YANBU - Move

OP posts:
Bluevelvetsofa · 07/10/2025 10:48

I would be concerned about a primary school with only 80 pupils. Is it viable long term?

Infant class sizes are restricted to 30, so 35 is significantly more. If the numbers keep increasing, there will have to be some adjustment of classes surely. What do the girls think?

ToMoveOrNotToMove123 · 07/10/2025 10:58

It’s federated with another local school so unlikely to close (within our time). I’d imagine it’ll be at risk of forming an academy but all small schools are.

They’ve split the 35 into two classes but are teaching them in together. So on paper they’re smaller but the reality is there’s been no change and they can now take more as technically it’s showing as two half full classes?

The kids are all scarily enthusiastic to move. Honestly I tentatively mentioned we were going to just have a look at others and felt slightly blindsided by their reactions.

OP posts:
Bushmillsbabe · 07/10/2025 11:03

That's huge classes. Up to year 2 they are capped and 30, and then 3-6 capped at 33. You said they split into 2 classes of paper, is there 1 or 2 teachers?
My girls have really thrived in classes of around 20. Classes which are very small provide limited social opportunities, classes which are too large impact in learning.
I would lean towards the smaller option I think.

Hankunamatata · 07/10/2025 11:07

Id stay put. Better the devil you know.

I think you would be doing oldest child a disservice moving them now

Id be worried about friendship issues in classes that size

ToMoveOrNotToMove123 · 07/10/2025 11:36

Bushmillsbabe · 07/10/2025 11:03

That's huge classes. Up to year 2 they are capped and 30, and then 3-6 capped at 33. You said they split into 2 classes of paper, is there 1 or 2 teachers?
My girls have really thrived in classes of around 20. Classes which are very small provide limited social opportunities, classes which are too large impact in learning.
I would lean towards the smaller option I think.

There’s actually no cap 3-6 which is incredibly worrying.

Technically there’s two teachers, but one teaches them all maths and the other teaches them all phonics.

OP posts:
ToMoveOrNotToMove123 · 07/10/2025 11:37

Hankunamatata · 07/10/2025 11:07

Id stay put. Better the devil you know.

I think you would be doing oldest child a disservice moving them now

Id be worried about friendship issues in classes that size

What would be the disservice please?
We’d only been thinking of the fact that she’d have time to make friends as she won’t see her current ones after yr6?

OP posts:
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