Grant village school help

[Becksw115]

We are moving to Tunbridge Wells and I am struggling to find primary school places for my girls. I am looking wider, at the village schools. Does anyone have a view on Frant village school please. They sound lovely but I am unsure about the teaching 2 year groups in each class. Does anyone have experience of how this works in practice please. We are going to visit but I’d love anyone’s thoughts or experiences. Thanks so much

Op your title says Grant, which might mean you won’t get the right responses.

Like differentiating for ability in a class for children born from September to August.

I know nothing about your area, but I went to a small school with 3 classrooms. My children had 4 classrooms. Mixed year group can work really nicely and is very normal in rural areas.

Eek how do I edit the post title? I can edit the main message. Can you tell it’s my first time posting!!

so each class spans two year groups. They teach year 1and 2 together, 3&4 together and 5&6 together. 15 kids in each year. My kids are old for their years so I am concerned it might feel slow for them

They usually have a biannual curriculum and differentiate. Plus, when your child is in Y5, for example, they get they get to experience being in the middle of the age range.

Report you thread, then a moderator can change it.

It works by the teacher setting appropriate work to the right groups for English and Naths, and the other curriculum subjects being on a two year cycle rather than a one year cycle.
Can be awkward if you have two children in consecutive years.
Schools have been doing it for years. I wouldn't worry about a school who is experienced in it, but would worry about one forced into it by falling rolls while they learn how to do it.

Most of the maths and English topics in primary are taught every year with it going that bit further each time. So whilst y5 and y6 may usually have 3 ability levels they probably have 4 with top y5 being the same as middle y6 etc. you do the y5 topics one year, the y6 ones the next year. In a school in a nice village with usually mainly very able kids it’s absolutely fine. Only downside can be friendships, if you fit then great, if you don’t there aren’t many others your age, 15 kids can easily be 5 or less of one sex in any year group.

Not really, because the National Curriculum lays down what children in each cohort (school year) should be taught. At the end of Y6 children have to take the SATS tests, but children in Y5 in the same class won’t take them for another year. Still, a good teacher who plans well and has a well-devised school curriculum can teach a mixed age class well.

I’ve known it be a disaster if you have a DC who is genuinely gifted, or I imagine struggling academically. Fab the year that they’re with the older children but sometimes difficult for the teacher to truly stretch them when they’re the oldest. I imagine so brilliant teachers can do it but I’m not sure it’s a bet I’d be willing to make (particularly with a bright but very happy to skate along doing the minimum child).

Thank you all. It’s really difficult, both girls are quite academic and find their current school boring sometimes. I can see the benefits when they are in the younger age group if they get exposure to year above subject matter and they currently have friends across age groups but I am worried about the years they are in the older year.