AIBU to consider an outdoor primary over our local school?

[Welcomehat]

DS goes to a forest school at the moment , he’s nursery age. We removed him from a traditional nursery setting as he didn’t settle and was miserable. He’s absolutely thriving in pretty much every area now and most importantly to us, an incredibly happy child.

We’re starting to think about schools and we have the option of an outdoor primary school which isn’t too far from us. A lot further than our local primary but doable.

The main thing that puts me off our local school is the number of children. I know this is typical in every school but 30 kids to 1 teacher just seems crazy to me. There are 2 intakes so would be 60 in his year. He is quite reserved and doesn’t do well in large groups so I feel like he’d struggle to cope being heard with 30 children. Plus the added issues schools are facing, lack of funding, lack of SEND support etc

I also have reservations about the outdoor primary though, we’re quite a ‘normal’ family and I don’t know if it’s just a bit out there for us. I also worry as it’s not mainstream or the norm may struggle in later life, I haven’t really thought as far forward as secondary school. I know this set up is more common in some Scandinavian countries though.

Looking for some advice or opinions that I may not have thought of yet. Trying to rule it in or out as an actual option for us.

Is this a state school?? Or private? I’ve never heard of a state run ‘outdoor school’ How far away is it and what are its admissions criteria? Would you even get a place?

Look at the children in y5/6 in both schools.
The school isn't only for yR, it is until age 11.
Which type of child would you like yours to be?

I wouldn't worry about size, DS' school is 4 form intake and it seems like there's economy of scale, they have a whole day of first school once a fortnight and there are 1.5-2 TAs in every class plus the teacher, they also have excellent SEND provision and classes where those with the higher needs are and then come into mainstream for some lessons with their 121

I've never heard of a state run outdoor primary is it a private school?

I agree with the poster who said look beyond him being 4. Will the setting still be best for him as he gets older. Also don't dismiss the negative of having smaller cohorts. A handful of children at 4 seems cute and nurturing but as they get older it can become stifling, suffocating and lonely.

I don’t want to say exactly where we are as it may be outing.
But we’re in the UK, he manages fine outside in appropriate clothing so this isn’t an issue.
No it’s fully outside, learning is done in an outside forest environment. It’s not a case of popping out the classroom for an hour.
Sorry should have said it is private not state run.

So 60 children in each of 7 year groups-560 children, all outside??
Very difficult to believe such a place exists in uk!

The two form entry OP was concerned about was the local primary not the outdoor school.

You are focusing on what’s best for your 4/5 year old. Remember there are another 6 years of school after that and the primary curriculum these days is no walk in the park (pardon the pun). I would be heavily scrutinising the outcomes of the children at the outdoor school.

If it's class sizes you're worried about, and you can afford this private outdoor provision, why not send him to a traditional prep school?
My children go to one with its own massive woodland area and river and have loads of outdoor lessons.
Might be a good solution?

I think is easy to be swayed when the options are state Vs private. If you are considering a private school though it seems unusual that you wouldn't consider a private school with excellent outdoor provision as the best of both options?

I’d be worried bout stormy days and trees falling.. or tree limbs falling..if it was fully outside.. like how do they manage when it’s lashing rain all day etc.. also wood smoke is bad for your lungs..
can you find a smaller more rural school with smaller class sizes who do forest school?

I think full time outdoor school sounds great! I would have loved that as a child and it will be great from a physical and mental health perspective.

I also think in a world of AI, and with the effects of climate change likely becoming more noticeable/extreme in your child’s lifetime, outdoor skills and resilience will be even more important.

So, I’d be tempted to do it at least for the next couple of years while he’s still young.

You may just need to be prepared to put in a bit more effort as parents to ensure he meets standards academically if the school isn’t doing it.

I’d do it for my kids if there was a local option, and I’m very mainstream and believe strongly in academic learning.

Location is such an important factor with schools, depending on distance I would go with the closest school. More independence as they get older.

It sounds lovely 😍. However I would be cautious. Local Schools are bigger,but DC have the benefit of meeting and playing with children locally. As they get older .meeting after School. Also how far is the forest school.As you say you are not an alternative family. So you would have less in common with other parents. Your LO is still small.Do some research and maybe go along to any open days to see what it's like

I’ve just found a school that is all outdoors and I wonder if it’s that one - they do have a ‘den’ which presumably covers bad weather options.

It all sounds insufferable if I’m honest. The SEND “offer” just regurgitates what SEND actually is and something very generic. If it also has a secondary attached, I’d be very careful about the curriculum. It’s all very lovely but make sure you agree that their version of “preparing them for the modern world” is what preparation for adult life actually looks like.

Generally, how far away do the other children who attend the outside school live? Will he have a chance of making local friends. How big is the intake?

Although I understand the concerns about the 60 intake it can really help with friendships, more chance of finding your own tribe. We go to a local primary and it’s so good having local friends- my eldest is 11 and always has people to go to the park/ shops with and can independently get to most of her friends houses.

I live in the NE and it rained almost every day between Christmas and the end of February. I'm not sure how being outside all day every day would work. The kids and teachers would be cold and wet, even in the most appropriate clothing? Cold is one thing, but horizontal rain and wind??

Can’t think of anything worse than being outside all winter year in year out. We have horses so it is a case that we have to be but at least we are warm for much of the day at school/work. Maybe ok at 3 but can’t imagine many 10 year olds enjoying it. I think the intake doesn’t make much of a difference- dc will still have their own class, there will be TA’s, a good teacher won’t ignore a child or let them slip under the radar just for being quiet and often the dynamics of smaller schools make friendships more tricky when there is fall outs etc. If the school is awful and you really want the small class sizes then maybe look at an independent school but I’d certainly not sign mine up for years of being outdoors during rainy Uk winters

I am not sure how outing it is to say you live in commuting distance of Morden, but somewhere like this? https://www.libertywoodlandschool.com/

No, I wouldn’t. It’s great that children have time outdoors in their lives but an actual outdoor school would be miserable in the Winter and I very much doubt it would prepare them for life.

Most (all?) primary schools have a version of Forest School/Wild Tribe/Outdoor skills now. Your concerns about the number in the year aren’t really relevant, and, indeed, as you say your DC has a problem with large groups of people, it would actually be beneficial for him. He needs to learn to deal with all situations not just ones that consist of small numbers of people outside in quietness.

I’m sure the Outdoor School sounds all so very romantic and lovely, but it’s a bad idea IMO and will almost certainly affect your DS’s academic and social development.

Appropriate clothing yes but if it’s torrential rain all day long or freezing temperatures there needs to be some kind of indoor area. They can’t sustain that all day long even in appropriate clothing.

What about when they’re a bit older and need to be actually doing a fair bit of writing - how does that work on a day of non-stop rain?

This.

Also, a school with more children offers them opportunities for more competitive sport, different friendship groups etc.

When DS was at nursery we seriously considered a teeny local village school (indoors obviously) that had a total of 40 children. It was adorable and felt 'safe' for our then 3 yo. I'm SO glad we saw sense, and went for a regular school (only 1 class per year, and to be honest by Y5 that started to feel too small) as it gave him many more opportunities that he'd have missed out in in the tiny school.