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Original poster

Which is the biggest school n the UK by pupil numbers?

69 replies

LittenTree · 14/03/2012 12:19

Just curious!

You'd need to say whether it's Y7-11 or 13, mind!

Ours is Y7-11, 280 per year, 1450 in the school but I know there are bigger ones.

OP posts:
UniS · 15/03/2012 22:52

ivybridge? The campus is VAST. takes about 10 mins from one end to the other, and its on a steep hill so you have to do loads of stairs. Ariel pic Is a bit out of date, sure there is at least one more building now. That car park just south of the sports fields ( in a housing estate) is a school bus holding area , the Car park north sports field is also a bus holding area at 8.30 and 3.30. Bedlam. The school serves an area of about 100sq miles and 14 feeder primary schools .

TalkinPeace2 · 15/03/2012 22:58

Litten
Th have timed it relative to walking down to Fryern and not coming back!
Mb only have one manky corner shop within walking distance
but yes, both have the no "off premises" rule and are aspiring enough schools that it works.
Ad yes, LOTS of lunchtime activities and a big field to spread them out onto.

DH today was at a "community" school in a grammar county that has grammars either side. He said it was "interesting"
we are SO lucky round here.

duchesse · 15/03/2012 23:12

Anyone said Exmouth yet? Many rural Devon schools are enormous.

TalkinPeace2 · 15/03/2012 23:14

many rural Devon schools are enormous
Hampshire ones are only smaller because they do not include years 12 and 13
over 3000 kids go to Peter Symonds - in two year groups!

duchesse · 15/03/2012 23:21

Talk- in Exeter city all the 6th formers go to Exeter College (all the secondary are yr 7-11 only) along with a fair number of pupils from outside the city, even from as far away as North Devon (DD1 has friends from Barnstaple and Bideford). I think there are 3500 at the college, possibly even 4000 if you count the part-time students.

On the subject of pastoral care, it has a very strong pastoral system: I've been very impressed by their combination of IT systems and tutors and the college just got an "Outstanding" across the board in its first surprise Ofsted inspection (as in- they got 15 mn warning of the inspection). So large doesn't always mean impersonal, and small doesn't always mean pastoral matters are better attended to- they're completely different beasts.

mummytime · 16/03/2012 11:36

DCs school takes 10 minutes from one end to the other, it's 1/3 of a mile I think, but it's certainly not the biggest school.

BonyM · 20/03/2012 13:10

Dd1 is in Whitchurch high in Cardiff - 12 form intake which makes it huge. Largest in Wales certainly. Split over two sites though (although they're both pretty vast!).

WillowFae · 23/03/2012 23:31

My secondary school had 12 forms per year (Yr 8-11) plus sixth form (but don't know how many that was). This was in the 1980s.

WillowFae · 23/03/2012 23:32

mummytime sounds like the size of mine. We HAD to have a break time between each lesson in order to actually get there.

DiscoDaisy · 23/03/2012 23:37

I used to go to Exmouth community college and it was huge. It used to take10-15 mins to get from one site to the other If the classrooms were at opposite ends of the two sites. My mum still lives in Exmouth. And she reckons it's over subscribed.

Devora · 23/03/2012 23:38

Are we only doing secondaries? My dd's primary school has over 600 children. It's an excellent school.

Olibees · 24/03/2016 20:15

Cardinal Newman Catholic School in Hove has just under 3100 pupils with around 400-440 in each year. I believe it is either the first or second largest school in the UK by size and number of pupils. It has around seven different buildings (all very large) eight if you include the Chapel, which is so large it is virtually a church. It has 4 fields 5 gyms and a very large sixth form college. It has around five or six different school buses. Cardinal Newman was the school in which Conor Maynard went to and many other famous people. It is a great school and a great sport with fantastic fundraising events which take place around Christmas and Lent and Easter for Mary's Meals and many other local, National and international charities. If you live in Brighton/Hove or any of the surrounding areas I would really recommend sending your child there as a secondary school.

Olibees · 24/03/2016 20:17

Cardinal Newman Catholic School in Hove has just under 3600 pupils with around 400-440 in each year. I believe it is either the first or second largest school in the UK by size and number of pupils. It has around seven different buildings (all very large) eight if you include the Chapel, which is so large it is virtually a church. It has 4 fields 5 gyms and a very large sixth form college which has 3500 pupils 4100 if you count part time. It has around five or six different school buses. Cardinal Newman was the school in which Conor Maynard went to and many other famous people. It is a great school and a great sport with fantastic fundraising events which take place around Christmas and Lent and Easter for Mary's Meals and many other local, National and international charities. If you live in Brighton/Hove or any of the surrounding areas I would really recommend sending your child there as a secondary school.

Olibees · 24/03/2016 20:20

Please ignore the first one, that was a misprint

Pointlessfan · 24/03/2016 20:20

There's a school in Birmingham with 2500 students. 1000 is considered pretty small!

FellOutOfBedTwice · 24/03/2016 20:23

There is meant to be a 16 form entry school opening in our neighbouring borough of Barking and Dagenham, details in this article. Some of the other schools mentioned here already are in the article too.

DKFalling · 24/03/2016 22:25

Peter Symonds College in Winchester has over 3700 students as of 2016, and is increasing intake for 2017. That's only across 2 year groups!

RhinestoneCowgirl · 24/03/2016 22:31

Devora our primary is around 780, when it's full capacity in two years time it will be up to 840.

JustWantToBeDorisAgain · 24/03/2016 22:51

Had Ivybridge's prospectus today PAN is 360 per year , and given that it is consistently achieving outstanding and children travel from Cornwall to attend I would imagine it is very close to PAN. Not sure what the sixth form PAN is.

Grelton · 25/03/2016 08:28

We have 2100 but are consulting about taking an extra class each year so that may well increase. But we have a green and pleasant campus with plenty of space. And a Head of Year and Pastoral Support for each and every year.

insancerre · 25/03/2016 08:38

The school at the end of my road has 1600 + pupils, lytham st Anne's technology and performing arts college

Which makes the roads a bit busy at certain times of the day

BikeRunSki · 25/03/2016 08:52

I was going to say Outwood Grange in Wakefield, but I have just looked up the number on role and it's 2150, which is tiny in comparison to some of the schools mentioned.

I went to Pimlico School in central London ion the 1980s. It claimed to have the highest pupil numbers in the UK at the time, which varied between about 2000-2200 whilst I was there. 9 or 10 form entry plus sixth form.

IdaJones · 25/03/2016 17:07

One of the most prestigious schools in Paris has got 3200.
en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lycée_Janson_de_Sailly

IdaJones · 25/03/2016 17:11

Dd's school has got 8 form entry. I like it as it gives them more chance of meeting a larger number of likeminded kids, which she has. Also a wider range of subjects. There are larger schools in the area which I'd be happy with for friendship and range of subjects.

minifingerz · 25/03/2016 19:55

Harris Academy South Norwood takes 390 year 7's each.