school with 1 year group, that goes all the way through

[m4rypoppins]

it's boarding, 24 girls but all of the same age and in the same class. They move through the school together until they finish school, do exams, etc. then the next set is taken on.

Hypothetical, so please, please no arguing

Opinions?

What is your question? I don’t understand what the hell you’re on about.

One class, for 12 years? With no other year groups?

@Aceinthehole no other year groups, but not for 12 years - just from year 7 or so

So 24, in a year..... and?

So there are 24 girls in the whole school for 5 years and when they finish a new cohort starts?

@scrappydappydoo

Yes! Precisely.

So a school with only 24 pupils at any one time? Secondary school age, so wanting different teachers for different subjects?
And boarding school implies fee paying...

That doesn’t sound at all financially viable.

It’s a very odd way of running a school. Hypothetical or not.

Is this a book idea? It sounds impractical unless it's fiction!

Why would you want this?

@NightmareLoon

In what ways is it impractical except for the finances? (I hope this doesn't sound sarcastic or anything, it's not)

@ineedaholidaynow

Why wouldn't you (as in, personally)?

It would be impractical because you wouldn't be able to get subject specialists in to teach only 24 students! You also wouldn't be able to maintain boarding facilities for only 24 girls. There would also probably be social issues and it would be incredibly claustrophobic.

So how many options would be available?

How would fees cover the costs of all teachers? How many hours would teachers do each week? Would you have sufficient science resources/labs, how would you finance that? Running costs of the schools, how would you cover those costs with fees (can you tell I am involved with school finances!)

There would also be issues with lack of role modelling, inspirational figures- looking up to head of house/head girl/ captain of sports team etc. And the other way, takin responsibility for younger pupils-mentoring etc.

Also, I think it would be really odd There being no sense of following a path trodden by others eg being aware of the rhythms of school life- the years ahead of you sitting key exams, applying to uni etc.

I know it’s hypothetical, but the more I think about it the worse I think it is! Also, what if you didn’t like the other 23????

You mean 24 in the whole 'school' with a single intake at year 7 and no other admissions till that cohort had left 6 years later when the 'school' starts over.??

Madness.

How would the school function financially, educationally or socially?

The subjects on offer would be incredibly limited and taught by non specialists. The facilities would be limited. The students would be sick of eachother.
The same age restriction would make for a strange environment for all concerned.

Any point in going further?

Only 24 in a year group would be pretty claustrophobic socially, let alone the whole school.

Not enough players to form an orchestra, barely enough to play team sports again st each other let alone all the financial implications.

No specialist teachers- you couldn't afford them and they would be unlikely to want a job - who wants a 4 hours a week contract to teach say maths, or 6 hours a week for science?

Really odd idea....why on earth did you come up with it? What benefits do you envisage op, as I can't see any?

Um - you don’t get the ‘economies of scale’ that big (boarding) schools get. A lot of private and boarding schools have shut down because unable to get enough students and teachers’ salaries have increased. With a small yeargroup like that 1 or 2 students moving or quitting for whatever reason affects the finances and the whole cohort, so doesn’t sound v stable.

It’d be hard to keep knowledge up to date unless you’re hiring new teachers each year - otherwise you’d only do Y7 transition, GCSEs, A-levels, careers/university entrance guidance every 7 years. That’s hard for the teachers involved. Will they have the same HOY every year or would you employ a new one with experience of the relevant age group (I imagine being HOY to 11 year olds is different from 18yos)

It sounds very limiting, socially, academically, co curricular.

Very limiting. Not many in GCSE music, art, drama, sports teams - the stuff of school that helps it be less of a hot house atmosphere. The subjects that help with teambuilding and creativity would suffer. Hard to do an "ensemble piece" in music for instance with only one or two of you who are "musical".

How do you move class to get away from the group of 5 or 6 who are the class bully tag team?

Not enough children for a healthy schooling at all.

DS goes to a school in another country where the system is the same kids in the same class for five years with the same teachers for those five years. I have had problems in that June of the teachers is uninspiring at best, the parents now really get on my nerves and the class representative is in cahoots with the teachers after so long, they are very sheltered I think but the great side of it is there is continuation in the teaching and they know the children well. Although the children do get "typecast" after so long. Parents evening is like groundhog day.

Pluckedpencil
I'm guessing that is primary stage? Up to about 11 years old?

you would have no family loyalty or word of mouth endorsements as in most families only one sibling could go there and the rest would be in an un- catered-for age group.

when looking for a school, parents would ask fit opinions from their friends with children a couple of years older and none of them would be able to endorse the school.

the kids would get no experience of increasing autonomy and responsibility by being asked to lead and mentor younger pupils. and no accessible older pupils to look to for inspiration.

and it would be hell for the teachers as they v would never be able to reuse a lesson plan but would start from scratch every year.

As stated above, the main issue would be specialist teachers - you would only be able to afford to pay one or two teachers, so they would have to teach every subject. Also social issues / living in an unrealistic bubble that would make the transition to the real world harder.