Ideal size for a primary school?

[TheFoldOx]

We're looking t moving house next year to a new area. Not fixed on the exact location, but obviously schools come into the decision making process. I've found lots of useful data online, and looking at the schools that perform well academically and are also not oversubscribed a nice combination to have), they range in size quite considerably.

Eldest DS is currently at a school of nearly 300, with three classes for every two school years (i.e. three mixed y1/y2 classes etc). Possible primaries when we move are all smaller, ranging from 180ish (so 25 per year) through to the very small, 30-40 in the whole school.

Clearly there are advantages and disadvantages to both larger and smaller schools. More personal attention in the small schools, but less choice of friends, limited extra-curricular activities etc. If you have experience with the smaller end, how did you and you children find it? pros and cons? Would you choose that size of school again?

@WoodenReindeer @PinkWaferBiscuit, the reason we have so many on the long list is that it covers a fairly wide area, as we're looking to move house next year. We're not yet committed to a particular town or village, but we're looking at the western Peak District, around the Buxton, Whaley Bridge, Chapel-en-le-Frith, New Mills area. So it's a large and fairly rural area, hence the generally small schools.

My kids were happiest in a state primary school with about 90 kids; small classes but a range of staff and plenty of space. My GC's are now in a similar size of state school and happy there.

I made a placing request in order to NOT send mine to our catchment school, a tiny village school with only 9 kids. Too limiting socially for children, and the single teacher had a very poor reputation.

@viques

From a teaching point of view two or three classes per year group makes a huge difference and is a good size because :

More money in the school for equipment, extra staff, support staff, specialist teachers eg music, pe, art.
Planning shared between teachers so lessening the load
More chance for teachers to specialise, and cascade knowledge down
More flexibility to tweak if there are personality clashes between children

From a child’s point of view I think there is more chance of finding their tribe, getting access to support, finding a variety of after school activities, having a range of adults to relate to and form relationships with.

From a parents point of view it means not having to dread your child going through Y4 with Miss Trunchball because that is what happens, a decent sized PTA, knowing that if a teacher is off the chances are that initial cover will be met from within the school and if supply staff are called in there will be people in the Year group keeping an eye out.

Nrtft but came on to say pretty much exactly this.

From a primary school teacher's pov and a primary school child's parent pov.

Dd2's school are now 4 form entry from 3 form (30 kids max per class) and it really shows - not in a good way.

Have gone the other way for dd1's secondary and chosen a 150 pan school with only 5 or 6 tutor groups.

Definitely don't go bigger than 3 form entry. Also 1 form or less ie mixed year groups is a definite no no for me personally!

[quote TheFoldOx]**@WoodenReindeer* @PinkWaferBiscuit*, the reason we have so many on the long list is that it covers a fairly wide area, as we're looking to move house next year. We're not yet committed to a particular town or village, but we're looking at the western Peak District, around the Buxton, Whaley Bridge, Chapel-en-le-Frith, New Mills area. So it's a large and fairly rural area, hence the generally small schools.[/quote]
Family live in that area so I know it quite well. No kids so can't comment on schools; but if I had my pick from your list I'd live in Buxton. Pretty, green little town with a great theatre and lots of cultural activities.

@Merudosoleil DS's current school has a PAN of 45, so all but reception is mixed year classes. The school has three classes for every two years. So even in a medium sized primary, mixed year classes can be unavoidable (not that I have a problem with the set-up).

My DC go to a 1 form entry primary school. I really love how the teachers know all the children, how they have a whole school collective assembly each day, how playing with children in other year groups is normal.
Downsides are lack of sports teams and a gender imbalance in one of my DC class, but these are small things for me as mine are quite active in out of school sport.
We moved from a large international school so I was worried but it's been great.

The friendship argument for multi-form year groups always surprises me. In my experience (both in my own schooling and as a teacher), children in one class don't frequently mix with the children in the others. The only school this happened in is the school that remixed the classes each year. That led to friendship groups being broken up and reformed each year anyway.

Personally, I prefer one-form schools, both for children and to work in.