Primary School Applications September 2026

[Ecgx]

Hi all,

I am looking at primary schools for our first born at the moment, we all really like a small school of 150 pupils in a rural area 5 mins drive from us. The ethos is caring/nurturing, all the children we're happy and kind, facilities lovely, Church of England and we are all baptised attend church on important milestones.
My second daughter has a port wine stain birthmark covering one half of her face and has laser treatment, this is also why we are looking for a smaller school as she may face challenges.
The schools on our doorstep are 500/600 pupils a school and we have our oldest daughter in the preschool of one and have been quite unimpressed. It's very transactional feels like no care into who our daughter is (told me at parents evening my daughter isn't a loud outgoing character when that's exactly what she is) or who we are as a family. The whole school has this impersonal feel and that's not for us.
My worry is about small schools and their viability as there's lots of news about low birth rates from this intake onwards for the next few years. I wonder if anyone has any insight to this?

My eldest is at a very small school- only 52 children. He is absolutely thriving! It’s so homely, all the teachers know the children and can properly spend a decent amount of time helping them.
It’s a c of e school as well.
It takes a lot for a school to close, especially Church of England schools as they get funding from the church which helps

To assess whether 150 is viable you need to look at all the circumstances including how many places are empty and what the provision is locally. A tiny school twenty minutes drive from anywhere else with a rural population will be propped up; an undersubscribed C of E school ten minutes walk from another undersubscribed C of E school with a better Ofsted is more likely to be in trouble.

Church of England schools don't get "extra funding" from the Church. They get the same funding per pupil as other maintained schools, but may have additional capital funding from the church, whereas others get it from the local authority. The Church wants to keep as many church schools open as possible, they see it as part of their role and they want parents to have the choice of church education wherever possible, but they can and will work with councils to close schools if they are money pits. It happens in our Diocese.

I'm not sure about your school situation, but just wanted to say I have a port wine stain on my face and had laser treatment on it as a child. I went to 4 primary schools in total, and no child ever mentioned it, apart from the days immediately after I'd had laser. And that was just expressing mild curiosity, no one was ever mean. I know kids can be horrible, but on the flip side can be very accepting too. I hope your daughter has a similar experience x

Thank you for this input that is very helpful! That's the feel we got all the teacher knew each other and looks as though they are the same with getting to know parents etc.

Yes it seems a lot to look into, we are quite populated in the other areas so schools round here tend to be more over subscribe. Luckily this school doesn't have another C of E school in short range as such as they are all rural towards that way and we are more over populated in the other direction we are sort in the middle of them all. Yes I understand the want to try to keep C of E schools going and we also would love that for our children but of course a lot is changing.

Thank you for sharing this I really appreciate the comments as it is a worry to know how others will react as she grows. Most definitely, the laser days straight after are always the most questions/stares we get and it can be tricky. I am glad you did not experience unkind behaviour during those years.