School moving class into a new tiny classroom

[Mrspepperpotpot]

Hi, just not sure what others make of this

My DS goes to a small private school, I can only assume they are struggling a bit as they are really focusing on the nursery and making it bigger.

in order to do that, they have moved my daughters class this term from a lovely big classroom to a tiny box room where there is so little room to move around

We are paying so much money and I just feel really angry about it. The other parents don’t seem to mind?

Should I be letting it slide?

No I wouldn’t let it slide.
However I would also be suspicious that they will announce a closure soon and I’d start looking for a replacement school.

Yes we’ve considered this :(

What year are they in/why do they need room to move? Is there other space they use? I think we need to know the answer to these questions first

Year 1 so alot of movement around the classroom still, the majority of the day they are in the classroom. They obviously have PE and they do music in the hall

My year 3 classroom (13 students) was ultimately a large storage room converted to a classroom. We were fine, because PE and playtime and some other lessons were in larger spaces. That was a local primary school though, as a parent now I’d be a bit too if I was paying for my kid to be taught in a cupboard.

I guess how small is small. How many square feet/metres to how many children?

I work in a Year 1 setting, this size classroom would not be suitable for that age - at all.
I would not be happy and I would advise you to not be fobbed off. The kids will be miserable in that environment despite what is relayed to you.

Why are they in the classroom do the majority of the day in year 1? My DD is in year 1 and in her school they spend time in the hall or outside doing PE, assemblies and specialist activities with both classrooms, outdoor science classroom, outdoor nature areas, school pet area, library time, computer room, then breakout areas for small group learning and phonics and reading groups. Movement breaks are often outside too. This is a normal state school, I would expect a private school to have more facilities and changes of area rather than spending the majority of the day in one classroom at age 5-6.

This sounds similar to DD's (excellent state) school, but not all schools are like this or have the ethos or facilities to do this. In at least one local more "academic" school I can think of, y1 is the start of being classroom bound when it's not PE/outdoor time.

Tbh, I would be pissed off if my kids were being shoved into a cupboard (especially in pursuit of profit). Many parents choose schools based on the promise of having space and facilities.

OP is this being billed as a temp solution whilst working is carried out, or a long term one? How big is the difference in size? Does it have adequate ventilation/windows etc?

I know not all state schools will have the same, but I’m surprised a private school that you have to pay a lot of money for doesn’t.

I wouldn’t pay for that.

Indeed. It would make me wonder whether they have continuous provision for y1 (not all schools do) and have moved to a full desk-based curriculum already. It could make sense to fit with parental expectations of an "academic" school (where preparing kids for 7+ or 11+ may be seen as a priority, and this influences the pedagogical choices to prepare for formal testing/have more structured focus/concentrate of rapid skill acquisition).

It's not a choice I would like for my child as the benefits of continuous provision make sense to me, but people differ.