smaller schools v bigger schools pros and cons

[cheesesarnie]

dc go to a primary school with just under 300 pupils(one class for each year group).for various reasons-mostly concerning ds1 dyslexia and behavioural needs,plus general unhappiness of school,were thinking about moving him to a smaller school.the one were seing next week has under 80 peoples(divided into 3 classes)and a good repuation especially with childrens individual and educational needs.

ds is 8 btw

our psa has advised we ask-what are the pros and cons of a smaller school v a bigger school?

mine go to a small school (85 in 4 classes) - it suits them and most of the kids there. It is very friendly and all the teachers know all the kids.

I guess it is hard to hide in a small school - which should be a good thing.

Has ds1 (and you) visited the smaller school ? How did it feel to you ? Did you get to talk to any other children there ?

Our primary has 60 pupils, yrs YR to Y5, in 3 classes.

Pros:
all behaviour is exemplary - nothing is overlooked

pupils get a better individual plan of work

play with all ages and mix well

teachers know all pupils well.

Cons:
Not a big pool of talent for sports teams - we always get beaten!

Not many to choose your friends from (that is a pro and a con)

Fewer after-school and lunch clubs as fewer staff to run them.

But I wouldn't move them to a bigger school!

were going next tuesday.we have a list of questions.the senco is meeting us that day to talk about what the school can offer ds.

marsbars- the smaller school here actually has lots more clubs etc,and theyre free which theyre not here.they also do more trips etc.the reason we cant go this week is theres so many parties and plays on.ds school is doing nothing!

Yes, our clubs are usually free - or a nominal sum. There's Little Rotters (composting), Huff'n'Puff (exercise), sewing, computers at lunch - and probably more I'm not aware of.

After school there's orchestra (yes! in a school of 60!!) and then sports clubs in spring and summer term, and "pop-up" clubs which last for a term only - eg photography, computers, art.

Each class is doing a part next week, and the whole school is going to the panto too.

Have you ever known anyone choose to move from a small school to a big one? Thats a thread on its own.

no ive not!(apart from my sister when we moved from london to cornwall! but that wasnt choice in size it was location)

Thread it then, see what you get!

done it!

well we moved our boys from a school of 60 (mixed yr groups) to a much bigger school, 300 at junior level.
For us it was the right decision.
The small school just didn't have the funding or resources to deal with ds2's dyspraxia. At the new school he gets loads of 1-2-1 and small group work for Fizzy, Handwriting, spelling etc.
The small school also couldn't do much for Ds1 who is G&T and was miles ahead of the pack. He was really bored..
coupled with the severe lack of friends, the lack of sports teams as they just didn't have enough children etc became a real problem by yr 3.
I would think very carefully about this...
Are there any other larger schools nearby you could send him to? If the school is unpleasant it sounds like it's just a crap school as opposed to too big.

Its funny that you describe a one form entry as big. I would have described it as small! I had forgotten about country schools being even smaller. All the schools near me are at least 2 form entry if not more.

ingles,thats interesting.it wasnt the size of the 'new' school that attracted us first,it was the fact theyve got such a good reputation for teaching in general but also for those with individual needs.theyre ofstead report is very good too.
ive got to pop out but will reread and think about your advice/experience.thanks

we have a small school and classes have mixed year groups in them. Check how they split the year groups and how the teachers cope with the many levels in each class. I like how all the teachers know all the children, but agree with lack of resources etc.
We are considering moving to a bigger school. - no special needs though.

Our school has just merged from three sites into one. We had three years of the small school experience, with an infant site of about 80 pupils - have now completed one term amalgamated onto one site with about 350 pupils.

For the first few weeks I really missed the cosiness of the small school, where we all knew each other. I felt a bit lost. But now that things have settled down I'm becoming a fan of the bigger set-up.

There are noticeably more resources for clubs, special needs etc, because there are enough children grouped together to justify the investment. Both my children seem entirely happy in the bigger set-up, despite the fact it's been a big change for them (they are in Reception and Yr3). There's a nice big pool of children to make friends with and the school has managed things carefully so that different age groups have their own space.

I volunteer in school and there's a great atmosphere in the larger building. All sorts of things going on - children moving purposefully from one thing to another - older children mentoring and supporting younger ones - small groups all over the place, using the space for more targetted learning. It's still a happy community, just a bigger one!

I agree that it's more to do with individual schools rather than how big or small they are.
One concern that I had about a small primary school, was how my child would manage the transition to a large high school (all our local high schools are big), I'm sure there are lots of mnetters who can give us feedback on this.