Primary Schools - what’s more important?

[PDA]

We have a choice between two schools, both we have toured and really liked.

One is a very small village school - 10-12 children per year group with a max intake of 15 per year group, but they never hit that due to a rural location and declining birth rate locally. Pros are obviously very small class size, family feel, teachers know every child in the school by name etc. Cons are a lack of resources due to the small number of children on roll (currently 81 children in the whole school). Seems to have a very strong community feel e.g. PTA puts on termly movie nights for the whole school, and raises money for the whole school to go to a local theme park at the end of every school year. 6 mins drive away for us.

The other school is in a larger village/small town. One form entry so not huge, but oversubscribed so 30+ in every class. Definitely more resources e.g. lots of new looking play equipment outside, more clubs going on after school. 11 mins drive away for us.

We live in a village without a school, there’s no walk to school option, these are our two closest schools. Results are broadly the same as each other and both are Ofsted ‘Good’. We should get in to either if we put them down as first choice.

Thoughts?

I should add our child is autistic (no learning difficulties) but I don’t know whether school A would be better because it’s quieter and less overwhelming, or school B because they have more resources e.g. a better sensory room.

Would you be likely to get a place in B if over subscribed?

I would put B as first choice but knowing you have A as a decent option anyway.

B, because A is at risk of closing with that few students.

After seeing your update, I would go for A. The small class size and personal feel will be far more important to a child with additional needs than new play equipment.

My only concern with A would be that it could close before she gets all the way through the school and that could be problematic.

Yes we should get in. I spoke to the headteacher about where we live and she said that we’d definitely get in, the past few years they’ve had people from much further away from us get in. We live very rurally so many people are applying to schools 20-30 mins+ drive away.

Yes this is a concern!

I'd go B. I wouldn't risk a small school closing and having to navigate the change of routine/people/everything with an ASD child.

I’d pick school B based on the higher possibility of finding a friend. 10-12 kids per year is not necessarily 5-6 other boys to make friends with (sometimes you end up with very unbalanced classes) and if your child is very academic then the smaller school may be less able to cope.
A small school might seem better at age 4 but I think by 11, one form entry would be better for secondary transition.

If you're concerned about school A - you can view their finances (assuming it's a state school).
Not all small schools as at risk of closure.

What's the TA ratio like in each school? Does school B have several TAs in a class of 30+?

Would your child be able to get an ECHP & TA support?

I’d go B- more options for friendships, A sounds like it could be in danger of closing, and you have to drive to both anyway.

Both schools have two adults in every classroom (plus extra I guess if there are EHCP children entitled to more support). We are at the start of the EHCP process ourselves.

Ask to meet the SENCO and see which one you get a better feel for.

A would be less busy for your child. Maybe calmer and more options for adult support.
B would be a wider choice of friends.

To me it depends on how your child copes with larger groups/noise?

I would check with A about the class arrangement. How many year groups they mix together. (15 PAN would normally be just 2 years, but with only 81, can they afford 4 classes or is it just 3?)

Definitely the bigger school, especially if you have a shy/quiet child.
In a bigger school your child is more likely to find a like-minded friend.
Small schools are very often overwhelmed by SEN children - their behaviour can dominate the classroom as there are less children to dilute it. There often aren’t the resources or skills to cope with the extra needs.
SEN parents often look for a small school (which in my experience means they often don’t get the best provision/experience for their child or themselves as the other parents can, unfairly, ostracise them).

B. More access to more support. They can't go above PAN in reception anyway.

Go for A. Some parents of DC with ASD pay for private school just because their DC couldn't cope with a larger class size and a busier school.

It probably isn't a much smaller class as they probably mix two (or possibly three years together).

I would make this decision based on how the SENCO is at each school, that will be the thing that makes the most difference to your dcs experience.

With no SEN in the mix I would definitely go for B. Small schools are tricky for friendships and have fewer resources in general

I’ve met both SENCOs and liked both. The class arrangement for A is four classes across the school. One Reception class (10-12 children usually) and then 1/2, 3/4 and 5/6, these classes have approx. 20-24 children in. So class sizes will still be a lot smaller than school B who always have 30+.

B.

A has a very small pool of pupils if your child doesn't 'fit-in' for any reason.

As a mum to an autistic child and a TA working with young people with autism a school with good sensory facilities would be very important to me.

School B would be a no brainer.

School A is too small and it seems very unlikely they will be financially sustainable with just 10 ish per year group for much longer and I'd be very surprised if they could afford two TAs and a teacher for such a small amount of children?

School B is still very small at just 1 form entry but likely to offer your child a much broader education especially as you already know he is autistic.

I would also be concerned that if you chose school A and it doesn't work out then there would be no way to move to school B with it being oversubscribed.

First one

So we are further on in our journey (just applying for secondary schools) and DD has Autsim and no LD. She goes to a 2 form entry Primary and has not been too overwhelmed looking at secondary schools whereas our friends child (similar needs- much smaller primary) has been petrified by every open day! I know it seems a long way off but you'll blink and you'll be there!

All other things being equal, I would go for B with a child with SEND- you are more likely to get a range of expertise within the staff, access to resources etc. They are probably more likely to be able to easily implement provision on an EHCP because of this.