Siblings in mixed age classes vs bigger school

[Overcapacity4]

Hi, we currently have two little boys, 18 months apart and are looking at school choices for them after moving house and are unsure if we're making the right decision!

The local village school is very small and dual language stream (we're in Wales and choosing welsh medium education) and therefore has mixed age classes. This means our boys would be in the same school class every other year. We feel like this isnt the best idea for them and have looked at a lovely school 5 minutes away that is bigger.

We were very happy with this choice and there are a few other local children who go there but have had comments that we will regret this choice because we will have to always drive them (the roads are completely unsuitable for walking to the bigger school).

Has anyone got any insights/advice?

Honestly? Even without the mixed classes, ud go for the bigger school.
Whilst tiny schools look amazing for your tiny 3 year old when you first start looking, that preschooler rapidly grows up, and a 2-3 form entry school is my preference (we ended up in 4 primary schools due to relocations).

I would probably chose the larger school. I don't like the idea of them being in the same class TBH. I think a little separation from each other is healthy and I wouldn't want them to be that aware of how the other was doing or if they got in trouble etc.

I’d go for the bigger school. Not just for keeping them apart, but there will be more opportunities for friendships, a larger staff with more interests and scope for different clubs, sports etc.

I would (and did) choose the larger school.

Bigger school.

More options for friendship. Less playground politics. More options for you socially. Less stress at kids clashing/ being clingy every other year. More opportunities to do more things. Bigger school will have more money due to economies of scale.

We had a choice of two schools. Both v good. The kids at the bigger school seem to socially do better at high school and dominate because they already have more connections when they get to high school.

We’ve always had to drive and it doesn’t make any real difference as far as I can see.

My children go / will go to a school with mixed age classes, and I would have avoided this if it meant they’d be in the same class.

It’s hard to predict as it depends so much on their personalities - my two boys play together really well, and are very supportive of each other generally, but at school the youngest always wants to be with the eldest (won’t leave him alone) and the eldest gets extremely frustrated as he wants that time with friends his own age!

My guess would be they’ll like it more when very young and less as they get older.

In your shoes I’d choose the bigger school.

I chose a large primary with a 90 students a year intake because I was in a tiny school and my class had 15 children. When at secondary school I drowned in a 240 student year group because it was just so overwhelming. Plus there were only 4 girls in my primary class, so I didn't really get a choice in friends.

Their own year group will give them their own friends in class who they will move up through the school with. The one thing to consider with driving to school (I did both walking, then moved, then driving) is what happens when it snows. Only you know how bad your weather is where you live. On snow days we had one hell of a walk and in fact a member of SLT said I should just have kept them home no one would blame me and the unauthorised mark wouldn't have much of an impact. It wasn't the walking them to school it was the fact that I had to walk back and how long that took out of my day.

We had to do it at one point with my two - I'd had reservations as one is a much more forceful personality than the other - but it was the only school with spaces in the right year groups when we needed to move them away from a bullying situation - and it worked out OK - apart from the bickering over what Miss S had said precisely in Maths three days ago.

Just from the other side… my sister and I are 18 months/one school year apart and were in the same class several years. It was never a problem. You mostly stick with your own year group for friends anyway because they are always with you. I knew her friends and she knew mine, and could play together, but never did at school. It was quite nice for play dates because we all were friendly.

Of course if they don’t get on or if they become co-dependent, then it’s not great. But it can work just fine.