Bulge classes are negative.But most schools will have them next year.

[Oblomov]

Unpresidented Baby Boom Year, for admissions next year, for Sep 13.
All our local schools are talking about having bulge classes, for next year.
But lets be honest, not much about them is postive, are they ?
They affect everything. Everyone. Throughout the school.
When I mentioned this to mums in the playground yesterday, they were very saddened and talking about how disruptive it was to the whole school.
I just can't see a positive spin on this.

It's positive for you if you've got your child into a school you wouldn't otherwise have.

What else do you suggest they do if they have too many children for school places?

Cant see the problem to be honest.

Our school has expanded and has been virtually rebuilt, and is now an amazing space, far better than before.

I'm sure you woudl appreciate a bulge class if your child couldnt get in any other way

If it is managed well the impact should be minimal.

molehill ----> mountain

What do you propose instead? A cull? Or forced movement of families to other parts of the country where there is an undersubscribed school?

What is a bulge class?

We are very lucky to have got into a one form entry school with only 12 places on offer apart from siblings. We also have found out there will be a bulge year for another 30 children. The positives are:

More friends for my son! He will have the opportunity to play and make friends with more boys. In some years there are hardly any.
More resources for the school, with a bulge year they get more resources.
And more places for local children.

Negatives are:
More siblings for the following years so less places...
Possible lack of resources moving up the years, more photocopies instead of books, more competition for football teams etc
Less space in a small playground

Overall the positives outweigh the negatives.

Ours started off as a bulge class and then became a permanent fixture eg 3 form instead of 2 form entry

ah right, think I understand.

MY DCs primary school has 4 forms of between 27 - 30 children in each. it's never been a negative for us. DS now in yr 7 and DD in yr 2.

DS has additional learning needs, and he's not been prejudiced or missed out despite being in a big school

the school dsi is going to in Sept will have a bulge class, as will three of the four nearest schools to our house. We are massively oversubscribed here (Surrey). A new school is planned to open Sept 14, but right now we have to accept bulge classes whether they're a good thing or not. I think it's a measure of a school if they are able to extract the most positives from what is a tough situation. The extra funding can be a boost to the school as a whole, ds's school now has a whole extra classroom it wouldn't have had without the funding. Of course for the next few years that classroom will be needed for the extra children, but as it's a permanent addition to the school it will ultimately provide them with more useful space.

Erm...is this a SE/London thing?

Havent noticed it here (Leics)......

MrsMicawber, isn't every post on MN the same thing? Every opinion on something, everything that has happened to your child, when they ....... didn't get an invite, didn't ..... Politics, local politics is based on what happens locally, matters to residents, so I think your comment is a bit unfair.

And for those that say I'd care if my child didn't get a place, of course I'd care. Of course I'd be pleased if they then got into a bulge class. What sort of person do you take me for, what a silly comment. Of course I realise they are a neccesity, but they are not 'good' are they ?

BUT, most of the comments, posts on MN about bulge classes and general comments about bulge classes are extremely negative.
Any of you gone through it? Have you got any postives? Haven't read any myself. So can't wait to hear yours.

But this is more than just bulge class isn't it? They've known for years (LEA, Councils etc) that birth rates were goign up. Now, apparerently they've got to 'unpresidented'. This is more a case of shock/delayed re-action by Gov/council. They've known this was coming for years, but done nothng about it. No planning.No development.

It effects siblings years later, who may not be able to get in to the same school, if there is not a bulge class in their year. There will still be the same number of admin staff, senior teachers, no extras so per pupil less support.
So it will effect your children, if they are older, in older years aswell, becuse it affects the whole school dynamic. when they have a bulge clasees, they don't get much extra TA's, money for textbooks.

Its going to effect everyone. Every child. Every parent. You, me and everyone. You still call me a nimbyist?

My son (Reception) is in a bulge class. I am delighted he got a place there and don't see any negative impact on the school. However, when the siblings of the joint Reception class are trying to get into same school in a couple of years time, it will be a nightmare.

Our school had the opposite problem for years tbh, seriously undersubscribed due to local snobbery. Put huge pressures on the budget as funding was calculated per child and caused problems with re-structuring each year to accommodate mixed year-group classes.

Things are changing now and intake is back up again and for us that is positive thing.

I think the impact on a school of a 'bulge' class obviously depends on the school itself and how much scope it has to expand.

Badoc, we like Headfairy, are Surrey.
Most of the people who have had a bulge class locally, unlike Headfairy, whose new class was incorporated into the school, most ended up with a porta-cabin, where the parents complained that they felt that their their children we not so much part of the school, but an extra. Like a second-thought. Thats not good.
Everyone assumes, that a school can cope and manage the change effectively. But many parents report, that the school failed in this, sometimes even not through lack of trying.

Our school (Surrey) is taking a bulge year 3 class for the next 2 years.
We get a lovely new classroom and a nice new playground for juniors.

I don't see many other options for this area, places are scarce.

You know school funding is determined by the number of pupils, same with staffing, don't you? They don't create an extra class but leave the school budget as if the school had 30 fewer children.

Planning bulge classes for children starting in over a year is forward planning. There's no point creating extra spaces until they're needed.

Hi Oblomov,
Last year had a bulge year... and to accomodate the extra class... pre-school were kicked out of the school building (which was a lovely, large and light space with it's own entrance) - and they built a crappy pre-fab building in the school playground.. one room!!!!

My middle daughter is in the preschool now - starting in Reception this Sept (no bulge class planned for her year).
My oldest daughter is in Yr 2... And, I have to say, it is really really busy in the playground, what with not 60 potential parents picking up - 90 parents. It is chaos at that end of the playground, and although they are constantly reminded to stand back and not crowd the kids coming out.... they do.

I am disappointed at the crappy preschool building to be honest... other parents are too.. and the staff are pulling their hair out in the compact room.

I don't think classes in portacabins are a big deal really. When our main building was being refurbished a couple of years ago the new reception classes were in portacabins in the playground and I don't think it was a problem?

I think in general if something is going to happen whether you like it or not it's best to go into the situation with a positive attitude. No point assuming doom and gloom before its actually happened.

I think I get what you are saying oblamov, the bulge classes themselves are not necessarily a positive experience for the children if they are just an afterthought in a school not really designed to take the extra numbers.

They are not necessarily good if the extra class (or classes) take away from the quality of a school because they (the classes) are ot fuded properly.

I'd be hugely grateful if my child got a place in a bulge class that he would not have got otherwise but I wwould also worry about the impact this would have on the school and likewise on my DS.

At my dds old primary school, they geared down from a 2 form entry to 1 form. This was 2 years ago. Very shortsighted imo. At the same time, we had a bit of a surge in the numbers of young immigrants. It didn't take a genius to work out there could well be increased demand for school places in a few years.

And less than 5 years before that, one of the town's secondaries closed its doors and all the pupils had to be accommodated elsewhere.