45 pupil intake - how does that work?

[littleomar]

we're moving. found a great house but remain to be convinced by the schools.

the closest school to this house we like has an intake of 45 and the website explains that "classes are vertically grouped with two year groups working together". is this just something that happens at a small school? it sounds weird and chaotic but it may just be different from what we know (ds is currently at a school with four-form intake). any experience?

(also, how much importance should i attach to the ranking? it would mean moving from a 1 to a 3.)

Our school has a 45 pupil intake per year and works thus:

Reception (Sep start) - 22 pupils
Reception ( Jan start ) - 23 pupils
Y1 - 30 pupils
Y1/2 - 30 pupils ( 50/50 )
Y2 - 30 pupils
Y3/4 - 30 pupils
Y4 - 30 pupils etc etc

So some straight year classes, others mixed. Our school is streamed on ability from Y1. Its not chaotic, seems very well organised, they ahev worked hard to ensure work is differentiated to child's needs. Don't know about the ranking q.

When I started working at my junior school we worked in mixed age groups. We had 3 mixed classes of y3 and 4 and the same for y5 and 6. That meant an intake of 45 each year. 15 into each of the 3 classes to mix with 15 of the other year group.

We worked on a rolling programme of topics, with a 2 year cycle. The younger children picked up a lot from the older children. There are downsides to not teaching in set years groups, but I actually liked mixed classes.

I would have no problem with such an arrangement, any good school will have teachers who are able to differentiate the work so that where there are mixed age classes, every pupil is working at the correct level for themselves.
When you say moving form a 1 to a 3, are you talking about Ofsted grades? If so then it may be something you need to consider or it might not. It rather depends when the actual inspections were and I think a better indicator is you visiting the school and asking to look around it. Compare the "feel" of this school to your current school and use gut instinct as much as anything else. The other key issue for me is always the head teacher. Did they talk to you, show you around, if not that is not a good sign to me.

The school my dc go to does the same as Taffeta's school except I think they mixed all year 3and 4 in their classes. It works very well as there can be less range of ability in a mixed class than in a single class intake. They also take into account friendships or children who don't work well together.

I would go more on the feel of the school than worry about the Ofsted Gradings.

We have all Sept starts here. Your 45 sounds like two smaller Reception classes then 3 mixed ability year 1 and 2 classes, then 3/4 and 5/6.

Our local school is 45 places, I like the idea as it means the age range in each class is smaller,so my ds who is a summer birthday will not be with autumn birthday children in the same class.

DC school nominally has 60 reception places but avg intake is 45-50. Like Taffeta said, we get a mix of single or mixed yr classes. They mix them up for many subjects, anyway, so they seem to move around classrooms a fair bit.

Our very large primary school has an intake of 75. In reception, Y1 and Y2 this equates to 3 classes of 25. Then in Y3 onward the 75 is split into 5 groups of 15, each matched with another group of 15 from the year above (so 5 x Y3/4 classes and then 5xY5/6 classes).

The school do it to allow them to have smaller classes for the younger children but can't afford that to continue as they get older. So no, not just for v. small schools at all.

Our primary also has a PAN of 45.
2 reception classes of 22/23. Years 1/2, 3/4, and 5/6 in three classes each.
Children are set for maths and literacy within their year groups so eg. the three year 3/4 classes will split into 4 maths sets (2 for each year) using either the senco or deputy head to teach the fourth group. This allows for smaller and differentiated teaching for the core subjects.
Other subjects are taught through topics which are on a two year rolling programme.
I personally like it. Socially it is good as the children get to mix with all their year group as well as many of the year above and below. From experience it is better than a single form intake where friendship/dislike issues can become a problem and then there is no way to separate them.

thanks all that is really helpful.

going to see the school, get a feel for it and talk to the head to try and get over the Ofsted score issue (yes admissions that was what i meant by moving from 1 to 3, although it seems to be heading towards a 2. but i think that is a separate discussion!)

We have 45 intake. It means Reception are on the own (22 and 23) and then all other year groups have 3 mixed age classes. So - 3x Y1/2, 3x Y3/4 and 3x Y5/6. In a school that always has mixed age classes, teachers get very used to having to differentiate across the age range. When schools find it harder, in my opinion, is when they usually have single age classes and then they have to mix them for some reason. Good teachers look at what each child can do and see what they need to do next. Just as possible to do that in a mixed age class as a single age one.

I wouldn't worry too much about the ofsted rating. Ofsted often value very different things to parents. As others have said, go and see if it's a school you can imagine your child in. Most important thing, I think.

Good luck. Moving is stressful isn't it?! (She says, when she's on MN and should be packing!)