Active discussions

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Primary education

Join our Primary Education forum to discuss starting school and helping your child get the most out of it.

Original poster

starting reception.... got some worries...

13 replies

Yorkiegirl · 19/05/2006 22:18

DD1 starts reception in September at one of the village schools. We are so happy she got into this school. But now it seems there is a problem.
One little boy missed out on a place due to clerical error by the ed dept, so he has now been given a place, taking the class size to 31. Someone else heard that the year group was over 30, decided to appeal and has been granted a place, taking the class to 32 children.
What to do? Apparently the school will be taking on another teacher to compensate for these extra children and the legalities of having over 30 in an infant class, but there is no way to have two separate classes. As it stands there will be 32 children, 2 teachers and 2 support staff in one room (not that big). I'm not happy about this but I'm not sure what to do about it.

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
Set a reminder
nutcracker · 19/05/2006 22:20

It doesn't sound too bad tbh. Dd's reception class had 29 and only one teacher and one assistant.

I can see why you'd be concerned if it has changed from what you were expecting though.

hulababy · 19/05/2006 22:20

Not sure what you can do anout it YG, sadly. Seems a lot of children in one classroom. Do they have the room in there for them all? And will the extra staff be a teacher or an assistant?

You may find that some do drop out between now and September for various reasons. Often at least one or two do.

Sorry you have this concern to deal with after being so happy with your choice.

ComeOVeneer · 19/05/2006 22:21

Not sure what you can do about it tbh. Would it not be an idea to let her start and see how things go? If you complained or pulled her out what are the alternatives?

Tommy · 19/05/2006 22:22

sure when I was at school there were sometimes nearly 40 of us is a classroom!
Sounds fine to me but, as others have said, there's not much you can do about it.

GDG · 19/05/2006 22:22

I don't think I'd be too worried - not ecstatic but I'd stick with it. Ds1 has lost 4 children from his reception class already due to moving with parents jobs so it could be that it goes back down to 30 before too long anyway.

It's a lot of people in one room but 2 teachers to 32 is better than 1 teacher to 30 isn't it?

Original poster
Yorkiegirl · 19/05/2006 22:22

well the other school in the village is not great.
unsurprisingly its class sizes are much smaller. But I'm not willing to sacrifice DD's education for class size IYSWIM.
The only real alternative is for her to go to the school I teach at. Something I would prefer to avoid but if the situation in the school we have was unbearable then I would move her.

OP posts:
GeorginaA · 19/05/2006 22:30

Yorkie - ds1 was in a reception class of 45 this year (with 2 teachers). It seems to work quite well - the group gets split into various combinations for various things and they have a fair few teaching assistants too.

I wouldn't have chosen to do it that way personally, but ds1 seems to be doing well and gained loads of confidence. Bizarrely it seems to have worked okay.

I'd be interested in chatting to the staff there, find out how they're going to deal with it and what strategies they have. How they're going to split groups and make sure everyone gets the attention they need. Then go with your gut feeling :)

GeorginaA · 19/05/2006 22:38

(I say was ... lol ... he still is Wink I'm obviously brain dead this evening... )

blueteddy · 19/05/2006 22:42

I wouldn't be too worried, especially if they are taking on another teacher.
I work in a school & our foundation classes have around 25 children per class, but the doors are open for the children to go from class to class, so there is often more than 30 in a class at a time & our school have one teacher & one TA per class.
Having 2 teachers is a bonus!

Original poster
Yorkiegirl · 19/05/2006 23:29

I'm a teacher myself so I know how things work.
Its the number of people that will be in one room that worries me... will it be mayhem?

OP posts:
singersgirl · 19/05/2006 23:33

There have been 31 in DS2's reception class this year coz of one child with special needs, who therefore gets part-time extra help and means they can go over 30 (at least, that's what the head said). TBH, I don't think the difference between 30 and 31 is that significant. As GDG says, there are often leavers and by Y3, DS1's class is down to 27.

Pisces · 19/05/2006 23:49

Yorkiegirl, you are a teacher yourself. Is your class in mayhem with 30 pupils? I thought not! You would not allow it and neither will the TWO teachers in the class. What difference would an extra 2 make? I know we all would prefer smaller classes but there is not a lot we can do about it. Remember the good old bad days when classes were more than 30 anyway!! Between now and September I have no doubt one or two will drop out anyway. Don't worry, it will be alright.Smile

Original poster
Yorkiegirl · 19/05/2006 23:55

its space that worries me... I know the teachers will manage it fine but I know it would make me uneasy if I had to teach in a situation like it.

OP posts:
New posts on this thread. Refresh page