views/experience on class of 6-8 in year group

[susieb19]

Hi all
Considering school that is everything we want. Slight concern about v small class sizes though. There would be 6 in dd1 (y4 this sept) and 8 in dd2 (y5 this sept). They often put the classes together for sports etc.
Should I be whooping it up at such individual teaching available or concerned at small group offering limited discussion etc? Does it depend more on the teaching style than the size of group?
Would appreciate any views comments if you have experience of this. Thanks

I wouldn't worry about the teaching so much as the limited friendship groups and lack of numbers for any team sports

No experience at all; but I'd consider that far too small. Socially, more than academically. Not enough scope for alternative friendships if the group doesn't gel.

It's crap for sports teams.having done it myself I am not a fan especially if single sex as social groups can be tough. I'd also be worried about long term viability of school.

It's not good socially and I would be concerned that it would close. I can't imagine a private or state school being able to survive long term on those numbers.

That's very small - would that be in a composite?

When dd started school she was in a class of 12 and that was small. Composites were introduced and school has increased numbers since.

Way too small socially and would question long term viability of such a small number.

Fwiw, I would never ever do it again. My dd didn't get a particularly academic education out of it either. Dd3 is in class of 28 at her primary and it's brill.

Is this a small village school?

Because if you do not live in the village, it could be difficult for your DC socially. Or are you considering moving house? In which case, look to see what secondary schools the pupils go to. If it's a named feeder primary to an acceptable secondary, then it might make sense. Assuming you want village life.

If it's undersubscribed to that extent for any reason other than location, then I would definitely steer clear.

My children have gone from year sizes of 60 plus to an entire School with 80 children. I am very happy with the change, as are the kids. They have composite classes and do whole school projects also. The quality of teaching is excellent. It is like private schooling for free.

We are in a very rural area. I agree with the concerns about socialising, but the positive is that as they have to find a way of getting on if they fall out. Not so easy for the Parents I am finding as my work colleagues and clients also have children at the same school. This is real living though. Having been a faceless isolated Londoner I much prefer this.

RURAL living. Sorry.

If it was a rural village school, I wouldn't worry so much about it, I might be delighted for attention my dc get. But if it was private school, I would think about moving...

Wouldn't be keen tbh. Yes lots of attention from the teacher but as they get older they need to be exposed to a whole range of opinions and ideas from classmates too.

Too small socially, not financially viable.

Agree with others - too small socially.

DD was in a year of 6 until Yr2 before we moved. She is now in a class of 30. You could argue she has had more freindship issues since being in a bigger class - but a lot of that is due to her age. Having more people to be friends with has been the best thing for her and is preparing her far better socially for primary school.

DS was in reception in the same school - class of 10. He was young for his year, hated football and preferred the girls. He too is much happier having a larger number like-minded children to play with (boys and girls) in a class of 29.

There is such a thing as too small.

I have a friend who is a teacher and would be very pro.

I however would not send my children to such a small school, for all the reason above. I have a non girly girl and a boisterous but none footy playing boy. I love the fact that they have tons of different friends in their 3 form per year school to play with and lots of scope for mixed group working etc

I would only consider it, if I didn't myself work. Then school would just be for academic side and I'd use the after school time to make up for the lack of string sports teams, choirs, orchestra etc I'd not consider it if they didn't get chance to meet loads of other children and make friends outside if such a small environment.

If this is a private school, I would be looking very carefully at their accounts as that seems in now way financially viable and will probably close within a few years. If your child happens to gel with the few children in his/her own class then great, although it is very limiting in terms of having a variety of friends to play with, but if they don't get on with just one or two children that is pretty much half the class wiped out! Way too small in my opinion, am supersede anybody would make a definite choice to attend such a small school.

Dn was in a class of 6 and suffered socially. Frequently fell out with the other girls and there wasn't anyone one else to play with. Moved to a class of 19 and was masses happier

To me this sounds far too small. DD was in a class with only 9 girls which was dominated by some very "strong personalities" - ie bullies. We moved her in the end to a larger school with much more scope for friendships - resulting in a much, much happier DD.

Dd was in a year of 7. Was bad from a friendship pov as one of the other two girls was a nasty bully and there was kind of no escape. From a teaching/learning pov it was great and dd blossomed there.

They did do joint classes with another year so she was generally in a class of 15. But in dds year 5 and in year 6 they were split into just their year groups so year 6 could do SATS.

I went to a village primary with about 50 pupils in classes of about 16 each, so two or three year groups in each class. It was awful, so cliquey, everyone knew everyone else's every move, a bust-up between friends had repercussions through the whole school. Plus no facilities, no hall or dining room, assemblies and dinner were in the junior classroom. It closed down and we went off to the big junior school up the road for the last year before secondary and it was such a relief.

We did it. It was lovely for infants, but not so great for juniors.

I went to a small village primary like that. I was very academic anyway and the 1:1 attention was good. Socially if was awful. I didn't live in a farm so was a bit of an odd one out.

I went to a grammar for secondary with 28 in the class. It took me ages to settle down and I hated the size and busyness. If was also difficult that id never played any team sports before...

I think that's too small - what happens if there are 6 boys and 2 girls and you have a girl - there are far too few children to mix with. Too few children for sports teams etc. A friend of mine pulled her children out of a (private) school with only 8 and 10 in the respective classes because she said that her children didn't have a wide enough social experience.

When we set up a free school a couple of years ago, the educationalists on the team didn't want class sizes of less than 18. We had to go to 22 for financial viability reasons but they were very against classes of fewer than 12.

Having done it myself I would say with hindsight no don't do it. As PP have said there is little scope for sports teams, no choir, no real music just the class teacher who had no musical background. PE lessons again taken by class teacher were inadequate and at times outdated. The teachers who were there had been at the school for many years with no experience of any other schools or teaching methods. The majority were very set in their ways and would not embrace new ideas.
The friendship groups were difficult in particular one boy in my youngest's class who was a nasty little bully and caused many problems. The teacher did nothing to help the situation stating Oh that's just the way he is.
The reasons above along with the fact that the children were ill prepared for going to secondary school would stop me from having my children in a very small school again.

My DD started in a village school. Her year totalled 8 and the class shared a room with the next year up. All the other kids were related or very close (cousins, siblings, family friends). Some were related to the teacher as well. DD was bullied badly by the girls (only 1 boy in her year, bless him), who ostracised her, pushed her over, refused to eat with her or play with her... There was a big, thuggish girl in the year up who liked to get the little ones to do her bidding, and she often got the smaller girls to bully DD. I raised it with the teachers and was met with a stone wall. "Your daughter just likes playing alone". What NT 4 year old girl likes playing alone, ffs? I pulled her out and now she's in a HUGE school with 128 in her year (class sizes of 30). Thriving. Loves it. :-)