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Who else has kids in a very small (<30 pupils) school?

12 replies

Miaou · 15/03/2007 18:18

Interested to know

My dds are in a 26-pupil school - two classes, one is P1-P3, the other (their class) is P4-P7. They have peripatetic teachers for music. Very happy with the school (which, incidentally, is the biggest one they have been to! Previously they were in an 18 pupil school and before that an 8-pupil one!)

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themildmanneredjanitor · 15/03/2007 18:20

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Miaou · 15/03/2007 18:24

West coast of Scotland, mmj. It is lovely, they have fab teachers, and it's also very easy for dd1 to work at her level without it being very obvious (she is P5 but does work that the P7's do).

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Wallace · 15/03/2007 18:43

Not us, our school is huge - there are almost 60 pupils

There are three classes P1/2/3, P4/5, and P6/7

StripeyKnickersSpottySocks · 15/03/2007 19:15

No. But I went to a tiny primary school with only 2 classes. Was a bit strange been in the same class as my brother who was 3 years older than me.

We moved to that school when I was 7 and it took some adjusting to but I loved it.

Miaou · 15/03/2007 19:56

lol Wallace! What a big school

Stripey, as I said in the OP, the dds are used to such a small school, but I can appreciate that to move to such a small school at that age must have been quite a culture shock.

One of the great things, to me, is that they all tend to play together - boys with girls, older with younger - simply because there is not so much choice in playmates! Makes them more aware of the things they have in common with other children who (in a larger school) they simply wouldn't mix with.

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SparklePrincess · 15/03/2007 20:38

On the other side of the coin, a very small school really restricts their choice of friends. If theres nobody on their wavelength then it can be very lonely for them. My dd is finding this in her school where she is one of only 5 girls in her year group BTW her school is massive with a whole 100 pupils

suedonim · 15/03/2007 21:14

Before we moved abroad dd2 was at a school with 28 children. It's now expanded to 31 pupils but one is moving away in May so they'll be down to 30. When dd1 attended the same school it had a mahoosive roll of 44!

Dd1 had never liked school until she went there in P5 and she blossomed under their care. By the time dd2 went there she'd been in and out of the place since she was less than a year old and it was like a second home to her.

It's a two class school, currently P1-3 and P4-7 but that changes as year rolls change. The head teaches the older class for threee days a week and does 'Heidy' things the other days, while another teacher takes the class. The children love having two teachers! The wee class has a FT teacher. There are three class assisants and specialist teachers for LS, PE, music, IT and art. As with Miaow's school, children are taught to their ability rather than age.

What Miaow says about all the children mixing together is one of the best aspects. I shall never forget 5yo dd2 falling in the playground and a 10yo boy rushing over to pick her up and dust her down. So sweet.

SP, a school of 100 I think falls between two stools; it's neither small enough to encompass the Small School ethos but not large enough for children to gain from a larger pool. There's a 'small school' in our cluster which varies between 100-130 pupuils and it has a very different atmosphere to the other, smaller, cluster schools.

Anyway, dd2 is now at a 300 pupil school and has done very well in adjusting to the different circumstances, it really wasn't an issue for her.

JoshandJamie · 15/03/2007 21:45

Am interested to watch this thread. My eldest is only 3 but I need to get his name down for schools later this year. Our local school only has 40 kids in it. I am torn between loving the idea of a small intimate school and a school that is too small. Am particularly concerned abou extra-curricular stuff and just how much the school can offer vs me having to arrange it all

Miaou · 15/03/2007 21:45

Suedonim, that's nice to hear . I do agree about not necessarily being able to find friends though; in their previous school there was only one other girl in dd2's year and she was awful (constantly used to get dd2 into trouble, but was very devious about it). Dd2 was glad to be able to leave her behind!

When the dds go to high school they will be in a school of (I think) about 150 - I think that is going to seem huge to them!! They are very familiar with the school though as it also houses the library and youth club.

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Miaou · 15/03/2007 21:54

It is an issue, JandJ. Some parents in our village take their children to town two or three times a week (after school) for ballet, violin and swimming lessons - an 80 mile round trip each time! There's no way I can afford the petrol and ferry crossings for that, never mind the amount of time it occupies. We have no Brownies or Guides, music lessons, swimming etc in our village - but we knew that when we moved here. But the dds get tin whistle and guitar lessons in school (free), swimming lessons are provided by the school during the winter term, and dd2 is starting Highland dancing next week (in the village). It depends on what you want and how much of your own time you are prepared to put in. I don't feel my kids miss out because they are surrounded by nature and are able to get out and about by themselves, which they wouldn't be able to do as easily if we were in a town.

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JoshandJamie · 15/03/2007 21:58

I have two boys and my DH's primary concern is them getting the right amount of team sports in. Extra soccer or rugby is fine, but it's not the same as building a team spirit that you have when playing for your school or school house - which I just can't imagine you can get with a small school. But on the other hand, there are other benefits. It's such a tough call.

suedonim · 15/03/2007 22:18

Re sports, our village has a football team so the children at the school join that in lieu of a school team. They also take part in swimming teams.

Miaow, Dd2's best friend was in the year above her. I'd say many friendships at dd's school were between different years, they certainly don't stick to their year group.

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