Wwyd??

[mrsreynolds]

Ok this will be vague...sorry.

Ds (9) is in a primary that has 200 pupils.
He has been there since reception
Major changes to SLT since earlier in the year.
I havent always been 100% happy with the school (almost moved him in reveption) but worked through issues
However I'm now seeing things I'm not happy with.
Ds seems a bit unenthusiastic since year 3 - which was a disaster due to supply teacher
There is a place at a local school that has 50 pupils
Wwyd?
I really want to do the right thing for ds

Find a school with a healthy population?

But I assume that's not really practical if you have these two choices, I think the evidence you've provided aren't really the things that would drive the decision without knowing what it is that has him disengaged and unenthusiastic about this school to say if it would be different in the other. Ditto friendships, commutes, etc. etc.

Talk to the head first about you worries and don't make any rash decisions. See what they can do to help? Then if you still are unhappy with everything think about moving. But also bear in mind the upheaval it will be for your child.

Sorry I know it's vague
Commute basically the same
But no other option school wise without car travel to another town
He does have friends but lots of new kids in his class and it's very boy heavy...21:4 boys to girls

I've spoken to HT
I dislike his CT (she taught my elder child too)
I feel very low about it all

But it's not really about your relationship with his teacher, for that you can just completely disengage unless you child has any complex needs that would require regular contact.

How is his relationship?
What is it that is disengaging him?

50 kids in the other school will have few kids in his year, and there's presumably some reason why the majority with the same two choices end up at the larger one?

Can you express your actual issues (that are not too do with being unhappy with his CT or having a vague feeling of unease). If you can do that you can address them.
I think moving a 9 year old to a school of 50 unless you had very strong reasons is a really bad idea.

How many classes per year? If two, can he move to the other class?

Fifty pupils in the school in total is tiny. Why is it so small (unpopular? Poor teaching? Etc). A school this size would,probably not have much in the way of resources, after school clubs etc, purely due to numbers. Also, the classes may be mixed years (which some people like, others don’).

50 doesn't sound viable. What about sports, choir, drama, social opportunities?

Smaller school full
1 place left
I agree it's not about me and thats my worry- I don't want to do it for the wrong reason
Lots of kids have left the school since spring- so it's not just me
Sorry I know the vagueness is annoying!

1 form entry

LIZS- they join up with other schools

Thanks.. .this is helping!

I wouldn't move to small school (have just moved mine out of small school due to lack of resources/opportunities/friendship possibilities etc)
Assuming your DS is yr 5 I'd aim to get through the next year and 2 terms as best you can and focus on secondary. Unless DS is utterly miserable then of course might be better to move sooner...

He's not miserable no
But not as happy iyswim?

My DC are at a school with about 115 pupils and it is too small. I'm not moving them as they are happy but there are very limited friendship options and very little in the way of clubs etc. In theory we 'meet up with other school's' but in practice this is clunky happens about 3 times a year and the children dont really talk to each other ! I would be VERY wary of moving a 9 yr old into this environment.

50 is too small.

Essentially, it will have funding for less than 2 full time teachers - there will probably be small school funding, so they may be able to run a KS1 / R class and a KS2 class, and they may have part of a non-teaching head. But that will mean no money for anything else, and fewer than 10 children in any year group. If your child doesn't get on with the KS2 teacher, tough - they'll have them for the rest of their primary school life. Hugely mixed age classes - probably 3-4 year groups with 1 teacher in a school that size - aren't great for teaching and learning (believe me, I have done it as a teacher - it is OK 'on paper' but in practice it's just too far to stretch a single adult).

If by any chance the school is running 3 separate classes that are tiny (through some miracle of funding) it won't be QUITE as bad, but the tiny social pool can be a BIG issue. In addition, it is worth investigating how many children with SEN the school has - many very tiny schools have a perceived 'nurturing' ethos, and this can attract parents of SEN children. Teaching 3-4 year groups with at least 50% SEN in each doesn't leave much energy for being a great teacher for all...

A full single form entry is about the minimum i would go for - so 210 in the school. 2 form entry is ideal, especially if you have a sporty child who wants to do lots of inter-school sports, or a child who is a relative outlier in terms of ability, as statistically there will tend to be more of a peer group at a larger school.

DS (an outlier at his first school) went from a school of 150 to a full 2 form entry school of 420 and absolutely flew.

50 is too small imo. Our school is 780 and so many opportunities

Some interesting views;
Thank you
Small school is 3 year groups
Not high fsm or Sen (it's in quite a "posh" village)
I think I will see how he goes next year.
Thanks again

50 kids is much too small - so many more issues with friendship groups plus maybe a lack of resource and sports facilities.

Nothing you have said seems to be a reason to moves schools - unenthusiastic is not the same as unhappy. I would not move them in these circumstances.

I understand that you don't want to give too much detail, but it would take a LOT for me to move a child in Yr4 or Yr5. It would also take a LOT for me to move a child to a tiny school with mixed year groups. Don't get me wrong, I know there are lots of dc going to tiny village schools etc who do fine, but the difference is here, you not only have a clear choice but the move will be the disruption / change, so it ought to be something you aim for, not something you settle for.

It's hard to explain tbh
The whole ethos of the school has changed...and not in a good way
He's got 2.5 more years there and it's looking like being a looooong 2.5 years 😔

Do you mean that it has 3 classes? So e.g. R/1/2; 3/4; 5/6? Or that it only takes 3 year groups?

Where is he nearest sensibly-sized alternative?

3 classes
Nearest is the same but car journey away

This is weird because I am in almost exactly the same position and my friends reading this would think you are me!

My kids are moving at Christmas. Too many niggles over the years and now in y5 have become bigger issues and have forced a move. Since announcing this more and more concerning info has come out

A small village school has pros and cons. Close proximity to everyone, nowhere to hide and have an off day but personalised attention, community feel and mixed year groups. It really depends on kiddos personality and how involved in school life you are prepared to be I think.