Moving from a small to a larger primary school

[DrWendyRhoades]

Has anyone got experience of moving their DC from a relatively small primary school to a larger one?

DS is currently in year 1 at a primary where there is only 1 class per year, but for a few different reasons we’re considering moving him in time for the Juniors and would aim for a larger school this time.

The main reason being that DS is a really bright little boy who is very quick to learn (not gifted, just a bit above average) but stands out like a sore thumb in his class and is frequently bored with the work being taught. The school in general aren’t keen on challenging him and I understand they need to be focused on the children who require more help.

Due to the size, they don’t offer ‘sets’ whereas when I was at primary school (4 classes per year) we had sets based on ability for Maths and English by year 6. Not sure if this is still a thing in larger primaries?
Thinking that perhaps in a larger school there is a greater chance of there being more children of his ability?

Our concern is that he isn’t going to be prepared as well for secondary school as he might be in a larger primary. Also, that the shock of moving from a small (and very cliquey, we’re very much the outsiders) primary to an undoubtedly much bigger secondary will be quite the adjustment when the time comes.

Just looking to learn from anyone else’s experience please. Obviously, moving DS’s school is a big decision and though there’s no way of knowing for certain what the outcome might be, I’d like to be a little more informed.

Thanks!

You'd definitely have to check your proposed schools approach but certainly round here, sets are very much out of favour. No setting for English or Maths (Maths Mastery approach). It's all about differentiation and challenge for those who need them. All schools should be offering this, whether small or large - your current school isn't doing its job, it's not about size.

Can't really comment on sets. However being a governor at both a 420 pupil primary school and the much much bigger 1500+ secondary school that the pupils from my primary school stand out as far better prepared for size of the secondary school than others from much smaller primary schools. So I would say go for a change of school.

We are planning on moving our DC for similar reasons to yours, but I will start my own thread about that.

In answer to your question though, I completely agree with what @GolfForBrains says. I have been doing my own research into schools, and I don't think it has anything to do with size. I think it is to do with strength of management and clear policy.

Speaking as an ex-primary school teacher, I would be careful of any school that puts children into sets in Key Stage 1, but I think this would be extremely unusual anyway. That being said, I would nevertheless expect work that matches my child's needs.

Ofsted reports will tell you something, but I think you need to ask searching questions of any prospective new school, especially if you're moving your child out of one that you consider duff because you don't want to get it wrong again. This is the stage we are now at.

Moved my twins from a very small village school (18 in their class, less than 100 in the school) to a two form entry primary (30 per class, 400+ in the school) nearby at the end of year 1. Never looked back, definitely the right thing - more after school clubs, enough kids for sports teams, dedicated music, french and forest school teachers, far more space indoor and out. And for my autistic twin, more chance of finding a friend or two who are more ‘quirky’ like him.
I did lots of research before moving them to make sure it would be right for them. Don’t move just to get a bigger school, make sure it’s the right bigger school. Most primaries don’t set for any subject now and class teachers are expected to differentiate appropriately for all children and challenge those who are more able so again I wouldn’t move him just for that but make sure the new school has a solid philosophy around challenge / stretching more able children.

"Sets" is such an antiquated way of teaching. Private school is your best bet...

So far my DDs have attended two schools of less than a hundred pupils (10-20 kids per class/year) and now a standard UK 2 form entry school. Differentiation is pretty similar at the top end. However my struggling child does get small group intervention now.

We recently did this- moved from a cliquey one form entry school to a big three form entry school in time for my son to start year three. My son is also bright and was bored at the old school. He settled into the new school quickly and whilst they’re not divided into sets, they seem better equipped to work with brighter children. I also love that a bigger school is much more diverse and he is learning much more about the world in general than he was before. I would suggest you ask the school how they help new children settle in- do they have a buddy system, as this really helps. Good luck!

Having been a governor of two state primaries, you won’t find formal sets. But you will find children of similar ability working with others of similar ability. All classes will have a mix of abilities. In a larger school you are likely to find more able children.

The school you are in is not teaching well enough. All children should be catered for. Not just mid division or struggling. All children. They must differentiate work and give more in depth work to the brighter DC. This might be maths or literacy. It’s very wrong to ignore their needs.

A larger school also should have better music, drama and sport and more opportunities for friends and clubs. Look for the government data on attainment and progress before you leap though.

Thanks so much for all the responses.

It’s reassuring to hear that others have found it beneficial to move to a larger school. I’m not surprised to learn that sets aren’t in place anymore (obviously I went to school in the Dark Ages!) but hopefully within a larger cohort there’s more chance of there being others similar to DS in general.

Also really nice to consider the possibility of a more diverse group and more clubs etc at bigger schools. DS’s school don’t have many clubs available (and very little diversity) and one of the other schools we’re considering advertise a wide range of activities which I think would be great for DS.

There’s no guarantee that we’ll get a space in a different school but I think it’s definitely worth a try. I just want to be sure that we don’t move to a similar or worse school and put DS through the upheaval for nothing. Hopefully as restrictions ease, we can get investigating more thoroughly.

Thanks again, there’s some really thoughtful advice here which I’ll continue to mull over.

With clubs, ask about numbers. There are loads of clubs at my DDs school, but they can only do one each term. And no guarantee they will get into one (although if they don't get any club, they are guaranteed one the next term). It's a numbers thing... If a club has 15 spaces, and 120 eligible children, some will be disappointed.

From the start I sent mine to a large 3 form entry primary. I went to a small Catholic primary where friend choice was limited within my year group. I think there were 17 in the entire year.

They don't put children in sets anymore but have a mix of ability on each table and encourage peer on peer teaching which the children seem to love. It helps cement concepts for the more able ones so it isn't just beneficial for the lower ability. Group discussions are productive too.

The classes are looked at at the end of each year to see if moving students around would help balance the classes out. It works well but only possible if there is more than one class. Plus the transition to secondary is easier if you have already come from a busy school.

Can you not go on the waiting list for the school you want and move him when possible?

Some schools, when you get to y6, might use sets for maths. Often there will some pretty bright dc who need to be stretched whilst others need consolidation and encouragement. So there could be a top set etc. However where I was a governor last we amalgamated the middle and high achievers for maths. So the two sets were mixed up. We found the middle achievers mussed the buzz of the higher achievers and they actually didn’t achieve as much by being separated. Our low achievers received teaching to help them do their very best. But the pace was slower and obviously less depth. The high achievers still did well and they did do peer to peer teaching. The DC definitely like it.