3 form entry school- shy child?

[Smurftastic]

Following from my previous thread, I visited some more schools and... I like them all!
My local catchment school is 'good', with a great new headteacher and a nice mix of children. I talked to the headteacher and he gave me a very good impression- very down to Earth, tries to remember kids names (despite there being almost 500 children!) etc.

Just wondering if anyone has any experience with a shy child attending a very large, 3 form entry school? My main issue is the three reception rooms being a large, joint together free flow room.
There are 3 teachers for 75 children.
I'm concerned my daughter would hide under the table from the noise for the whole academic year !

Not quite as large, but my son's school is 60 children in reception (2 classes of 30) and they have an open plan classroom set up. He hasn't seemed phased in the slightest and loves school. Wouldn't decsribe him as shy, but did cry every day I left him at nursery for 4 years! Skips in happily to school each day. I think it's fine.

My DC go to a three / four intake school - 90 - 120 kids per year, one is socialable and one is quiet, both have made friends, I think its more important to the quiet one, plenty of quirky imaginative non sporty kids to play with.

How does the free flow work with that many? I’d be quite keen to understand the practicalities of that. Multiple forms wouldn’t necessarily bother me but the large free flow possibly would. In contrast we have a one form entry. It is very friendly and the head knows all thee children well but one form is not without issues (no movement if disruptive kids, bullying etc and more limited pool of friends.

We opted against a larger school for our shy daughter. Well, she’s not shy so much as quiet & a bit anxious speaking to adults. She went to a very large pre-school and she struggled. We couldn’t understand the change in her, she became anxious & withdrawn and just not very happy. We twigged it was pre-school eventually but didn’t really have an option to move her & we were very reassured by pre-school she was happy & had lots of friends etc.

We opted for a one form school & the difference is astonishing. She loves school, is happy & carefree again. She tells us school feels more ‘cosy’ & she feels confident because she knows everyone, it’s not as busy & there aren’t as many grown ups!

But that’s our kid. I do think she’d have settled in any school really, she likes routine and I think found pre-school a bit manic. School is calmer! I’d potentially question how often they are in that massive free flow environment. 75 kids in one space would overwhelm me 😂 but I suspect they’ll maybe section it off for portions of the day maybe to do more focused activities?

When I went to visit the school it was during afternoon, where no children were there, and frankly I imagine it must be extremely loud!
As it's our catchment school she might end up going there if we can't get her into any of the other schools.
I keep flip flopping between thinking it wouldn't be too bad if she ended there and being scared for her.
The rooms are all joined together with big sliding doors that are kept open. Each room has a teacher and set of different activities, so eg. to use the phonics table you have to go to the middle room. I don't think there are any 'quiet' areas, unless you mean outside!

I’m really glad you’ve posted this OP because we’re looking at a school with a similar set up to the one you’ve described and I just can’t get my head around it at all.

The school are clearly very proud of it and the facilities are great, but I just can’t quite picture my DC in a room full of 50+ kids all pottering about, helping themselves to things. I’ve seen a few videos on their social media and it looked like bedlam!

I didn’t want to show myself up by being all about it, in case I’m just really out of touch, but I’m glad it’s not just me wondering about the practicalities of it. It just wasn’t what I pictured for reception at all.

In some ways it's good- more likely to find someone you click with if there's more options.

@amazingagain School thought it's a fine setup, but I guess it's whatever you're used to. My DD currently attends a small preschool, when she started at 2 they thought she doesn't talk much yet. They were very surprised when she started talking in full sentences a few weeks in! I'm concerned she'd just get scared and clam up with so much bustle and noise. Fwiw I don't think that's a usual setup. None of the other schools I visited was like this.

@Bobholll we're hoping to get DD into a 1 or 2 form school instead, but might end up with no other choice.

I see people repeating going to small primary makes transition to secondary more difficult as well.

Three form entry in three separate classrooms is absolutely fine.

Three form entry is one large free flow room I would avoid like the plague.

Open plan classrooms are one of those educational trends that have essentially no evidence in their favour but cycle in and out of fashion anyway.

I worked in a school that had a two form entry free flow classroom, I was so glad my kids didn't go to that school. I just don't think it works.

A decent school will let the shy child move at their own pace and not force them to interact against their will as it were.

It will take a while for them to settle in then they'll be fine.

Yes it’s not the 2/3 forms I’m concerned about, it’s definitely the free flow room. How do the children hear their own teacher? Or do they not do much formal ‘sitting down’ learning in reception anyway? (I was in primary school in the early 90s and am not a teacher so I don’t really know much about current ways!)

There is a teacher assigned per room but apparently they all know all the kids, as there is no real distinction between the groups !
It's a shame as the staff seemed lovely, but it really doesn't feel like a right fit for my daughter.

There's a 1 form entry school nearby but often oversubscribed, and a 2 form 5 minute drive away, although it has a mixed opinions on Parent View- I liked it when I visited, but I'm wondering how important these surveys are? Are they a good reflection of the school? Parents were surveyed 2 years ago, so it's quite recent.

I looked at a 3 form entry for my DD. This was during school hours. Personally I found it incredibly loud and chaotic and decided it was not for us. I had concerns that she would be lost in a group of 90 other children. Did you ask about how they support children who may need extra support? When I asked this question at the 3 form school, it was all about supporting SEN and nothing about stretching more able children.

We also looked at a 1 form school and a 2 form school and we debated it for weeks. In the end we decided to go for the 2 form school. Not as big or loud as the 3 form entry, but it would give DD more friendship opportunities. They also said that they mix the classes up as they go through the school based on various things, which for me was a big plus for a larger school.

To be honest, I think you just know, so if you are having doubts about the 3 form school I would say it is not the school for you.

I should have added as well that I had concerns about free flow at the 60 intake school, but was told that the children are in 2 separate classrooms and they also do structured learning on the carpet and alternate the free flow area so realistically it is 30 children at a time.

At the 90 intake, all 3 classrooms opened up onto the free flow area and I have to be honest I really didn't like the set up at all.

Go with your gut :)

When our elder DD started school, our catchment school had a free flow nursery and reception unit (so 100 children at a time, but different morning and afternoon). We decided against it at 3yo... and we're relieved to have moved by reception year starting. It would have been horrific for her. The 27 children in her class were bad enough. They had to take her out of assembly often in the first term as it was tok busy and noisy for her and there was only 120 kids in the school.

Ours is a massive school (4 form) and loads of free flow in reception. It's really lovely. Not half as chaotic as people would think. The children move between areas and activities easily but are mainly engaged in learning activities. It's not a free for all. There will be lots of quiet times, carpet times, phonics time etc. They will have TAs as well as teachers. They get to know all their year groups and find others like them with similar interests. Quiet children find other quiet ones. The rowdy ones who like boisterous play at play times find each other too etc

OP defo look at reception and EYFS curriculum etc. Some schools don't even have tables / chairs in reception as it's mainly play based learning. They explore things. They sit on floor for formal learning sessions.,
In free flow schools there will normally be 'class time' where they all sit quietly in their individual classes and it works fine. They may close the doors if needed. Phonics may be grouped into streamed groups to differentiate.
There will be plenty of quiet periods.
I've been in loads of schools where 60-90 children have all been quietly chatting whilst learning.

@Amazingagain what did you imagine reception to be like? Reception is really just a intro year to get them into a learning environment at age 4-5. Still babies. Yr1 is where structure starts and desks and a more set day etc

@explodingeyes I honestly don’t know! My DC hasn’t done nursery and will only have done minimal preschool before they start, so I think my expectations were that school would be a big jump in terms of formality. It’s really helpful to have this insight, are you a teacher? Trying to resist the urge to fire questions at you but would love to know a bit more.. do the more reserved children honestly settle in such a big group?

My eldest is an introvert, doesn't enjoy talking to anyone really but much less people she doesn't know. Not the same as being shy but she is also quite shy and lacks confidence for some things. She's at a 3 form entry school with the same set up you describe in Reception. It's been great for her. She would have struggled with the intensity of a smaller school - It's so nice for her to have a choice of kids to play with at breaktime and a rest from those in her class! The school being so big means it's pretty well resourced with the ability to have mindfulness lessons for example for groips of kids who are struggling, a dedicated wellbeing person etc. Classes can be mixed up each school year of bullying or a problematic vibe are emerging.

She is now in year 5 and has a lovely group of friends as well as a wider group of kids she knows. She will go to a secondary school with around 1000 kids feeling well prepared.

To be honest though we didn't weigh up schools as a choice, they went to the local school which was a 5 minute walk away because it was good enough and convenience matters when it's 195 days a year for 7 years.

Don't forget it is also a low birth year, The school we have applied for is the most subscribed one in town. Last year they were able to offer a place to children outside of catchment and even from 1 town over. They had 61 applications for 60 places. The child who didn't get in lived about 6 miles away.

@Smurftastic

When I went to visit the school it was during afternoon, where no children were there, and frankly I imagine it must be extremely loud! As it's our catchment school she might end up going there if we can't get her into any of the other schools. I keep flip flopping between thinking it wouldn't be too bad if she ended there and being scared for her. The rooms are all joined together with big sliding doors that are kept open. Each room has a teacher and set of different activities, so eg. to use the phonics table you have to go to the middle room. I don't think there are any 'quiet' areas, unless you mean outside!

Sounds like a very similar set up to my DCs Primary school and DD was very quiet an anxious. She coped very well because while there were around 90 children across the year they were separated into 3 classes by the doors and then there was a shared area. It meant there was always someone to play with and prepared the DC well for Secondary I felt

@Hoppinggreen they're supposed to have a stay and play session in January but unsure if they'll go ahead because of covid.
I just can't imagine my daughter settling in there but I might be wrong.

The school is good and improved a lot with a new great head teacher. It's just about walking distance. It feeds to local high school, best in town. Only other school so close is 1 form entry Catholic, and I'm a non-practicing Catholic so not sure. They do have some non Catholic children and they're very much a family like setting.