does size of school matter?

[ladymuckingitup]

My dd is 3, and I am starting to think about which of our 2 local primary schools to choose for her. One has an amazing reputation but is in the process of expanding from 2-form to 3-form entry. The other seems fine but less brilliant, and has 3-form entry. DD has never been especially keen on large boisterous groups of children, but I don't know whether it is the class size that is more important than size of intake? I think both schools would have the same class size. I would definitely have chosen the expanding school prior to its expansion, but should I change perspective now? If anyone has any thoughts on this or experience of good schools which have expanded, I'd be very grateful to hear. I don't really know what impact the overall size of the school would have on a child.

Thanks frogs and roisin. It's great to have an idea of the practical issues surrounding that size of school. I feel I'm beginning to get more of a handle on this and at least have some sensible questions to ask now!

I hadn't thought about things like school trips and assemblies. I suppose that sort of thing will make a big difference to how a child feels about being in the school.

If anyone has any further insights on the Coleridge situation, I'd be very glad to hear.

Actually its not so much the size of the school it is how it is organised. Rokesly is run as two schools: an infants and a juniors, with two separate heads and may even have two separate Governing Bodies. This means that although it is a three form entry school it is divided into two units each of which is actually a little smaller than an "all-through" two form entry school. So while many people think that two form entry is the right size for an all through primary its quite possible to run a three form entry system when you have two separate schools. And I have always heard that Rokesly is run well.

The Coleridge proposal (as described on their web site) is that they will run the four form entry school as a single entity, with one (the current ) Head.

Given the lay out of the split site, I would have thought that the most appropriate management structure, if it is to be "one" school would be a separate infants and Juniors with two separate Heads. However this was one of the possibilities explicitly rejected by the school and Harringey

I see on re reading that Maenad asked me a couple of questions:-

"I have read the argument that it was not a good idea to turn a successful two form entry school into a four form entry one, but I don't know why that might be the case."

Well its just that a form entry school will be a management challenge. You cant be sure that the current, successful, style, will scale up. Also many of the current parents expressed the view that there was a community feel to the school with good contact between pupils of different ages. They feared this would be lost.

Part of the "community feel" would have been based on most pupils living nearby. As the school was oversubscribed at two form entry the circle of admission was really small so most Coleridge pupils lived really close. Harringey estimated that the new radius of catchment would extend from Muswell Hill (Tetherdown School is just at the edge ) to Finsbury Park so you could expect pupils to come from a rather wider area.

Does this Matter?

Well all things being equal it is really good to be in comfortable (child ) walking distance of the school. I think. But not everyone agrees with me!

FioFio where is your sons school? I ask cos there seem to be so few examples of four form Primaries. Do you know if they use any special management structures to handle the size?