How small is too small a school?

[Swansandcygnets]

Probably the best option for us is a small church primary school that is tiny - reception, years 1 and 2 are taught together, then years 3 and 4 and then 5 and 6.

It seems a lovely school but I’m just concerned that such a small setting could mean difficulties with friendships and social groups. The other problem is that the feeder secondary school is enormous - one of the biggest in the whole country! It might be a bit of a culture shock when the time comes!

Any thoughts about this?

I'd worry about the chances of the school surviving.

We had a bad experience of a school that size. Awkward friendship dynamics, super cliquey and just all too claustrophobic. Moved to a school twice the size (still small!) and it is a breath of fresh air in every single way.

The joint year classes work up to Year 4 at a push, Years 5 and 6 should be separate. There's a massive difference in how children are in these years.

I looked round a school like this. It wasn't for us although it was a lovely school.

Our negatives: R and Y1/2 were taught in separate rooms so the teacher was only with class R a third of the time. Lack of clubs and opportunities. No after school care as insufficient numbers. In class R last year they took 8 children with only one boy which seemed weird for friendships. No SEN support (my child has a disability)

Positives - caring staff, great child to teacher ratios, friendships outside the school years, easy school run. Behaviour great and kids really engaged. Lovely facilities(massive playground) and loads of space. Catholic school so a bit more money than some.

It's our backup school so not all bad. I'm sad about not choosing it! But we have gone for the big slightly soulless high achieving primary with loads of clubs and great after school provision.

We had the option of sending DS to a school like (they’re quite common here) that but spoke to lots of friends children of all ages before deciding. We definitely got the feeling it can be difficult as it’s such a small cohort and as one friends daughter (Yr6) said “there are ten people in my class, six are boys and two of the girls I don’t like”. We sent DS to a slightly larger school (c.120 pupils overall) with mixed YR and Y1 but otherwise separate year groups and it’s perfect.

I went to a small school like this and found it totally fine. We were just all friends together really

I'd be worried it could close.

How big are the actual classes?
DD went to a small school but slightly larger as there were 4 classes nursery/R, 1/2, 3/4 and 5/6. There were 32 children in each class. It was lovely and the children developed friendships with children from the years above and below as well as their own.

Our local primary which my Ds attended in his last year was 44 pupils, It was fine. Infact I think smaller schools are much better due to the teacher being able to spend more 1-1 time.

I’m not worried it will close - it’s always possible but it’s been ticking over for a good while now!

Arghh - mostly negative then. The other one is one I really am not keen on. Or go private but then obviously that’s £££.

I think the actual classes are around thirty children, there are probably around 100 children in the whole school!

There’s a school by me like this in a tiny village. The head has this school and another small one to run. It has nursery- year 2 in one class (all of foundation phase) and all of key stage 2 in another. That’s it. It’s a lovely school but I wouldn’t have chosen it for my dc due to the lack of clubs, teams, friendship opportunities etc. also I think teaching years 3-6 together must be a nightmare. And the feeder high school has over 2000 kids which must be a hell of a shock to them in year 7.

You're right to be wary, ime. The problem with mixed classes is a wider ability range, being stretched teachers, but smaller friendship pool. Also fewer staff in the school in general, of one of four teachers goes off sick, it's much harder than if one of a team of double or triple the size! These small schools often have head issues- either they share a very stretched and stressed head, or they have a head who has their little fiefdom, and beware disagreeing. A small village school may sound lovely and quaint, but not be actually that great in practice, especially for children who are above or below the average, for either SEN or gifted. Plus they sometimes shut, sometimes mid year!

This is exactly like my DDs school, I like it because the children all know each other and they get far more attention from teachers.

There can be difficulties with friendship groups if the class has more of one sex than the other. One DDs class only had a small group of girls so not many girls to make friends with, another DDs class is very girl weighted. They have friends in different years and mix really well.

During covid we moved temporarily and my DDs went to a primary school almost 4 times as big, there were more pupils than my high school, the 2 DDs that went to the school were absolutely fine while there.

Im not worried about high school because the primary is a feeder school so most children will be going and they already have friends who have gone there that they still see. The high school takes children from several small village primary schools so most of the children are in the same boat and the school is good and transitioning them. Now I just have to wait 2 days to make sure my oldest gets into the high school 🤞

I'm a parent-governor in a school like this, and it depends entirely on how well the school is run.

With good organisation and enough teaching staff (full time and assistants) there should be no problem with the childrens' development and learning; quite the opposite, the ability to join older groups of children for some lessons is great for the more able kids, and vice-versa when children need more support.

There can be issues with only having a small pool of potential friends, but actually all the age groups mix and play together, except for 5 and 6, who as a PP says, are more grown up and need/enjoy their own space.

If the school feels right for everything else - welcoming, friendly, well organised, good pastoral care, good results - I wouldn't turn it down just because it's small, it might just the right place for your little one, as it is for mine; not everyone thrives in big groups.

I wouldn't. They will be really struggling with funding and survivability. Besides that friendship issues are difficult (it's tricky enough in a 1 cohort per year group). What if there is only 7 in your year group - 4 girls, 2 boys...

Local school is just about to close because school kept getting smaller and smaller.

Well I wouldn't class that as a tiny school. Our local village school has 30 pupils in total. That is tiny.

What you are describing can work, but schools of that size mean a lack of friendship choises, not so easy to just play with someone else if you have a falling out. They also don't have the ability to offer as many activities if that is important to you.

I used to teach in
A school that size, and definitely wouldn't recommend it.
Friendships can be tricky and if your child falls out with their friend, there's no one else to play with etc.

Also really difficult from a teaching point of view.

our village school has about 70 Children from R-Y6. It also has a preschool. So most children start in preschool at 2yrs and go through.

Pros, Everyone knows the children and families really well. Very family feel to the school.

Seemed to have money so lots of trips and clubs.

Lots of funding for sports equipment and kit.

All years play together and younger years are encouraged and supported by the older ones.

Cons - mixed year groups.

No progression for staff so they tended to leave after a few years.

Transition to a bigger school will always be hard.

DD (year 1) goes to a school like this, we love it, importantly so does she. Teachers are great and they have plenty of trips away and activities.

DD is very confident so happy to go play with the older kids and also "look after" the nursery kids.

My school was like this. They managed it well, we got time as separate years then some lessons together. I think it works well up until secondary school. But like any school, it depends on the teachers of course

I’d worry about a lack of wraparound care facilities and extra curricular opportunities

i have a friend who sends her kids to a school like you describe it and she highly rates it, her dd is very shy though and it has been very a very nurturing place for her. She worries about it closing though.

I went to a (private) school like this. There were 2 infant and 2 junior classes.

In my actual year there was only me and 1 boy. It meant that we spent most of our time with the year below. We were both March babies so the age gap wasn't as huge as it could have been.

It was fine and I found the transition to secondary (huge state comp) fine. I was the only one to go to that school as the other stayed in the private system.

My DDs prep school was 45 pupils. It was lovely and worked beautifully. It had a real family feel.

Oh blimey, just read it has 100 pupils! That's absolutely fine!