Small school and split classes WWYD?

[SmiggleBag]

Two of our DC are in Year 1 and Reception, respectively at our local village school. Due to low numbers, their class now consists of children in Year R up to Year 2. The Year group sizes are tiny, I'm worried about comparisons being made between the two siblings and not really being given the chance to individuate. They would be in split classes as they move through the years as well.

WWYD in this scenario? We are looking at other schools in the area where it's one class (or more) per year. They both seem to enjoy school, so it's hard deciding what to do. Friends have suggested that it's easier to move them when they are younger... any thoughts?

We chose a school further away specifically to avoid this. I worried about the elder one not being pushed, and the younger being compared.
Agree it's definitely easier to make the move younger, but be aware that things like playdates and emergency lifts etc are harder when you aren't local.

I would absolutely move them to another school. There's 2 main reasons the current school wouldn't work for me.

1. They absolutely will be compared and by being in the same class it would be glaringly obvious to everyone especially your first born should your second child be more academicly able than your first.

1. This school doesn't sound viable and I'd be very concerned about it closing down!

Small schools tend to be quite claustrophobic as children get older and especially so in your case your children would be missing out on having their own friends.

We left a school where numbers dwindled and classes were either 1 per year group or composites.

I'd move schools. I've been a teacher for thirty years although I only do supply now.

I like bigger schools. More children to play with and more staff to share the responsibilities. In a small school one member of staff will have to be the SENCO, and the lead for maths, geography, music, RE and art. They will be doing three playground duties a week and a couple of assemblies.

I have two DC in the same primary class due to mixed age classes. It’s absolutely fine and they mostly ignore each other. Small schools have downsides, but my experience is that the children have a solid, mixed-age community, which is obviously what would have traditionally been normal in a village. My eldest is now in a massive high school but went right through a tiny school very happily. The point about viability is the only one I’d be concerned about.

Ds was in a village school with a 17 pupil intake each year. Mixed classes, R/1, 1/2, 3/4, 5/6.

We didn't have any issues. Ds didn't have a sibling in the school, but he spent two years in the first class. Seven boys did. He's August born and wasn't bothered by the comparisons. He was too busy having fun.

As far as worrying about the school being non-viable, the school building was provided by the local big estate, as many village schools were in the 1800s. If the council stopped using the building as a village school, it reverted to the estate. The council couldn't sell it, or the playing fields for housing. They got nothing 😀so they kept it open.

OP, have you tried asking your dcs what they think?

Mine moved from a school of 600 to a small primary and were in the same class . It's been absolutely fine. No comparisons made. It's nice that they know each other's friends.

We had originally avoided a local school for the same reason (siblings in consecutive academic years and double-year classes), however, for assorted reasons (mainly the junior school they were originally at being a shower of shit, bullying, incompetent SENCO) we had to move the kids, and this was the only place that had the right combination of spaces.

Honestly - it worked. They had a year in a class together but the teacher managed it well, and there wasn't the comparison issue you're anticipating - they were different kids, with different needs and were treated as such.

We did, however, have fucking hours of bickering over "Miss said this... no she didn't... yes she did" (but if sibling bickering was an Olympic sport my kids would have gold medals)

My Dd's were in this situation. It was never an issue. They were together every other year for the whole of primary. Teachers never compared them, just treated them as equals.
The joint year system also worked in my kids favour,as they were stretched to the level of the highest achievers.
The only down side of a small school is lack of friendship options.
Mine loved primary snd then both went on to big seconary schools without issue.
Guess it depends if yours are happy and thriving where they are?

Twins and ALL the local schools are single form entry, so no choice but to be in the same class. I was worried about many of the things you’ve mentioned, with the added angst of twins automatically get compared anyways, but on balance it has been more upside than downside. In y2 now, and they are starting to want a bit more space from each other which we do at home and via extracurriculars, and school supports in class (putting them on different tables, putting them in different groups wherever possible, etc.).

I think it depends on the school and the teachers - we ended up switching school in reception, and the old teacher very much treated them as a unit, kept getting them mixed up (despite not being identical), etc. At the new school they seem to have more experience (other sets of twins in different years, several of the teachers are twins or twin parents), and they have a much more thoughtful approach to managing siblings in the same class.

Thank you, lots to think about here. I haven't spoken about it with the kids yet but do plan to discuss it with them if we book them in for taster days at another school.
DD is thriving but DS I'm a bit concerned about. In some ways I wonder if he's in his sister's shadow as she's very confident but he's more reserved. I can't help but think he just needs his own space.

The school is really tiny, less than 50 kids from year R up to Year 6.

We found small schools cpuld offer our children much more.Thwy federated with other schools where larger numbers were required, but other times school yrips were very easy bu a couple of oarents peoviding lifts, all the chikdren could be on all the sports teams, have good oarts in the play etc