Experiences of one-form entry schools

[janetraven]

Our nearest primary school is one form entry, so one class per year all the way up to year 6. Although it seems fine, and means we could walk to school, I have some concerns about its size and wondered if anyone could tell me if any of these things are worth worrying about - what have your experiences been?

1. Being with the same 30 children from age 4 - 11…is that too small a group to be stuck with?
2. The site is small-ish, so less space to play outside
3. Secondary school being a shock after such a small primary
4. Less resources e.g not so many clubs offered, no music lessons etc

A one form entry is considered a big school where I live. DD’s school has around 60 with mixed aged classes of 10-20.

It doesn’t cause us any issues as the trust does competitions and teams across the schools.

Friendships are different and formed outside of year group, much more sibling like. But like all things what suits one child doesn’t suit another. My DD is thriving as one of 5 in Y1.

I would feel a bit intimidated by a class of 30 so it wouldn’t be my top choice.

That would be a massive school whereI live. My DC went to a village school with a PAN of 10 and not every year group was full so I don't think there were ever 50 kids in the entire school during the time they were there. And that's not the smallest school around here by a long chalk. None of my DC or any of their friends had any significant difficulties with friendships or transitioning to secondary as far as I know. My middle son didn't really have the closest friendships with the other boys in his year but they got on ok, just not bosom buddies, and he had friends in other years anyway so I wouldn't say it was a problem.
I think even in a bigger school kids do tend to stick within a group anyway. I went to a 2 form primary and I hardly knew anyone in the other form, so unless classes get mixed as they go up the school I don't think it makes huge difference to friendships. In theory there's a pool of friends that's double the size at a two form entry school but unless they're taught together they won't necessarily really get to know the other class well. It's the same at secondary really. My youngest made a new best friend in 6th form. I assumed that he'd moved from another school for A levels but actually he'd been there since year 7, like my son. But because the year group was split into two populations and they were in opposite halves they'd never had a single class together before.
Extracurricular activities also needn't be restricted. Our school had loads and my DC tried all kinds of things and did well at them. The school even represented England in the international finals of STEM competition where they were both the youngest team to qualify and from the smallest school. Small size doesn't have to mean low quality or limited opportunities. In my opinion it depends more on the quality of the staff and the governing body and engagement of parents than the number of pupils.
If you don't think the school will meet your DC's needs, look elsewhere, but don't make any assumptions based only on size.

That's the only schools I or my dc have been to. I'd say it's thr norm outside of cities.

I think larger would be ideal so they can mix up the classes if needed, but 1 form is the only option where I am. There's not a school in 10 miles larger than 1 form entry.
I grew up in tiny private and village schools so 30 still seems huge to me. Still big enough to field a sports team unlike my schools.

DD went to village primary with 15 per year group. Worked brilliantly for Reception and Yr 6 as they were standalone years. The other years were shared year groups ie Yr 1 + 2, 3+4. Worked well for the school and children ie really nurturing community feel.

My ones went to a one form and I would say it was fine, yes they were definitely ready to leave by the time secondary school came around but to be able to walk to school would outweigh the small size issue for me personally.

Most rural schools will be like this or even smaller. Most ones round here have mixed year groups and have under 50 pupils in total

I guess this is common for rural areas, but this is definitely not a rural area. So class sizes of 30 are the standard and it’s just a choice between one class of 30 per year or 4 or 5 classes per year.

Is the small school usually oversubscribed?

It's the norm around here and I was honestly more worried about DS being lost in the two form entry of what is technically the nearest school. He's in a single form entry and their class has some turnover but hovers around 23/ 24. There's a lot of communication with other year groups through clubs/ performances/ assemblies and he's honestly perfectly happy. loads of outdoor space too. Plenty of different clubs, music lessons, wraparound care that's reasonably priced and all the kids absolutely adore the lady who runs it.

It’s normal around here, but personally I don’t like such small classes and we have chosen to pick a 2 form entry school. I like having a larger pool of potential friends and the flexibility to move pupils around if problems arise. The school we’ve picked spend the first few weeks curating the classes so the personalities gel better which I like.

I don’t think one form entry is bad and if we end up at one it’s fine, but it’s not my preference.

Many parents in this area opt for the smaller schools rather than the larger primaries even if out of catchment

Not all large primaries move children around classes, and those that do will not usually do it down to parental preference

All things being equal, pick the 2 or more form entry.

Of course things aren't equal, and the most important decision points are teaching quality and safeguarding. Pick the school that scores highest for those two, and you won't go far wrong.

We opted for a school with a one form entry. The best thing about it was how the pupils intereacted with other school years. Everyone knew each other. Parents formed a tight knit community too. Lots of clubs and extra curricular stuff. Meant the children had a good chance of becoming 'house captain' or getting a decent part in the school play as they weren't competing with 90 other children.

Towards the end the sexes became imbalanced in my younger DCs year (9 girls vs 20 boys). This could have caused problems but fortunately it didn't as the remaining girls got on well.

Be aware that if there are any issues in the class that there are no options at all to sort them out with a class change/reshuffle.

That was my concern when I sent dd to a one form entry school, and it turned out to be the class from hell. Useless head didn’t help as well. Which is why she now goes to a two form entry school (more than a third of the kids from the original class have also left due to bullying, etc).

I would agree with all those concerns.
In particular the inability to mix up classes, and the potential possibility of having a smaller pool of people to be friends with.

However I also think being able to walk to school and all friends living fairly close by is a HUGE positive when looking at schools.
So it does depend on what your alternative choices might be.

So long as it is a full class of 30 and isn’t a mixed year class then that’s a decent pool for friendships. I wouldn’t have an issue with it or consider it a particularly small school and if it that means you can walk to school when the others would be a drive then I’d strongly consider it.

Every time I see on here that a DC is sad being shuffled into a class away from friends, I feel very relieved that my kids are in a single form entry school

I myself was deliberately split from my best friend in a class reshuffle between y4 and 5. I did make other friends but was stuck as the third wheel in existing pairs really until the end of primary. Sad.

I think single entry class of 30 is the worst of all possibilities. In a tiny school of 15 PAN or less you have the benefits of an amazing community feel, kids across all the years being friends, and better attention from the teacher. These factors balance out the negatives of smaller pool of friends in your year and inability to move classes if problems arise. Equally in a large school with multiple forms you have the cons of less community, not everybody knows everybody, but you have the advantages of lots of friends to be made, more opportunities and the potential to adjust the forms if there are bullying or behaviour problems etc.

With a single form of 30 entry it is a big enough class that the teacher is stretched, but the school is still too large for the older kids to look out for the younger ones in the same way. At the same time it is too small to get away from any problems that arise with the class.

I have experience of all 3 school types with my kids, and 30 PAN has been the most problematic. I wouldn't choose it if there was a decent, practical other choice.

My concern in the current climate of falling birth rates that the school maybe closed before your child finishes.

Yes. As a school governor there is a lot of talk about how viable smaller schools are now. One form entry schools are considered to be very financially vulnerable and highly unlikely to survive going forward

Personally I'd choose a bigger school. Our primary kept same classes until end of Y3, and by that point all the parents were desperate to mix the classes (3 form). They've been mixed every year from Y4-6, it's been much healthier for all and my daughter's friendships have widened so much, but still got the original core group too. It preps very well for secondary. We're in a large village/small town but take from surrounding villages, so still has a villagey feel.

I’m envious!! All the schools in my town are 3 or 4 form entry. To me that’s huge, 100 kids a year in some primary schools.
I went to a 1 form entry in the countryside. Did lots of looking and managed to find a 2 form entry for my dc1 which is hr smallest I could find near us.

One of my kids was at a 1 form entry primary. The split was 13 boys and 16 girls. Lots of boys had left by yr 6 so we had 8 boys left. My kid was the bullied by 2 of them who were in his friendship group and he didn't particularly connect to the boys outside it. He literally had nowhere to go. If I was to do it again I'd definitely choose a bigger school.