Large primary schools - Ealing

[rafa]

DH and I are thinking of moving to Ealing. The issue is the primary schools are so big there. The school we are interested in Fielding is due to go to from a 90 pupil intake per year to 120 by 2010. The school will have over 800 pupils! I am worried this kind of environment could be very daunting for a young child. Little Ealing is also due to extend to a 90 per year intake and Oaklands is already at 90 per year. Is anyone elses DC at one of the above school or at such a large school and if so what are your experiences? Any advice appreciated.

My dd1 is in reception at a 90 intake school, not in Ealing though. She doesn't seem to find the numbers intimidating, but she does spend the vast majority of the time with the 30 children in her class. I think it depends how the school is set up. Our 3 reception classes are pretty self-contained from the rest of the school, with their own outside play areas, toilets etc. She had to stand up in assembly recently which she said was scary as there were so many people looking at her (just infants though so 270 children).

It is quite chaotic at drop off and pick up time with over 600 parents (infants and juniors), younger siblings, pushchairs, scooters, dogs etc, but I seem to notice that more than dd!

I do also feel dd is a bit anonymous in class as she is quietly capable and just gets on with things. I think she may be better suited to a smaller class size, on the other hand she has lots of lovely friends, and who knows, in a smaller class she may not have "gelled" with anyone....

If I had my way she'd be in a lovely little school, with more individual attention, but not possible around here unless you are prepared to pay for it!

thanks runoutofideas, I agree if i had my way I would also go for a smaller school but like you say not an option. I suppose they get used to it and dont know any different !

My little boy has just gone through a change the other way round. He's gone from 420 on roll (60 intake) to 93. Obv. not quite as large as you are looking at.

We have found that the larger school actually cossetted the reception children much more. At the larger school, DS hardly saw the year six children (unless the y6's were running errands/doing duties etc), reception children were just starting to go into assembly during January and there were two playgrounds so that KS1 children were separate from KS2 pupils. Since being at a small village school, it is quite apparent from DS's conversation that he is mixing much more with older children. I feel like I have lost my little reception child )

I can't offer a comparison of settling in between our two schools, but certainly the larger school did phase the children in gently and were very understanding of the children's feelings. Also remember that with a bigger school there is a larger pool of resources, eg specialist teachers, sports equipment, ict etc. These may not be important at reception stage but will be by the time your child gets to Y6.

The other thing I would add is that we have found that the two schools are so different it has stopped us comparing them directly. School X doesn't do this better or worse than school Y, they do it completely differently.

Sorry wittered on a bit there. I hope any move you choose to make goes well for you!

My DDs both went to three form entry primary schools in Ealing, one is now in Year 5 at a junior school that is due to expand to four form entry. We live in Fielding catchment but they go/went to church schools. All of the schools you mention have a good reputation locally, as does North Ealing. If you like the area that much, it is something you will have to put up with unless you can afford private schooling - there are plenty of those to choose from.