Class sizes - primary (prep) schools

Independent Schools as an alternative to Grammar

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Charlotte67
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Post by Charlotte67 »

During year 1 I moved my DD from a very prestigious independent school to our local state school. We had moved into an area with good state schools and it seemed daft to continue to pay... The class sizes in the pre-prep were 12 - 16 and at the state infant 30 (junior it went up to 33/34). She thrived in the state school. Having larger class meant a much wider peer group from which to choose friends. The children seemed to get on so much better, with much less jealousy and possesive behaviour. The children didn't judge each other by the size of their houses/cars/ponies. And the academic standards were better.

Having more children in a class allows the teachers to differentiate the work more effectively, allowing children to work with others of the same ability where appropriate. The results were phenominal this year in both SATs and 11+. They set next to no homework, believing that, at primary age, homework makes no difference & children should be allowed to play & have outside interests and activities.

We are lucky to have such good state schools in our area and I'm sure that some independents are better than some state schools but I'm not sure how much effect class size has. As long as discipline is good then the more the merrier! I honestly think it's a bit of a middle class hang up and smaller sizes can actually be detrimental to social and academic development.
yoyo123
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Location: East Kent

Post by yoyo123 »

I had a primary class of 14 one year and it was difficult, you can't play more than 7 a-side football for a start!

About 20 to 24 is great
T.i.p.s.y

Post by T.i.p.s.y »

I would rather a Maths graduate taught my son Maths than one of these teachers.

http://www.mailonsunday.co.uk/news/arti ... -test.html

Obviously it is better if a teacher has the PGCE as well as a degree in the subject they teach but if I had to choose then it would be the academic degree that I would choose. Teachers don't even have to have a science degree to teach science, just a teaching qualification - what a joke!
mike1880
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Post by mike1880 »

Don't forget that in a state school (or probably any type of school I suppose), class size can be an indicator of quality. In our childrens' original primary our son's class was down to 18 by the time we realised how much damage the school was doing to him and moved them. There are 30 per class in their current school. (We were offered a place at a prep school with 8 per class - that doesn't seem like a good idea, somehow.)

(I still have some of my own school reports and from those I can see that I was in a class of 38!!!! at state junior school. I know at least four of us went on to good universities and there are probably others that I don't remember.)

Mike
Sassie'sDad
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Post by Sassie'sDad »

I posted my experience without any wish to stir up a hornet's nest. There are obviously agrguments to be made on both sides. There are indeed schools (yes, State) with class numbers in the high 30s which turn out excellent results (DD is at one now) and in our case they reflect the extrodinary level of competition to achieve a grammar place.
There is nothing new either about the self regarding attitude of those who hold the PGCE as being superior by design. By chance this week I heard the fate which has befallen the most gifted Junior teacher I have ever met - then a teacher in a State Junior in Coventry ( a graduate from Warwick with a PGCE). She has moved to an Independant - one that regularly falls in the top 50 - as Head of Juniors. Finally, I agree with the majority of postings in this section of the site and hope that all will agree what we really stand for is the opportunity for our youngsters to achieve excellence; whatever the school type or class size. We would do well to look to what standards prevail in other advanced countries, the Far East and Eastern Europe.
T.i.p.s.y

Post by T.i.p.s.y »

I do think education is not perfect in this country and it is pot luck if you don't pay, and sometimes if you do, but although standards in China are very high I wonder at what cost. Children in these countries have such huge pressures placed on them, and although they can be years ahead academically it does seem to be at the expense of other things. Perfection is expected and suicide is high. :(

I know America has its faults but it has a culture of letting the most able succeed regardless of social status and gifted children are cherished instead of frowned apon. One of the schools we are looking at there has 45% of the students on full bursaries, and this is one of the most famous. It doesn't matter where you come from in America but what you have to offer.
Charlotte67
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Post by Charlotte67 »

T.i.p.s.y wrote:I do think education is not perfect in this country and it is pot luck if you don't pay, and sometimes if you do, but although standards in China are very high I wonder at what cost. Children in these countries have such huge pressures placed on them, and although they can be years ahead academically it does seem to be at the expense of other things. Perfection is expected and suicide is high. :(

I know America has its faults but it has a culture of letting the most able succeed regardless of social status and gifted children are cherished instead of frowned apon. One of the schools we are looking at there has 45% of the students on full bursaries, and this is one of the most famous. It doesn't matter where you come from in America but what you have to offer.
As my grandmother would say, what's that got to do with the price of fish? Or in this case, class sizes. Did you mean to post that on another thread? :lol:

Charlotte
T.i.p.s.y

Post by T.i.p.s.y »

Answering Sassie's Dad's comment you cheeky cow! :lol:
Guest55
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Joined: Mon Feb 12, 2007 2:21 pm

Post by Guest55 »

A PGCE is a post-graduate teaching certificate ie you have to have a degree - someone with a degree AND a PGCE is what I meant.
T.i.p.s.y

Post by T.i.p.s.y »

I have a friend on this course of mine (equivalent to A'level Physics and Chemistry) and if she does this she can do a two year teacher training course to become a teacher to teach A'level Science. Maybe I got confused abouut PGCE, because this is not what she is doing but will still be able to teach in a state school without it.
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