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School size
Posted: Tue Jun 03, 2008 8:10 pm
by T.i.p.s.y
When is a school too big or too small, even if class sizes are still the same?
One school has 260 in a year group and 1300 in the school, another has 120 with 600 in total, and the last one has 77 with 539 in total (it starts in Year 7). Any pros or cons for each?
Thanks for answering these and all the other questions before I send the forms off. Its amazing that I start to think these things only now!
Posted: Tue Jun 03, 2008 8:21 pm
by Ed's mum
Nothing to back this up with... but the latter two sound more appealing to me - taking nothing else into account of course. The first one sounds like the school experience could be too impersonal...
Posted: Tue Jun 03, 2008 8:42 pm
by T.i.p.s.y
Agree, but the first two have the boys in boarding houses of 60 to alleviate that issue. I have heard that at the larger school the boys manage to get out of sports because it can take them so long to get to the 8th Rugby pitch! Now if you're sporty then you'd be down there in a flash, but my son would find a way to do as little as possible!
Posted: Tue Jun 03, 2008 8:45 pm
by Burneth
I agree with Ed's Mum, in a very large school a child is more likely to be lost in the numbers and if all three schools had equal ranking, then I think the either the smaller pupil numbers would be the deciding factor for me.
I have very little to back this up, other than I went to a School with 90 in each year group (about 600 in total including 6th forms) and enjoyed my time there and my DS will be going a school with a similar number in September.
I am not in any way saying that attending a large school will be impersonal, but just that it could be.
Good luck with your decision Tips!
Posted: Tue Jun 03, 2008 9:03 pm
by T.i.p.s.y
Thanks Burneth. I had forgotten about size until I looked up the latter today, just to get it out of my system - 77 seems very appealing. I do make things harder for myself.
Posted: Tue Jun 03, 2008 9:07 pm
by Ed's mum
Ed starts as one of 16 in September...and I was shocked as we had heard it would be less than that!!!!!!! Puts it into perspective now!
Posted: Tue Jun 03, 2008 10:01 pm
by T.i.p.s.y
One of 16!
What's the intake at 13+?
Posted: Wed Jun 04, 2008 7:58 am
by Ed's mum
No idea about at 13. Much higher though!! They only take a few at 11 - designed to bring the state school pupils up to the standard of the entrance exam-prepped independent school children.
Posted: Wed Jun 04, 2008 9:25 am
by T.i.p.s.y
Your family must be really talented to have three Rugby Scholars!
Posted: Wed Jun 04, 2008 9:27 am
by T.i.p.s.y
Just a piece of useless info but my son's DT teacher's father was headmaster of Rugby at one point. Woodhouse was his name.
