Choices

As the time approaches when we consider our children starting school, we enter into the common debate that every parent faces, as to which school will provide our child with the best education? For most people there is a degree of choice, albeit a limited one. The problems where choice is taken away, tend to relate more to the issues with secondary school places, a somewhat controversial subject of late. In most urban communities there is usually a choice of around three schools within the locality you live. Parents go through the motions of looking round, and reading literature on ‘league tables’, when we often tend to choose the school based on our general gut feeling.

My two vastly different experiences

So what are the choices for primary schooling? Mainstream, well populated primary school, or a smaller community or village school. Twelve months ago my 8 year old son moved from a large primary school, in a busy community, serving 700 pupils, to a rural village school with a total of 95 pupils. When I think back to a year ago, I had so many worries about potential isolation, a smaller peer group, a less equipped school, that in general was potentially not ‘mainstream’ enough for his needs. Twelve months on, the change in my son’s educational ability and social skills are profound, and he is a totally different, happy child. He endured 2 years of attention seeking in a class catering for 34 children, on the flip side he has had more than enough input from adequate teaching staff, and is now in a class of 18, which incorporates 2 year groups. I suddenly feels involved in my son’s education more than I ever have been, the school communicates with parents frequently, and the staff know all the parents by name.

I cannot believe I put my son through such a poor first two years of his education, and I now feel pleased that I can make it up to him ten-fold. The school he now attends is in the heart of a small village. The school is somewhat primitive, and does rely heavily on the contribution of parents time, and financial donations at school events. But when you get the satisfaction that you are investing in, and contributing to such an excellent standard of education for your child, the effort is well worth it.

At his previous school I had no idea of the topics he was studying, despite efforts to find out. Now, parents are expected to get heavily involved in school projects, and so for me this has been informative and fun. I do sometimes feel like I have always got my hand in my pocket finding money for something, but when I see what my son gains from this I am more than happy to do so. The school puts a high importance on the children experiencing different places and subjects. Yes, there is a cost attached to this, but my son has attended places that I would neither have the time, nor inclination to take him, so I am more than happy that the school participates in such activities.

Social outlet

In the larger school I was just one in a hoard of parents that would assemble in the playground at the end of the school day. For whatever reason people would not communicate, and the process was very clinical. Now, the before and after school event is a very social one indeed. An opportunity for mum’s to ‘network’. Being a rural school there is an extremely eclectic mix of parents, as there are children. With the previous school I thought my son would benefit from mixing with a group of peers from an equal social class and upbringing, this was a very misguided judgment.

To him rambling around someone’s country estate, and riding horses, is something I never experienced as a child, and he has had so many opportunities, thanks to his new school life. The school runs lots of after school activities, something that before was a luxury. I find myself needing to maintain a social diary for him now, as he stays behind for an event once or twice a week. I do not remember any such opportunity at his previous school.

Healthy pursuits

In the concrete jungle that was his previous school, the kids ‘outside’ experience was playing on ‘Astro Turf’, or venturing onto the school field at lunchtime. Now my son plays conkers and builds camps at lunchtime, or assists with planting in the school garden during lesson time. I do believe children should have regular contact with nature and the outside world. I never thought a pair of Wellington boots would be worn so much! The school puts a much higher importance on healthy pursuits. Swimming, football, and P.E come as standard each week. Even though the school doesn’t have an ‘in-house’ kitchen fresh, steamed meals are brought in and prepared via an external agency, so the children most certainly do not go without adequate nutrition either.

The benefits are endless I will never forget the horror that was trying to park anywhere near the school for dropping off and picking up. I would find myself getting to the school thirty minutes early, just to park in the same postal code area! Now, the approach to the school has endless space to park, I often park in the village hall and enjoy a fifteen minute walk to the school, just to get some fresh air. That wasn’t an option in the urban jungle. Daily contact with the teaching staff. My son’s teacher will be present in the playground most days in case any parent wishes to discuss something with her. This avoids the dreaded occasion that is ‘parent’s evening’ where you have no idea what the teacher will say! The school is a Church of England one, and although religion is not heavily enforced, it does play a large part in my son’s schooling.

The Christmas Nativity always has that festive feel when held in the village church. How can you compare that to a large, clinical school dining hall? My son is certainly aware of religion, whereas before he though Jesus was just the guy that was responsible for getting presents in December. He has a good grasp on the subject, and I feel this is good as he can then make choices later in life. I never thought I’d see myself making cakes for the Summer Fair, or costumes for mid-week assembly, but I actually really enjoy it. My son seems proud that his parents are involved in his education, and that in itself is hugely rewarding. I am not saying that had he stayed in the larger school, he wouldn’t have thrived educationally, and performed well. But the extra benefits he gets from belonging to a much smaller and closed community, are endless, and he now wouldn’t have it any other way. I attended a small community Primary School, run primarily by nuns. For me, the memories of that close knit, cosy experience have stayed with me, even now I am a parent, and to be able to provide a similar lasting memory for my son is truly priceless.