Transition

Dear Parent/Carers

As you are aware, the children are currently spending time in their new classes and with their new teachers as part of their transition to their new year group next year. As most of you attended our open events when choosing a school, you will also be aware that we are a 45-pupil place school (PAN – Pupil Admissions Number). That means that in every phase (KS1 – Year 1&2, LKS2 – Year – 3&4, UKS2 – Year – 5&6) there is a mixed year class. We cannot change this fact as staffing is constrained by the number of children to staff ratio. However, we have been working with this organisational set up for over a decade and have adopted tried and tested strategies.

Before the Reception class is split into a class of 30 and half a class of 15, we undergo an extensive period of consultation with staff and take into consideration such things as: learning needs, social skills, friendships, staff-pupil relationships, gender equity, neuro diversity, academia, friendships that are conducive to creating good learning environments, geography within school that will help the needs of individuals or groups of children.

Once taking all these facts into consideration we are still bound by class size legislation where we have to make sure the classes don’t exceed 30pupils per teacher/class. Sometimes children might see some of their friends go into other classes because of this but this has been carefully discussed between staff. As a school we often learn as phases (Alternative PE, Forest schools, continuous provision in KS1, recreational times – Lunches and breaktimes) which means it often doesn’t matter which class children are in they will see their friends when we actively want them to play together. The classes have been design to help your children learn best.

Over the last decade, the choices we have made around this organisational set up, have formed the school you chose for your children.

Kind regards

Cookridge Team