Alderbrook class size Post Reply

[lfamily]

Hi all parents,
Our child is going to Reception in 2016. Our first and closet school choice would be Alderbrook for state school.
I have read recently that the class is now 30. I think it was about 20-22 before. I am not sure when this got changed.
Also, looking at the percentage of non-native English speaker of the school, it is about 48% of the number of students overall.
I am not sure how number will turn out in Reception 2016.
I am a little worried that the combination of the size of the class and above STATS will also shift teacher(s) attention
to students who need help with language first to be able to do well in class for other subjects. This is understandble as these students might need extra help from teacher(s) in the classroom.
Do you have any good/bad feedback you can give with the class of 30 students or Alderbrook in general? We are going to school visit next week.
Our child has not yet been accepted by any private school but we would prefer a state school over private.
Your valuable feedback will help us make a decision which could be very soon if we get positive answer from any private school.
Thank you in advance

[Mumboo]

Hi there,

My child started at Alderbrook in Reception this year and we have been so, so pleased with and impressed by the school.

She only turned four in the summer, so I was concerned that she might find it all a bit overwhelming, but she has settled-in amazingly well (skips to school and home again!) which fills me with confidence that she is getting all the care and attention from the teachers that she needs. The teaching itself is excellent too.

There are lots of great parents who really care about the school and are ambitious for its continued success.

The open-day will give you an excellent feel for the school, but feel free to PM me if you want any more info.

All the best! x

[lfamily]

Thank you Mumboo for your reply

[2009Kat]

I believe most state schools have 30 per class unless they are not full in which case they may have less. My son's school (full) has 30 per class. Probably a good sign if they have more in the class in that more people want to send their children there.....

[lfamily]

Thank you 2009Kat!

[Mummymoo]

Hi,

I have two children at Alderbrook, one in Year 2 and one in Reception.

My eldest is in a class of 23 children (it was about the same size in Reception) and over 10 of them probably speak a mixture of another language and English at home. Be careful of the stats - they are based on the answer to a question about what languages are spoken at home and there is often a mix. All the children (apart from one who has just arrived from France) speak English.

My youngest daughter has a bigger class and, I imagine, less children who are able to speak another language fluently. They certainly all speak and understand English.

In terms of the teaching attention, I think the greatest challenge is the children who lack any understanding of discipline, those who can't concentrate for periods of time, etc. and the school has an excellent way of working with those children to get the best out of their time at school.

I am in the school, helping with reading, swimming, library duties, PTA duties A LOT. In fact, probably too much. I have had the 'privileged peek' behind the doors of the school and I am a happy parent. Private school has also been an option for us. We were offered a place for Year 1 after my daughter had an assessment morning at Hornsby House. Hornsby were really impressed with her and I was just so pleased that Alderbrook (and I!) have made her the girl she is today.

It is a lovely school.

[sid_seal]

Petal, I must have visited the school the same year as you, when looking at the nursery, and I was shown around the main building as well. One of the things that struck me was how well behaved the children were in assembly. Not sure why your tour didn't include the main building, but let me reassure you that they don't have anything to hide!
I am now a happy Alderbrook parent. To the original poster who was concerned about the children whose first language is not English: most children with non-British parents I know at the school were born here or came here very young, so they are perfectly bilingual; anyway, at that age children pick up languages amazingly quickly, so it's really a non-problem!

[Mummymoo]

Petal, I am also surprised because all the tours I have helped with over the last 2 years have started in the main school before going across to the Early Years at the end. I will pass on your comments, I am sorry that you weren't able to see everything.

[T&R]

Hi there, I'm an Alderbrook parent. My 2 children are very happy at the school and I have been only impressed with the commitment and standards of teaching. My daughter started in Reception this September and is loving school. The larger class sizes of 30 are perfectly normal for State schools and is a sign the school is more popular now so fills all its places. I can only see this continuing as the school goes from strength to strength under the care of the fantastic Head and staff.
I would thoroughly recommend you go on a open day tour. There are several coming up and there is one this Thursday 15th at 9am.

[lfamily]

Thank you all for your valuable inputs! I really appreciate it.