Small schools

mariaalice

Aftere watching Trump meeting the school children in Doonbeg it was reported that the school had 27 pupils and two teachers and and possibly more staff maybe SNA's.

How can this be when most if not all large school would have 30 in each class.

I know the teacher is teaching different ages so that is an issue.

Notwithstanding that a pupil ration of 13/14 to each teacher is very good.

How can the school have such good teacher rations?

TheDriver

I thought one teacher school aren't permitted, hence why you must have 2.

byhookorbycrook

The school in question was a two teacher school. The figures in such schools, special schools, using SET number are used to make the PTR look good across the boards!SNAs don't count towards PTR and are hard won!

strawberrie

Bear in mind that is two teachers for junior-6th class. Even tho 27 children the teachers must plan for the different class levels.
44% of primary schools are small schools ie 4 teachers or less. Most in rural areas.
Current staffing figures are :
P+1 18 *
P+2 54
P+3 84
P is principal...schools with 17 pupils or fewer at 1 teacher schools...They do exist!

mariaalice

Small schools are getting a better teacher-pupil ratio because of the age range they teach, I wonder has anyone done any research on outcomes for pupils from small schools versus large schools. I know the school is more likely to be rural unless its a church of Ireland school so the research would have to account for the rural environment the culture and shared values of the community.

strawberrie

https://www.google.ie/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://www.dcu.ie/sites/default/files/church-of-ireland-centre/2016_small_schools_summary_report_1.pdf&ved=2ahUKEwi3iuiCm-fiAhXWSxUIHVRvA5kQFjAAegQIAxAB&usg=AOvVaw1GqKbercmt8sAQABHkkW0S

www.isacs.org › file › Curriculum › Sma...PDF
Small Schools: Summary of Research - ...

https://www.ippn.ie › ...PDF
The Future of Small Schools and Teaching Principalship in Ireland - IPPN

https://www.esri.ie › system › files › file-...PDF
Designing Primary Schools for the future - The Economic and Social Research ...

Not sure if the links will work but plenty of Irish research out there

evolving_doors

mariaalice wrote: »

Small schools are getting a better teacher-pupil ratio because of the age range they teach, I wonder has anyone done any research on outcomes for pupils from small schools versus large schools. I know the school is more likely to be rural unless its a church of Ireland school so the research would have to account for the rural environment the culture and shared values of the community.

There's just sooo many variables to account for when comparing. Many with classes joined, so you'd be comparing a small school with 30 5th & 6th with a small school with 20 3rd, 4th & 5th. And then the socio economic background which can be very mixed in small and large schools to homgenous in other small and large schools.

But I suppose small schools are the best... because I went to one and look how I turned out:D

Blaizes

evolving_doors wrote: »

There's just sooo many variables to account for when comparing. Many with classes joined, so you'd be comparing a small school with 30 5th & 6th with a small school with 20 3rd, 4th & 5th. And then the socio economic background which can be very mixed in small and large schools to homgenous in other small and large schools.

But I suppose small schools are the best... because I went to one and look how I turned out:D

I went to a big primary school nearly five hundred so we had two year groups of each class, made lovely friends in my year group, hardly any bullying don’t think it was even a word back then. Can see the advantages of smaller schools though, smaller classes, kids get to know all the kids in the school probably as opposed to those in their year group, bullying if it occurs or discipline issues can be narrowed down and dealt with more quickly, pros and cons to each I’d say.

rainbowtrout

mariaalice wrote: »

Small schools are getting a better teacher-pupil ratio because of the age range they teach, I wonder has anyone done any research on outcomes for pupils from small schools versus large schools. I know the school is more likely to be rural unless its a church of Ireland school so the research would have to account for the rural environment the culture and shared values of the community.

But in a two teacher school one teacher has junior infants, senior infants, first and second class in one room and the other teacher has third to sixth class.

So they might have smaller numbers but they have to divide their time between the students and give them work appropriate to their age.

Kids in other schools might be in larger classes but the teacher is working on the curriculum for one year group only.