Send your child to a small country school?

[record]

Our child is starting school this September. We have the option of sending him to a small, 3-teacher country school, which is within a few miles of the house (it is the local school). Alternatively, we can send him to a larger school, with better facilities, etc., but it is a bit further away.

Has anyone any opinions based on their own experience?

 

[aircobra19]

I'd prefer local. Making friends with other kids and parents local makes a big difference IMO. Unless of course the school is extrememly limited because of the lack of facilities.

 

[aaa1]

My best friend was a teacher in a two teacher school in the West and had about 10 students in her class. She moved to a larger school with about ten teachers and around 25 in her class. She said she couldn't believe the difference in the children with the kids in the smaller school being much smarter and better behaved. She was able to spend much more time with them and any problems they had were dealt with rather than falling to the wayside

 

[Welfarite]

Local school is best IMHO: Smaller classes, better management (due to size of school), child not overwhelmed by numbers of adults/kids, etc.. Loss of facilites will be more than compensated by social skills learnt in a small school.