Large classes successful in Norfolk school

Staff at Bure Valley School in Aylsham, Norfolk, think they may have the biggest class sizes in the UK.

The North Norfolk News reports that the junior school teaches all Year 3 pupils in a class of 70, with two teachers and three teaching assistants, and all Year 4 pupils in a class of 60, with two teachers and two teaching assistants.

Headteacher John Starling said the team-teaching approach was working and that he aims to extend it to other school years.

‘We’ve monitored the children very carefully in core subjects. At the end of the first year we found they had made double the progress they had in the previous year.’

He said staff were able to work closely with specific groups of children within classes and teachers benefited because they had colleagues in the same room.

‘Teachers are enjoying it’, he said. ‘They’re not on their own in a class and it’s particularly good for newly-qualified teachers because they have an experienced colleague on hand.’

Ofsted found that changes to the way in which children in Years 3 and 4 are taught have been ‘instrumental’ in improving the quality of education.

What do you think of Bure Valley School’s approach? Have your say in our poll about class sizes .