FAQs

At CFS, we are restructuring classes in the lower end of the school by combining four year groups into two classes.

Miss Dowrick spoke of restructuring by asking parents to think about Lower School as a house.  We are not demolishing our house, we are not moving house, our house is still in the same place as it has always been.  Our house still has the same foundations - Jesus is our rock.  The outer  walls are the same - we still have the same values and vision: that our children know God and their identity as children of God. The supporting walls are still standing - a quality Christ-centred curriculum. The restructuring is like knocking down a metaphorical wall between Years 1 and 2 and Years 3 and 4, which will enrich social development and relational connection for our children. 

Academic Questions

1. Class structure and teachers
   Year 1 will be combined with Year 2 - This class will be known as Lower School Infants. The Lower School Infants class teachers will be Miss Dowrick and Mrs Redondo Smith.
   Year 3 will be combined with Year 4 - This class will be known as Lower School Juniors.  The Lower School Juniors class teacher will be Mrs Williams.
   All teachers bring experience and confidence to their roles. Miss Dowrick has taught Year 1 at CFS for many years, as well as other age groups across Lower School.  She brings significant experience of teaching larger mixed ability class sizes from her previous school. 
   Mrs Redondo Smith currently teaches in Year 1 and Year 2 at CFS and has recent experience of teaching across a range of age groups with larger mixed ability class sizes in other schools.
   Mrs Williams currently teaches Year 4, having previously taught Year 3 at CFS.  She also brings significant experience of teaching other primary age groups and larger mixed ability class sizes. 
2. Class Timetables
   The Infants and Juniors timetable will look similar to a standard Lower School timetable with daily English and Maths plus the full range of other subjects: Geography, History, Science, Art, DT, PSHME, Bible Explorers, PE, Swimming, Computing and Music. Additionally, Juniors will start French and participate in a weekly Enrichment activity with Y5 and Y6 pupils. 
   We are expecting that the Infants and Juniors class will usually have the same morning and lunch time breaks as the rest of Lower School.  For Juniors, afternoons may look different, with more time for extended project work or practical subjects and a flexible approach to breaks in the afternoon.  We are exploring opportunities for the Juniors to share some break times with Year 5 and 6 children as part of the ‘bridge’ to Middle School.  
3. Classroom bases
   Infants will be based in the current Year 1 and Year 3 classrooms, creating a flexible learning space.
   Juniors will be based in the current Year 4 classroom.  When the class is separated into year groups, they will have access to other Lower School classroom space, including the current Year 2 classroom.
4. Curriculum and differentiation
   Each year group will be taught the full curriculum, with some subjects split by age group.  
   English lessons, including phonics, will be taught by age group.  Years 1, 2, 3 and 4 will be taught by four separate teachers in separate classrooms with each year group learning their own age-related curriculum  Within these separate groups, there will be additional adaptations as necessary.
   In Maths, teachers will continue to use the Abacus Maths Scheme which is tried and tested in our school. The Abacus scheme provides plans for mixed age teaching across Years 1 & 2, and Years 3 & 4.  Lessons provide tailored learning experiences so that each pupil is challenged and supported at their level of working.  We are looking at the optimum staffing for each class - either two teachers or a teacher with one or more TAs.  
   For the rest of the curriculum (Science, History, Geography, Music, Art & DT, etc.), the whole Infants class will be together and the whole Juniors class will be taught together with their class teacher, with a TA available in most instances.  Each class will have a rolling curriculum for topic work: for example, Juniors will next year follow the Year 4 topics and the following year they will be taught the Year 3 topics.  
   Adaptations will be made to the lessons so that they are accessible to both year groups. This will usually involve the whole class having the same input with differentiated questioning to engage all learners. In some lessons, Year 1 children may have a different task to complete to Year 2 children. Year 3 children might have a different task to Year 4 children. In other lessons, they will be completing the same task but with varying amounts of adult support or support from resources. 
5. How will children who need more support be nurtured in a larger mixed age group?
   CFS continue to be fully committed to ensuring that all children receive the  support they need and our nurturing ethos remains strong. 
   Each of the combined classes is only about two-thirds the size of an average class in a typical maintained school.  Class sizes of 20 - 23 are not uncommon at CFS: historically the CFS Reception class has had up to 22 children and currently there are some large classes (up to 23) further up the school.  All pupils in those classes have made consistently good progress.  The new combined classes will have two teachers or a teacher and a teaching assistant for most subjects, resulting in a high adult/child ratio. 
   Somewhat larger learning groups can provide benefits academically as there are more opportunities to group pupils together for ability-adapted group work.  
   Children who need greater support will have adapted targets and will receive support from the teacher or the teaching assistant.
   There will still be 1:1 LSA time allocated to pupils who are part of ALPs.
6. How will children that are working at a higher level be stretched, challenged and nurtured in a larger group of mixed abilities?
   The curriculum is being carefully reviewed across all subjects to ensure that there are appropriate adaptations to inspire and challenge pupils.  
   Teachers continue to be committed to high expectations and challenges for all and will provide learning opportunities for children working at a higher level to engage in tasks that will stretch and challenge. There will be a ‘challenge table’ or ‘challenge box’ for Infants and Juniors children to access where they will find additional challenges which will take their learning from the lesson a step further.
   Teachers are planning to trial the use of Century Maths (online Maths platform) as a way of stretching the more able children in Juniors class and to support all children to plug gaps and consolidate learning.
   As a school we are members of NACE (National Association for Able Children in Education) through which we are resourced to continually extend our More Able Gifted and Talented provision.
7. Will the progress of children in the combined classes be reviewed mid-year?
   We already do a mid-year progress across the whole curriculum and this will continue.  We also do half-termly progress assessments in English and Maths and these will also continue.  We will analyse the data closely and make adjustments to the arrangements as necessary to ensure good progress for all children.
8. What will happen in Year 5?  Will the Year 4 class go back to being a single year group?  
   Yes, the Year 4s will roll off and become a stand-alone Year 5 class. Year 5 will be the start of Middle School. This is to allow for the expansion we generally see at Year 5 and Year 6 stage.  The top cohort in Infants will then roll into Juniors.  Teachers remain mindful of the need to adopt a flexible approach if the situation changes significantly.
9. Historically, Year 1 and Reception have been very close. Will the 2025-26 Reception class miss out on their interaction with Year 1?
   The Reception class will still work closely with the Infants class. They will continue to have some lessons together eg. PE and music. They will still share their playtimes together, lunchtimes and assembly times. We are aware of the importance of enlarging the social circle of the smaller Reception class so we will plan for shared activity time in addition to the set lessons. The Reception/Infants class will continue to share the outside area.

Practical Changes Parents Need to be Aware of

1. Will the Juniors be in Lower School or Middle School uniform? Usually Year 4 starts wearing a Middle School uniform.
   The Juniors class will continue to wear the Lower School uniform.  It will allow a sense of cohesion and identity within the class and within the newly expanded Lower School.  It will also avoid having to ask parents to pay out for a uniform that would only last one or two years. It is also a practical uniform for pupils of this age.
   There is only one item that will be a required branded item - the jumper. The Lower School polo shirt and the Lower School PE top have an optional logo, so unbranded is fine.  So only additional expenses are in line with regular child growth. (Our supplier has these up to age 12 size and we are looking at getting them at age 13 - 14).
2. Will Lower School Juniors eat their lunch and play outside with the rest of Lower School?
   Yes, all of Lower School will have lunch together. Most of Lower School Juniors breaks will be with Lower School.  Teachers are looking at ways to facilitate play with Year 5 children during a couple of morning breaks a week.  Teachers are also exploring the option for Juniors to join more Middle School outdoor breaks after Easter 2026, when the space outside increases due to being able to use the field at that time of year.
3. Will the Juniors class have any of the current Middle School opportunities available to them?  
   Yes, Juniors will take part in Middle School’s weekly ‘Enrichment’ session with Years 5 and 6. Each enrichment group will have children in it from all three classes (Juniors, Year 5 and Year 6), so will be a lovely opportunity for the Juniors class to mix with the Middle School children. Enrichment sessions are led by various Middle School staff, alongside Mrs Williams. 
   For Enrichment, children are able to choose their activity from a range of options that change throughout the year.  Children can also suggest new Enrichment activities.  Current options include sport, art and craft, Lego and comic making.  Children love the element of choice and this is an example of the Juniors class acting as a bridge between Lower School and Middle School
4. How will teachers help the Year 4 children feel more “grown up” even if they are not going into Middle School?
   Firstly the children will be taught upstairs, this will be exciting for them, having some independence to do this. 
   They will have the opportunity to choose their own reading books.
   Juniors will start to collect house points for themselves as an individual within a house, rather than collectively for their house.
   Juniors will read from the actual Bible rather than a children's Bible. Each child will have their own copy. Looking up chapters and verses during lessons (not just Bible lessons but across the whole curriculum). This is normally something which starts in Year 4 and will now be started in Juniors.  A proper Bible will be included on the equipment list for Juniors.
   Juniors will all have French lessons.
   Juniors will attend worship assemblies with Middle School and Upper School.
   Teachers will be adapting the Lower School behaviour policy to reflect the change in maturity of the Juniors pupils.

Further Questions

Any further questions about combined classes can be directed to our PFC Governor Beth Coppenhall brc@cfschool.org.uk 

There will also be an additional meeting for parents of Lower School Juniors on Monday 30th June from 2.00pm to 3.30 pm.