1. To expand or not to expand? – that is the question!!
secure foundations  excellent practice  faith, hope and love

2. OVERVIEW Presently we receive:
money to directly supplement deficiency in numbers (e.g. this year – funding for 60 pupils + supplement for 45 pupils)
additional funding to take school through set up period
Once at full capacity – funding will be based solely on pupil numbers.
EFA’s minimum size for financial viability is now 1+ form entry.

3. COMPOSTION OF STAFF TEAM
Current situation
Set up funding has allowed us to:
have experienced staff (teachers, HLTAs, School Business Manager)
with HLTAs capable of teaching whole class and delivering excellent intervention programmes that make a real difference
PPA cover provided by external specialists providing excellent curriculum enrichment – this is not the case in many schools
If we do not expand
Staff experience profile would have to be reduced, which in turn leads to difficulties in recruiting and less confidence for prospective parents.

4. STAFF DEVELOPMENT  Current situation
Hard to offer development within the school to different year groups and/or leadership
Expansion would
enable staff to gain experience across key stages (fresh thinking, standards high and no complacency/ boredom, increase teachers’ knowledge of years above and below)
offer better opportunities for leadership - middle management and subject and phase leaders
have positive impact on recruiting and keeping staff

5. LEADERSHIP  Current situation
Operational demands currently means strategic thinking compromised…..
Less time to devote to constant monitoring of standards in classroom
Reliance on individuals’ goodwill
Expansion would give
School resilience – less reliance on individuals
Opportunity to separate strategic and operational duties
Build in succession planning. Aspiration for middle leaders
Additional funding to bring in more experts, advisors etc, giving validation, independent over sight and experience

6. STATUTORY TASKS  Current situation
Many tasks are statutory, whether 10 children or 400 children.
In a very small school, tasks take up disproportionate amount of leadership time and general budget (eg premises statutory testing, policies, planning, reporting to DfE, SLAs, governance polices, audit costs etc)
Expansion would mean
Amount of time spent on these would be proportionality less because there would be more roles (eg Deputy Head and Premises Manager)
More time for Head and SBM to carry out strategic roles
More opportunities for accreditations giving aspiration for middle leaders and increasing confidence for potential parents

7. Size of class/school Current situation:
Nurturing environment, family “feel”
All staff really know children and families well
Excellent development of personal and social skills
Selling point with parents
Children have chance to be the oldest (eg summer borns)
HA in younger year group motivated
Expansion would:
mean single year classes and curriculum
enable a more focused approach for specific group needs (eg SATS)
mean more opportunities for staff to move (potentially same teacher for up to 4 years)
provide wider friendship groups for children
build up resilience and prepare children for larger school
extra curricular opportunities eg competitive sports teams
nursery class?

8. Operational costs Expansion :
some costs may increase marginally, but not double eg:
admissions
broadband, telephones, photocopy facilities
ICT support
catering facility – cost/pupil will decrease
reduction in percentage impact on budget and thus more money for:
more outside area
SEN resource room, separate library etc
great variety, breadth and range of books, IT, resources etc
opportunity to bring in specialist skills – physiotherapy, counselling, art therapy

9. To expand or not to expand?
Any reservations?
What is right for the school and the local community....?