Small School - Big Advantage

Is bigger always better? Research is showing that far from being disadvantaged by attending small schools, children actually do better. Children feel a greater sense of engagement, belonging, and personal value when their classmates and teachers get to know them, resulting in higher achivement and diminishing behaviour problems.

When choosing a school parents take a number of different features into account and one of those most often considered is the size of the school.

Small schools offer:

• A sense of community, children in small schools come to know and care about each other to
  a greater degree than is possible in big schools
• An environment where all pupils and staff know each other well, resulting in individual attention for all students across the school
• Every child gets appropriate and frequent leadership opportunities from their first year with
  the school
• Children are less likely to be overlooked or isolated
• Everybody’s participation is needed for team activities, which encourages students to work together
• Children at small schools tend to take more responsibility for their own learning
• Teachers know their students learning needs and strengths well which minimises down time
  at the beginning of the year
• Communication between staff is easier, and they are able to work together to build a high-quality program across subject areas and curriculum levels

There is no question that the smaller size of St Peter Chanel is a major factor in the self-confidence and capability of our students. Our community is focused on ensuring all children have access to a range of extra curricula activities that include sport, arts and cultural experiences.

“Small schools are able to be close-knit, flexible communities where no-one is a stranger”. McRobbie, J 2001