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Teachers are Expert Multitaskers – Especially in a Small Rural School

Serving up lunch and unblocking the drains is all in a day’s work at my tiny school, says Sarah Watkins…

Sarah Watkins
by Sarah Watkins
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“Well, it took you a while but you’re back!” exclaimed a cheerful parent. 35 years ago I was a pupil at this little rural school and now I’ve returned – to teach Y4, 5 and 6. Moving from a three-form entry school to a three teacher school has definitely been a shock to the system – and it’s certainly not for the faint-hearted.

Having been used to leisurely planning sessions over coffee with two colleagues, the first trauma is learning that I will be teaching almost a whole Key Stage on my own. I’ve never taught Y6 before (or Y4) and educators will agree that this particular year group has its own unique stresses. But the fact is, teachers are kind.

Over tea and cake, a local Y5/6 teacher almost reduces me to tears of gratitude as he casually hands over his complete three-year rolling programme of planning. This, plus the unfailing support of generous teachers on Twitter, has saved my sanity. Some of my fears about teaching in a tiny school were unfounded. I thought that differentiation would be incredibly difficult, but actually I’ve found greater ability mixes in some single-age group classes.

Also, the younger members of a mixed-age class are naturally intrigued by what the older children are learning and beg to be taught the subjunctive and the past perfect, and who am I to deny them?

One aspect I hadn’t fully considered was the vast difference in maturity in a mixed-age class. Reluctantly I decided against using one particular animation in my English lessons because I had visions of tearful eight-year-olds having vivid nightmares about dolls coming to life.

Texts have to be carefully chosen so that they appeal to almost too-cool-for-school Y6 pupils but also to the Y4s. At times, such as the dreaded sex and relationships session, Y6 have to be taught separately, then emerge smugly back in class, refusing to discuss their experience.

Fewer pupils inevitably means smaller budgets and I have become an accomplished ‘school blagger.’ Without an ounce of dignity, I will ask local companies for vital resources and also recognise that the parents at my school are one of my best assets.

Small schools often exist in a close-knit community (ours fought successfully against my school’s closure) and its members can support pupils to enjoy some fantastic free experiences, as well as introducing much-needed new faces.

We only have three teachers and two class TAs, and the children can be taught by the same person for three years.

Therefore, I persuade and cajole people from local agencies and businesses to the school and once these visitors have expressed their surprise at the tiny nature of the school, they beam with pleasure at the unique nature of the setting and ask when they can come back again.

One thing I’ve found disconcerting about working in a small school is that it can seem as though you are under increased scrutiny by parents. There are simply less staff, so you naturally become the focus of attention.

On a teaching placement at a small school, I was given a framed, handwritten poem by a parent which described not only my car but also its contents and my route home. The sentiment was sweet, but the content was a little disturbing.

More assemblies and break duties were not a huge surprise when I moved from my three-form entry school, but having to don a blue hairnet and serve chicken pie on day one really made me realise that I was now a small school teacher.

The marking may be a dream, but having to take turns to serve food, clean the hall and cover lunchtime break duty, as well as managing multiple subject areas and running a weekly after school club, has forced me to be even more organised than before.

Teaching at a tiny school is perhaps not the most glamourous of roles and I can now add unclogging toilets and unblocking drains to my skillset.

However, the pride of a small school teacher in his or her little tribe is truly that of a lioness with her cubs.

My Y4, 5 and 6 class recently attended a KS2 sporting event. A group of Y6 children from a large school gazed at the youngest ones in a puzzled fashion. “Are you all in the same team?” one asked. “Yes!” shouted one of my eight-year-olds, “Yes, we are!” Then she added: “And there’s only 40 children in our school!”


Sarah Watkins is an English SLE and head of school at a tiny rural primary.

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