Our Class Structure

At Wittersham Church of England Primary School, we are proud to be a small village school with a Published Admission Number (PAN) of 20 pupils per year group. This means that, like many small primary schools, our classes are organised across mixed-age year groups for much of the school.

Our mixed-age classes are carefully planned and structured to ensure all children receive a high-quality education that is appropriately tailored to their age, stage and individual needs. Teachers plan learning progressively across year groups, ensuring clear curriculum coverage whilst also allowing opportunities for children to revisit, deepen and apply their understanding over time.

There are many benefits to learning within a mixed-age environment. Younger children benefit greatly from the modelling, support and confidence demonstrated by older peers, whilst older pupils develop leadership, empathy, resilience and independence through supporting and working alongside younger children. This approach helps to create strong relationships across year groups and fosters a real sense of community and belonging within the classroom.

Mixed-age classes also provide valuable opportunities for collaborative learning, discussion and peer support, helping children to develop socially as well as academically. Children are encouraged to work at their own level and pace, ensuring appropriate challenge and support for all learners.

Rother Class is currently organised as a single Year 6 cohort. This allows our oldest pupils to fully prepare for their transition to secondary school whilst embracing the additional leadership opportunities and responsibilities that come with being the eldest members of our school community.

We are incredibly proud of the nurturing, inclusive and aspirational learning environment created across all of our classes and the many strengths that our mixed-age structure brings to our school family.

Our Five Classes: A Community of Learning

At Wittersham Church of England Primary School, each of our five classes plays a vital role in creating a vibrant, nurturing and inclusive learning environment. From our very youngest learners in Windmills to our eldest pupils in Rother, every child is encouraged to flourish academically, socially and emotionally within a school community rooted in courage, cooperation and compassion.

Windmills: Our Reception and Year 1 classroom is where the learning journey begins. In Windmills, curiosity is sparked through purposeful play, exploration and hands-on experiences. Reception children take their first exciting steps towards independence, whilst Year 1 pupils build upon these early foundations through a carefully balanced blend of child-led discovery and more structured learning opportunities. The environment is warm, nurturing and tailored to support every child’s individual stage of development.

Smugglers: Home to our Year 1 and Year 2 learners, Smugglers is a classroom filled with creativity, imagination and growing confidence. Children continue to build secure foundations in reading, writing and mathematics whilst developing independence, resilience and a love for learning through engaging and meaningful experiences across the curriculum.

Vikings: In Year 3 and 4, children embrace new challenges with increasing confidence and maturity. Pupils develop resilience, teamwork and independence whilst broadening their understanding of the wider world through exciting and ambitious learning opportunities across the curriculum.

Oxney: Our Year 4 and 5 pupils are immersed in a dynamic stage of learning and discovery. Children are encouraged to think critically, solve problems independently and challenge themselves to reach greater depths within the curriculum. This phase of learning supports pupils in developing increasing independence and responsibility as they begin preparing for the leadership opportunities of Year 6.

Rother: As the eldest pupils in the school, our Year 6 children are role models for the wider school community. Rother pupils demonstrate leadership, compassion and maturity as they prepare for the next stage of their educational journey. They are encouraged to become confident, reflective and responsible young people who embody the values of the Wittersham Way each and every day.

Across all five classes, we strive to create a learning environment where every child feels safe, valued, supported and inspired to achieve their very best. We are incredibly proud of the progress, achievements and personal growth seen throughout our school and look forward to continuing this journey together.