A CRITIQUE OF THE EXISTING RESEARCH INTO SMALL PRIMARY-SCHOOLS

Major studies carried out in the United Kingdom on small primary schoo ls are drawn upon and evaluated. It is argued that research in this ar ea is flawed for the following reasons: there is no agreed definition of a 'small primary school'; investigations have been biased in their favour as a result of problems in research design and the ways in whic h data have been analysed; and, finally, there has been a neglect of c ertain key issues, notably those affecting pupil grouping.