ABSTRACT
The level of subject expertise is often thought to be a problem in smaller primary schools, where staff may have to be ‘experts’ in many subject areas. However, recent OFSTED inspection evidence has shown that subject expertise in small primary schools compares favourably with that in larger schools. There are particular subjects which schools have traditionally thought to be more specialised, such as music. These specialisms, however, seem to be being successfully provided by looking beyond the school. Teachers can, for example, be encouraged to use the Internet to find information from the ‘Virtual Teacher Centres’ or by use of e-mail to link with other schools and teachers to share expertise and information. Some schools have even begun to experiment with video conferencing to provide modern foreign language lessons to children in small schools who would not otherwise receive them.
