It doesn't always hold true that bigger is better.

A handful of other - admittedly somewhat unlinked - adages will back me up: Too many cooks spoil the broth, sometimes you can have too much of a good thing, et cetera et cetera.

But in education, bigger is certainly the trend.

The majority of our rural primaries, battling rising costs and falling funds, are forging federations with nearby schools in the hopes of securing a long-term future.

Plenty of schools, meanwhile, are becoming academies, sheltering themselves under the multi-academy trust umbrella.

And colleges around the country, struck by the same financial strain as schools, are merging in a bid to safeguard their futures.

It does, in large part, comes down to one thing - economies of scale.

Sharing back room staff, teachers, materials, space and resources for trips and purchases is one way to lighten the cash load heads and principals are facing.

MORE: Have your say on Paston Sixth Form College and City College Norwich's merger plans

As they say, a problem shared is a problem halved.

And going it alone is tough.

There are, of course, downsides - in an online poll asking readers whether they think City College Norwich and Paston Sixth Form College should go ahead with their planned merger, three quarters said no.

As with anything, merging two bodies risks losing the identity, values and ethos of both - not to mention the loss of staff that will enable the cost savings.

It's a controversial area, highlighted by the vociferous parental campaigns that used to - and in some cases still do - greet news that a school hopes to jump aboard HMS Academisation.

But what other options are there?

There seems to be, at least in the short term, no end to the funding crisis - no promised sum which will, in real terms, make budgets more tenable.

Certain schools and colleges - particularly those hit by cuts to adult learning - are starting to see the end in sight. They're losing staff, resources, facilities. They're questioning how to carry on. It is, to put it lightly, a challenge.

So, whether it's loved or loathed, in education, bigger does appear to be better. And there's likely to be plenty more growth on the horizon.