Years 3 and 4

Children are taught in mixed ability classes for all subjects apart from Mathematics, for which there are 4 sets which are reviewed with each Account.

Years 5

Mathematics, Science, Technology and Art are taught in sets based on Mathematical ability as follows: Ca=Set 1, Mg=Set 2, Na=Set 3, Li=Set 4.

All other subjects are taught in the same mixed ability classes they were in during Year 4, easing the transition to subject-based teaching.

Year 6

Mathematics, Science, Technology and Art are taught in sets based on Mathematical ability as follows: Ca=Set 1, Mg=Set 2, Na=Set 3, Li=Set 4.

All other subjects are taught in sets based on language ability, grouped as follows: Ne=Set 1, Ar=Set 2, Kr=Set 3, Xe=Set 4.

Year 7

French and mathematics are taught in two sets across the whole year group.

Children are placed in one of two groups for lessons in the core subjects: English, Science, History, Geography and RS.

Children are also placed in one of two groups for work in general subjects: Classics, Art, DT, ICT and Music. Classics is not a compulsory Common Entrance subject. Children in the lower group work to develop their English skills (English+) in place of classics.

Year 8

The Scholarship group works as a separate unit for all subjects, apart from French and Mathematics which are taught in three sets across the Year.

The two Common Entrance forms are part of the 3 sets for French and Mathematics. The majority of their other lessons are setted into two ability groups.

Movement Between Sets

Pupils whose performance as assessed by Average Accounts shows they are in fundamentally incorrect sets may be moved after Accounts.

During each year all pupils are automatically assessed for setting twice:

• at the end of the School Year in July, sets are reviewed for the start of the school year in September
• mid-way through the school year, at the end of the Winter Term, sets are again reviewed for the second half of the school year starting in January.

At the end of each of Years 4 and 6 there is a major re-assessment of every pupil in every set.

Pupils are assessed using a variety of measures. These include

• Reasoning assessments in Year 4 and Year 6
• Language performance in regular French assessments throughout the year
• 3 to 4 weekly Accounts
• End of year examinations

Specifically in Mathematics Accounts are supplemented by weekly assessments and whole Year Tests are both used because some pupils achieve more highly on one than the other. This can be due to several factors:

• Some pupils are excellent at mechanical routines so do well in set weekly exercises but fall down in problem-solving when they are uncertain as to which techniques to apply to which problems
• Some pupils have short-term memories - good for day-to-day work but a problem in assessments which cover what has been learned over a longer period
• Some pupils don't like the drudgery of everyday work but rise to the challenge of showing off in examinations
• Each pupil receives different amounts of help/coaching for homework

Only those pupils are moved whose performance is consistently and significantly above or below that of other pupils in sets above or below. Pupils are not moved merely because they are functioning at the top or the bottom of a set.

In this way we:

• avoid constant disruptive shuffling between sets for borderline pupils
• ensure that pupils are already functioning at the level of their new set
• ensure that higher and lower-achieving pupils can move between sets
• achieve teaching sets properly differentiated by performance
• allow for late developers.