Mixed Classes

When making decisions about all of our schools, we consider a range of factors, including staffing, pupil numbers, curriculum, the quality of education and really importantly, each individual child and their wider needs and wellbeing.

Careful planning and consideration has been made to group children based on a wide range of important factors. Factors that have been considered include progress in learning, age and friendship groups, as well as the social and emotional needs of children. There have been extra transition sessions this year to ensure that the children become familiar with the new cohort as well as the teacher.

There will be some increases in class sizes. Previous smaller class sizes have been linked to pupil numbers in those year groups. Unfortunately, this is no longer sustainable. Despite increases in class sizes, we are able to better utilise the existing staff that we have at St George’s across a smaller number of classes and The Hive, our new SEND provision.

At St George’s, the curriculum is strong, teaching and learning is strong, and pupils are well-supported, and the needs of children met. This will continue in all of our classes.

Careful consideration has been made to ensure that children are not taught the same themes/topics. At St George’s we have created a spiral curriculum where children frequently revisit key learning/skills so that this can be embedded, and learning can be built on. The National Curriculum, to which we adhere to, spans a number of year groups or while key stages so we can cover the targets without revisiting topics already taught. No child will miss out on key learning.

Teachers are experienced in teaching a range of different abilities in class. Even though your child might be in Year 5, for example, the teacher will not just teach Year 5 curriculum, she/he might teach a range of year group objectives from Year 1 to Year 5, as appropriate. Children from each class may be at different points in their learning and teachers are experienced in adapting teaching to meet all children’s needs. Therefore, children will continue to be taught as one class.

No child will be held back by mixed classes. We are experienced in tailoring to the needs and current achievement levels of individual pupils. The staff here are experienced at planning and delivering work to match the needs of all learners. Teachers provide challenges for the more able children and support for those needing more help whichever year group they are currently in.

Teachers regularly assess pupils, both informally (from day to day) and formally (with tests and other assessments). Members of the leadership team moderate books termly and look at the progress that children are making towards the end-of-year goals. Three times a year we hold Pupil progress meetings which focus on monitoring assessment information and ensuring that pupils are making the progress we expect based on their previous attainment.

Trust and senior leaders feel there are some additional opportunities that come from mixed-age classes, and we are aware that some schools choose to have multiple mixed-aged classes, rather than separate year groups.

Additional opportunities may include:

• Older children benefit by being role models for the younger children
• St George’s has a spiral curriculum where essential knowledge and skills are revisited each year to allow the children to embed key learning. Mixed age classes will only strengthen this approach.
• Younger children have older role models to look up to. This supports attitudes to learning in class and progress.
• Children will have opportunities to widen friendship groups and learn to co-operate with different children.