Is this feasible ( Schools - September)

[Frickssake]

That children are placed in ability groups regardless of age so that everyone gets a fairer chance at catching up on learning

Not without a complete overhaul of the whole system. Which won’t happen, so, no. It’s not how it works. The whole system is set up around age and yearly progression.

Imagine being a year 6 told you can’t go to secondary with your friends though.

I can't see that working sorry

Whilst it would be great or better still if everyone could repeat the year realistically we don't have the capacity in our school systems so the kids who are behind will just fall further and further behind.

So a Year 11 who's already done half their GCSE course might be told to go back to Year 9, go back to more basic work and not start GCSE work for another year? Um, yes, can't think that this would cause lots of teenagers to drop out of school or anything.

In primary, schools are already set up for teaching a range in a class.
There might be a wider disparity than usual.
I guess some single form entry schools might choose to do some mixed y1/2, 3/4 & 5/6 for maths and perhaps English, but otherwise no I can't see it happening.

Ability in which subject? Or do you mean different groups for different subjects so no more bubbles?

No. Not a chance.

@Frickssake

That children are placed in ability groups regardless of age so that everyone gets a fairer chance at catching up on learning

The evidence shows that ability groups can be very detrimental to progress, particularly of middle and lower ability pupils.

No. Completely unsuitable from a social perspective.

If I put my Year 4 class into a year group based on their ability, one would be in year 3, one would be in year 2. Some in year 5/6. Teachers are trained in how to teach a wide range of levels and abilities all at once. The absolute worst thing you can do is put a child in an ability group and cap their potential to succeed.

So children who perhaps haven't been supported at home this past year, or who's parents aren't able to help with homeschooling much for whatever reason, they should be placed with younger pupils in September and be denied the social interaction of their peers and have no exposure to higher-level thinking or teaching?

Until when? They leave school? Because just one year of repeating a lower year group will mean they miss out everything else in between and be expected to rejoin their age-correct year group. Or they're forever condemned to never being with their peers in class again.

Teachers are used to having a wide range of abilities in class. There is so much more that can be gained by having children with those of a similar age, regardless of ability.

@Gaaaahhhhhhhh

Imagine being a year 6 told you can’t go to secondary with your friends though.

My year 6 would be delighted. She was out of school from March until the end of year 5 (with very little work set by school). She's had one term of year 6 in school, one term of home learning (with work set by school but no live lessons). If she's lucky she'll be back in school for the last term of year 6. She is so worried about moving to secondary school as she feels very underprepared (both academically and emotionally). Friends who moved up this September have had a tough time as ours is a massive secondary with many small feeder schools so not many kids know each other when they start there. It's been really hard to make friends with social distancing / no moving around for lessons etc. They literally sat in the same seats all day - even for lunchtime - so it's really hard to get to know anyone except the people sat either side of you.

There is already a huge range of abilities across any given year group. Some children will come out of lockdown ahead, others on track and others behind. This is what you get anyway. There might be more at the lower end than normal, but not an unmanageable number.

Don’t schools already have ability groups ...

No it's not necessary. Schools already have to teach students with very mixed ability. They will have to adjust the curriculum and may need to cover or recap some material from the previous year that children have missed.

@cautiouscovidity
Not the same- being able to stay in year six with friends versus being thrown in with a different bunch of kids who might have been in year 5 previously. It would be so demoralising and you’d absolutely know your place
Also what would you do with year 7s who are struggling? Send them back to primary? And just imagine the parent issues when they don’t agree where their child has been levelled.
Aaaaand... I have children who are great at maths but not nearly so good in writing for instance. It’s not a viable plan sorry. I don’t have a solution though 😞

Automatic promotion for every child isn’t wise either. Some children are dragged along slowing class progress and having little chance of ever catching up. Others would really benefit from skipping a year to work with others equally advanced.

@Frickssake

That children are placed in ability groups regardless of age so that everyone gets a fairer chance at catching up on learning

Lovely. So my child who has significant SEN gets to be shoved in with the six year olds and completely demoralised so your little genius can tootle on ahead being fucking marvellous.

Where are you going to put my Y7 who passed a GCSE past paper during her Y6 lockdown (grade 7), but is top Y7 standard in maths?

Teachers are professionals at differentiation.

Why not just keep them in year groups and use ability setting within the year where appropriate.

Goodness, above all they will need to be with their friends.

Sorry, passed the maths GCSE but is Y7 in English.

Oh and her last French feedback was that she’s more confident with different tenses than half the teacher’s GCSE class 🤷🏻‍♀️

She’s rubbish at other stuff though 😆

No. Might sound like a good idea on paper but no way. Teachers are already under immense pressure now imagine organising this.

Also, poor kids. Imagine how children who generally struggle academically will feel if they were to be put in groups away from their peers potentially much younger. Potentially knocking their confidence so it would be a no from me.

Both of mine have sen and struggle academically but they thrive in their classes with their peers. Dd made huge progress from September - December despite having so much time off.

The parents of a hard working 11yr old DD would be delighted, after all their dedicated homeschooling, if she got moved up to Yr9 to be put in with a load of disruptive 16yr old boys who had been moved down to Yr9.

Schools already have ability groups, moving them out of year groups would do far more harm than good.