What is vertical streaming?

[fifitot]

Anyone enlighten me? i have heard they use it in DDs primary school from reception onwards. Something about grouping kids along lines of maturity rather than ability. Anyone know anything about this? Thanks.

If the term is being used correctly, it means that children are streamed by ability cutting across year groups. So a teaching group may contain children from two or more year groups but all the children within the group will be at about the same level. For example, if some children in Y1 were performing at the average level for Y3 children they would be taught in a group with average Y3 children. I hope that makes sense.

Thanks for reply. I need to ask at the school really but this term cropped up in a conversation with another parent. I was told they weren't streamed by ability but maturity but it pretty much adds up to the same thing in practice really I would expect.