Mixed year GCSE groups

[Grovemum]

My daughter is starting at a mixed secondary school in September. It won't affect her yet but they have just informed us that they are going to start mixed year groups for teaching GCSE subjects with an age range between 13 and 16 - presumably year 9 to year 11. Has anyone come across this before? My initial impression is that there is quite a developmental gap - when I was a shy 13 year old I would have found being in a class with 16 year old quite intimidating.

The school already operates a vertical tutoring system.

They can't mean mixed year groups for subject teaching surley.

Mixed years for registration/tutor groups is fine.

I wouldn't be too surprised but I imagine it will only be the brightest (?G&T) Y9 pupils that will be put in a GCSE class as a lot of schools now offer GCSEs early.

My DD has just finished Yr8 and is about to start her GCSEs in yr9. Her school started vertical tutoring when she started in yr7, last year they dropped the 3 year KS3 and replaced it with a 2 year KS3. DD will have core subjects taught in her year group but for options she will be in mixed year classes. In Yr9 she will complete one of her GCSE options and take another course in yr10 and yr11. I'm not too sure how your DDs school will do it but I'd rather DD was allowed to follow a more traditional approach and take her optional subjects in Yr11. Choosing her Yr9 option, came down more to how they would assess it and not on how much DD loved the subject. DD was lucky in the fact she got her first choice of Geography which she loves and the course is a modular one when it comes to assessment so bite sizes chunks to revise for and not 2 exams in June. DD will probably take Geology in yr10 and History in yr11. But she doesn't know for sure as they have to do an option form every year! Grrrr.

DD's Geography class appears to be split pretty evenly between the 3 year groups so come September it won't be the just turned 13 year old DD in a class of just turned 16 year olds. I think DD will ok with it and the teacher has done a seating plan which means it's not all yr9's on one table, yr 10's on another and the scary yr11's on another.

DDs form group is made up of 3-4 of each year group and there was 18 of them last year. DD did find it helpful when she started as a couple of the older girls made sure she was ok in the canteen and had someone to sit with, plus they showed her around and told her about all the different clubs etc. From that point I rather like vertical tutoring, but I have my reservations about making 13/14 year olds sit GCSE's in yr9.

DS1 is going to go to a school like this (private).
From Yr7 (Yr6 for the most able Yr6s) the pupils work in ability rather than age groups. So he will potentially be in very mixed age classes. I will try to have him do GCSEs later rather than earlier, but otherwise I am hopeful that DS will be strongly encouraged to do his best in this system.

The school's overall GCSE results are respectable (for around here).

DS class sizes will be small (under 20), which is presumably different from what OP's child will face; maybe smaller class sizes make maturity differentials less awkward? Because all the kids get to know each other as people and it's more obvious that there's no point in a 16yo forming rivalry with a 12-13yo.

Thank you for your comments. At this school it is also possible to complete a GCSE in year 9 and start the GCSE course for several others that year rather than year 10. The school has a huge intake of 240 in a year group so I assume the classes will be nearer 30 than 20 unfortunately.