Yr 7 Timetable

[Nomad916]

I was just wondering what the purpose was of Form classes being split up to do English, Maths, Sports etc at different times? I'm not from the UK & when I was in Yr 7 abroad, our entire class did all subjects together & then split up for the optional choices like art, drama, music etc. It seems really confusing for new Yr 7's to find their way, often alone, to each class. (DD was the only one doing PE on one day for example --when all Yr 7's do the same amount of PE each week, it just doesn't seem to make any sense?)

...sorry I meant the only one from her class doing PE, so she joined Yr 7s from other classes.

There are no optional classes in state schools until year 9 minimum, sometimes year 10. Often schools set for maths as a ninimum

Different class sizes for different subjects
Setting
Boys/girls groups for PE
Subject rotation

If the students are in sets by ability, they will be in different classes. Sometimes the whole year (or half year) group will have the same subject at the same time. Depending on how the timetable works, it may be that one class has PE while the other (say) three classes have maths. This is described as the two subjects being timetabled against each other. So the next time maths is on, there will be a different maths class doing PE.

Children are put into classes based on ability. So a child who is top set for Maths may be mid set for Science. So they can't then be in a form group of children with the exact same abilities.

It's been a week. Eventually they'll get used to it, and recognise who is sharing more classes.

Core subjects are often set by ability.

Then other subjects are mixed ability or set in bands.
Lots of variables really depends on the school

Timetabling is complicated: 1500 + students and 100+staff with different expertise is not an easy task

Our year groups (300) are split into two populations then each population is split into two ability bands and then into into 2-3sets.

Thanks, they're going into sets in Week 3, so not yet.

In the school Ds is at, they have vertical forms so they can share no actual lesson with those in their form at all (vertical means they are made up of pupils from y7-13 and they stay in the same form their whole time). The more people they meet and mix with the better imo

They can't be with the same children for every single class. Then they would become an insular group.

It's a great way to meet other kids, and so hopefully find some amazing friends.

Each school operates differently. My Year 7 is mainly in tutor group now. A couple mixed. Some ability sets after about a month.

Some schools teach in form groups still. Not all schools put children in sets in Year 7.

The school I work at teaches mixed ability until GCSE. Aside from PE which is split into boys and girls.

Depends on the type of school. I imagine grammar schools are more likely to split children into sets quite early.

Thanks all. I ask because it seems like finding classrooms seems to be her biggest stress at the moment. (Followed closely by making friends!)

Finding classrooms would always be the biggest stress, no matter what her timetable is

Didn't they provide a map?

It varies a lot depending on the school! At my place, students mostly go around together in form-groups in Y7 and Y8. (I spent a lot of time explaining to my Y7 form how the room-numbering system worked, though, just in case someone gets separated!)

It does seem odd that in a whole form of Y7s (39 kids) she’d be the only one doing PE.

Fear of finding their way around is the #1 fear (according to the Y6 survey for our new starters!) and is just normal and goes quickly. Her second fear - finding friends - will be helped by not being stuck with the same kids all the time.

30 not 39!

My DC are. They don't set until year 8.

Sometimes it's because they are in ability sets, like in maths. I know at my school they are split up for PE, music, cookery, drama because there is a limit on the class size for cookery and music due to space/equipment so they do it on a rota for half the year. So half the class do cooking until February whilst the other half do music. Then they swap.

Thanks all. I ask because it seems like finding classrooms seems to be her biggest stress at the moment

It will be a very short-lived stress though. They learn their way around quickly. Learning your way around a new place is always a bit tricky, whoever is in your next lesson with you.

Good points. There is a map in her planner, but not a very good one. We should have another go making sense of it though.
There are 20 in her form class, and she was the only girl doing PE from her class one day.

DC's school had all year 7 and Year 8 classes in tutor groups (except maths, which was set, and PE which was in bigger male/female groups).

The idea was to help settle them without overwhelming them with too many new people, however both my children found it claustrophobic and preferred it when they got to Year 9 and were more mixed up.

So I guess schools can never please everyone :)