Teaching class lists

[MrsDThaskala]

Does anyone know how class lists are made up in secondary schools?

DC is going into year 10 next year- GCSE years. Just wondering, how are class lists made up? Is it random selection by computers or do teachers do it? Not for sets like English, but for something like Art or History.

I'm not secondary but when I was at school the classes for the 'option' GCSE subjects pretty much picked themselves, depending on what other subjects that student had chosen. If there are 2 art groups the students will naturally slot into whichever one suits the rest of their timetable, based on their other options. I really can't imagine at that age or stage of their education the teachers sit down and decide who would work best with who, or kept away from who, but am happy to be proved wrong.

When they choose their options, the subjects are in 'blocks' and that is used to create the timetable!

I’m a secondary HT.

Students select their options in Year 9 and then they are allocated into those classes. We have a set limit so that’s why we always ask for 6 subjects that they’d like to study and allocate on that basis. Allocations are usually determined between the HoDs… 95% of the time everyone gets their first choice anyway. Students/parents can appeal and this ‘process’ is managed by one of my deputies. Never really has issues though (at my last school)

Art and History are optional subjects.

To add on, sets for compulsory subjects are determined as to the individual performance in Year 9. Students are assessed mid year in Y9 and then based off these results we formulate the classes - we employ a ‘timetabler’ who starts working on the new academic year timetable in February every year before finalising it in July, it is a momentous task and involves a LOT of meetings with SLT and HoDs.

Thank you and goodness I could imagine!

On science, year 9-11 we have mixed ability groups and spend a lot of time discussing the groups to separate the naughties and have a balance in each class.