Organisation

Organisation of Classes

In the organisation of classes we have two main aims. The first is to help the pupils develop their potential in terms of knowledge, understanding and skills connected with particular subjects (like using a computer or talking to one another in a foreign language). The second is to develop knowledge, understanding and skills connected with entering the adult world and living in a complex society, such as working together in groups, gaining confidence, taking pride in achieving one's best, helping one another, accepting responsibility for oneself, taking initiative, and learning to work and live with people of different backgrounds, views, attitudes and abilities.

Classes are organised in a way that is found to give the most effective learning and best results for that particular area of the curriculum. This reflects our belief that no single fixed system can adequately cope with the varying needs of pupils in relation to the wide range of knowledge, understanding and skills that is required in the modern world; nor can a fixed system respond to the varying rates of development amongst pupils in the 11 to 18 age range.

Each pupil becomes a member of a tutor group when s/he joins the school. The tutor group is made up of about 28 pupils who are in the same year, who belong to the same house and who represent a cross-section of ability. At the beginning of Year 7 the tutor group is the teaching group for most subjects, but smaller groups are created for technology and science is set by ability. From the spring term of Year 7 pupils are taught in ability sets for information technology, mathematics and modern languages.

In Years 10 and 11, pupils are taught in sets according to ability in English, mathematics, modern languages and science. Ability setting also takes place in other subjects when appropriate. The average class size is about 22 pupils.