In year 7 when your daughter/son first enters the school, s/he will be taught in a mixed ability class based on her/his tutor group. However from year 8 onwards, the faculty believes that the needs of students is best served by teaching in sets based on ability and performance. Setting allows us to structure the teaching resources and the pace of lessons at a level which is best suited to the individuals within a set.
In years 8 and 9, setting within the Humanities Faculty applies only to Geography and History and is based on a student's performance in these subjects. Thus a student will be in the same set for both Geography and History. At the present time, Religious Studies is taught in mixed ability classes based on tutor groups throughout Key Stage 3 (years 7-9), although this procedure is being reviewed and may change in the future.
The setting arrangements are carried through to Key Stage 4 when students embark on their GCSE course in Humanities, although in year 11, when students have opted to study either Geography or History, the structure and make-up of the sets will depend on the numbers opting for each subject.
There are no setting arrangements in the sixth form.
Decisions about which set a student should be placed in are always taken very seriously at a special meeting of faculty staff. Evidence for consideration will include achievements in examinations, as well as a student's performance in the various class assessments, her/his overall effort and attiitude towards schoolwork, and the results of various external tests of cognitive ability.
In years 8 and 9, the make-up of the sets is reviewed twice a year, usually at the end of the academic year and following the results of examinations or year tests. However in years 10 and 11, as these are GCSE examination courses, position in sets will normally apply for the whole year.
Of course, there are sometimes exceptional circumstances, when consideration will be given to individual opportunities for promotion and relegation.
If you have any questions about the setting arrangements within the Humanities faculty, please contact us.
