Mixed Age Classes

We are a small school with four classes; Reception, 1/2,  3/4 and 5/6. 

Mixed classes have been in place at St Thomas' since 2023. Before this structure was implemented, school leaders carefully planned how this would work to ensure our pupils continued to make good progress and achieve. Our statutory data reflects this success. 

Mixed classes are becoming increasingly common in Primary Schools. For those who have not experienced mixed classes before, we have prepared some questions and answers below. 

What is a mixed-age class?

A mixed-age class is a class where there are children from more than one year group. In small schools like ours, mixed classes are common. Many schools, particularly those in rural areas as well as in other parts of London, have operated on this basis in recent years.

Will my child be held back if she/he is placed in a mixed class?

The answer is definitely not.

The ways in which learning and teaching are organised in primary schools means that teaching and learning is already tailored to the needs and current achievement levels of individual pupils. The staff at St Thomas’ are experienced at planning and delivering work to match the needs of individuals. They provide challenge for the more able children and support for those needing more help whichever class they are currently in.

How will two year groups be taught alongside each other in one classroom?

All children develop at different rates. It isn’t automatic that the oldest child in a class will attain a higher grade than the youngest child. Children will continue to be taught to their individual academic needs.

All classes in the school have a large range of abilities. Teachers choose work appropriate to the standard a child is working at, ensuring that all needs are catered for. In the majority of lessons, the children will start the session together with the teacher targeting questions at individuals or groups of children at an appropriate level. Children will then be provided with appropriate tasks to consolidate or practise what they have been taught, with the teacher and/or teaching assistant working with children who require additional assistance or who need to be challenged to explore concepts in greater depth or learn something new.

How will teachers plan, ensuring coverage of both the year group curriculums, and preventing repetition of content?

We plan and teach the wider curriculum (e.g. science, history, geography, art) lessons on a two-year cycle, ensuring that content is not repeated. In the case of Maths and English, the curriculums are closely aligned, with the majority of objectives being matched with a similar but slightly adapted objective for the older year group. Pupils in the class all learn about the same concept at the same time, but are taught the appropriate content for their year group. Ensuring coverage of national curriculum objectives for both year groups in the same classroom will therefore be easily facilitated by the normal classroom practice of quality first teaching and differentiation.

How will we ensure the highest academic expectations for all children?

Children working above the expected standard will be provided with work which both deepens their understanding and moves them on to explore new concepts. As part of our curriculum, learning will continue to be focussed on explaining reasoning and problem solving both of which extend children’s understanding without them having to access a separate curriculum.