East Lothian Courier | News | Parents: don't be afraid of 'split' classes

Published: Thursday, 17th July, 2008 12:00

Parents: don't be afraid of 'split' classes

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DESPITE being a feature of Scotland’s education system for at least 30 years, composite classes continue to spark controversy amongst parents, writes Kirsty Gibbins.

And with the number of composite classes in East Lothian’s primary schools set to rise to 83 – from 72 – when schools resume next month, they appear here to stay.

East Lothian Council’s ruling SNP/Lib Dem administration states that the increasing use in county primary schools of composite classes – where children of different ages are grouped together – is simply a by-product of falling school rolls.

Yet despite a pledge from council education chiefs that such classes have no detrimental effect on pupils’ learning, many parents remain unconvinced.

So to better understand the differences – or lack of – between composite and single age group classes, I paid a visit to my former school, Campie Primary School in Musselburgh, where composite classes have been a fact of life for the past three years.

Giving me the grand tour of the school’s two composite classes was Patricia McCall, headteacher for the past 14 years and a firm advocate of mixed-age classes.

As we visited a P6/7 composite class, she insisted that, from a teaching perspective, there was no more differentiation in lessons in a mixed-age class than in a standard single-age class.

“Composite classes have no education disadvantages at all,” she said. “We teach each pupil based on what stage they are at in their learning; it makes no difference whether they are in a composite class or a standard single-age class.”

However, she admitted that parents were less than enthusiastic about the prospect of their child being placed in a mixed class.

“I think it’s because parents have difficulty understanding how teachers can juggle so many responsibilities but the truth is they can and do it very well,” she said.

“Teachers cope with a wide range of abilities within a classroom and they do this by teaching the children in a variety of groups – this applies in both composite and standard stream classes.

“As a teacher, I would much rather have a composite class of 25 than a standard class of 33 any day of the week.”

Composite classes – which have a maximum capacity of 25 pupils – are created based on the child’s date of birth e.g. the eldest of the lower year teams up with the youngest of the upper year.

During my visit I noted that, visually, the two composite classes at Campie have features that set them apart from the school’s ‘standard’ classes.

Within the P6/7 class, the P7 pupils wear a blue uniform, in sharp contrast to their younger classmates’ maroon sweatshirts.

This does seem to go against the ‘different age groups but we’re all the same’ ethos but different coloured sweaters for the P7s is a historic feature at Campie – and at other county primary schools – which predates the advent of composite classes.

Nevertheless, it does seem a bit contrary to the spirit of the mixed-class initiative.

Upon visiting a P1/2 composite class, it’s clear that the desks used by the younger pupils are smaller.

Aside from those slight visual distinctions, pupils in both classes appeared to socialise well together and there were no visible signs that any pupil was struggling to cope with their workload.

Both Miss McCall and P1/2 class teacher Mrs June Dickson stress that age was not a factor when determining how to teach a pupil. Instead, teachers focus on the learning rate of each child.

“Because you’re focusing on each child as an individual, the issue of whether or not you are teaching them in a composite class becomes irrelevant,” said Mrs Dickson, who has taught at Campie Primary School for the past 20 years.

Of course, academic development is not the only purpose of the classroom.

Another common parental fear relating to composite classes is that their child’s social development and mental well-being will be compromised if they are separated from the network of friends they have established since joining primary school.

According to Miss McCall, the reality at Campie is very much the opposite.

She stated that children in composite classes get to enjoy the ‘best of both worlds’ by socialising with children in their year group and those of a different age.

The P1 composite pupils spend time each week in the year’s open plan area, socialising with other pupils, while the older composite class are able to interact with their respective year groups during their weekly free time.

“Parents do have concerns about their child’s development from a social point of view,” she admitted.

“Therefore, one of the things that we concentrate on is involving the children in teambuilding and bonding.”

To ensure a smooth transition for pupils who are to be placed in a composite class, staff make arrangements for both age groups to spend time together prior to the summer break.

Watching the composite classes in action, the pupils seem happy and industrious, and their teachers calm and collected.

While it may not be possible to visually determine any detrimental effect on each individual pupil’s learning ability, there is little sign of the disruptive environment commonly associated with composite classes by concerned parents.

Alison Brown, of Ferguson Green, Musselburgh, was one such parent who was reluctant at the thought of her child being taught in a composite class.

Her daughter Sarah, 11, was placed in a P6/7 class at Campie during the 2007/08 term.

“I was a bit concerned about how she was going to fit in and I know we (the parents) were all concerned and a bit shocked at the idea, because nobody knew how composite classes worked,” said Alison.

“But we were told that we could approach the teachers at any time to speak about it and that helped me to understand, by getting the teacher’s perspective.”

Despite her initial reservations, Alison now says that a composite class environment has had no adverse effect on her daughter’s learning experience.

“She’s adapted and developed really well since being in the composite class,” she said.

While it would appear that at Campie, at least, parents have no need to fear for their children’s development, it’s fair to say that there still remains a hardcore of parents who are opposed to composite classes.

Prestonpans father-of-six Andy Spence, whose three daughters are P7 pupils in Prestonpans Primary School – one of the schools due to experience a drop in class numbers next term – is completely against children being taught in composite classes.

“Speaking specifically about Prestonpans Primary School, I would say that 75 per cent of the teachers there are simply not experienced enough to be teaching a composite class,” he claimed.

“Of course, teaching a composite class is going to mean extra responsibility and a huge, very difficult, step up for the teacher.

“Composite classes look great on paper but if East Lothian Council is unwilling to put the resources in, then they will always be the worst option available for teachers.

“If one of my children was going to be placed in a composite class, I would be totally against it.”

County education chief answers parents' questions

Q. What is a composite class?

A.This is when children from more than one-year group are taught as a single class. The maximum class size for a composite class is 25. The maximum class size for P2 and P3 is 30, and for P4-P7 is 33.

Q. Why do we need composite classes?

A. Composite classes allow schools to deliver education within the available budget, e.g. 36 P4 children and 36 P5 children can be taught in three classes, i.e. one P4 (24 children), one P4/5 (24), one P5 (24).

Q. Are there many composite classes in East Lothian?

A. Eighty per cent of East Lothian schools offer composite classes.

Q.How are composite classes composed?

A. We base composite classes on pupil age. For example, when we are making a composite P3/4 class, we take the oldest pupils in P3 and the youngest pupils in P4. The age-range in composite classes may often less than eight months, whereas in single-year-group classes it may be 12 to 13 months.

Q. How is education delivered within a composite class?

A. All classes contain pupils of different abilities and levels of development. Teachers are expert in how to structure learning for pupils of differing abilities. In some of our smaller schools, teachers teach very effectively across four year groups within the one class.

Q.What is the impact of composite classes?

A. Inspection reports from across Scotland indicate that there is no difference in the quality of education provided in composite classes, or in outcomes for children taught in composite classes.

Q. Will my child be ‘kept back’ in a composite class?

A. No, we treat every child as an individual.

Q. Does the teacher teach in the ‘middle’ of the class?

A. No, all teachers teach for different ability groupings.

Q. Do ‘abler’ pupils get bored? Do the less able ‘switch off’?

A. No, teachers plan work to suit the needs of each pupil.

Q. Will children repeat work?

A No, we plan and record work so children are always learning something new.

Q. Will my children be able to mix with friends of their own age?

A. Yes, we know that friendship groups are important and we encourage children to mix with their friends at breaks and at whole-school events.

Answers provided by Don Ledingham, East Lothian Council’s acting director of education and children’s services

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