Dear Parents
Mixed Age Classes
From September we will have a number of mixed age classes in school. There will be a Reception
class, a 1/2 class, a year 2/3 class, a year 3/4 class and a year 5/6 class. We’ve set out below the
reasons why we’re continuing to have mixed age classes and a selection of questions that often
concern parents.
Why do we have mixed age classes?
In many year groups we have under 22 pupils. We need at least this number of pupils in a class to
make it financially viable. Unless we have mixed age classes we’ll go into a financial deficit and
legally we aren’t allowed to go into a budget deficit. However, legally we can’t exceed 30 in any
Reception or Keystage 1 class, although parents have the right to appeal against this ruling.
How will mixed age classes affect the children?
Around 60% of all Warwickshire primary schools have some mixed age classes and historically
Bishops Itchington has successfully taught mixed age classes. Parents are often concerned about
how teachers will teach effectively with 2 age groups in a class. Even in a single age class there will
be a wide spread of abilities. Teachers manage this by ensuring that work is matched to the ability of
each child. In a mixed age class the ability spread will be wider but teachers manage this by
grouping the children carefully according to ability and match the work to the child’s capabilities.
From next September each class will have a teaching assistant for all the Literacy and Numeracy
work in the mornings and we will look to provide additional assistant support where it is appropriate.
How will the children be organised in the mixed age classes?
Next September we will have around 24 children in Reception ( we have 22 confirmed places and
have had a number of expressions of interest) 20 in year 1, 25 in year 2, 18 in year 3, 20 in year 4,
14 in year 5 and 15 in year 6. Financially we need a minimum of 22 children to just to pay staff
salaries. In deciding which classes to place children in we will use the following criteria:
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Children will be allocated classes according to the following criteria: their academic
performance over the year based on the results of the Optional SATs, internal assessments
and teacher assessment, their maturity, friendship groups and gender balance. Although they
will be in mixed age classes the children will follow the appropriate age related curriculum.
Therefore, year 2 children will follow the year 2 Numeracy curriculum according to their ability.
Science will continue to be taught in single age classes for one afternoon a week.
We will have 25 children in year 2 and 18 in year 3. Legally we can only have 30 children in a
mixed 2/3 class. So some current year 2 will move to Class 3/4 and some current year 1
children will remain with Mrs Ball in 1/2.
Children are not kept down or moved up. They are put in the class which will best meet their needs.
Children will be allocated to classes to ensure that their needs are being met in the best possible
way. Our experience of the mixed age classes this year has shown that this model is best suited to
meeting the needs of the children and allows them to work at the appropriate level.
All the current year 3 children will move into class 3/4
All children in the current year 5 will move into Class 5/6
All the current Reception children will move to Class1/2
How large will the classes be?
Numbers may fluctuate but at present the class sizes will be around:
Reception: 23
Year 1/2: 28
Year 2/3: 28
Year 4/5: 30
Year 5/6: 26
This compares very favourably with the class sizes of other primary schools in Warwickshire. In fact
the majority of primary schools in Warwick and Leamington have over 30 pupils in the junior classes.
My child needs extra help. What is the school doing for them?
All classes will have a teaching assistant to help children in the mornings with Numeracy and
Literacy. We assess children each term and track their progress. Children who are below age
related expectations will be given additional support by teaching assistants either in the lesson or at
appropriate times outside the lesson.
My child is more able. Will they be stretched?
We track pupils’ progress each term and know exactly the level that each child is at in terms of
reading, writing and numeracy. Where children are working above age related expectations we will
ensure that they are challenged and developed further.
Will children have the same teacher for consecutive years?
Some children may have the same teacher for 2 years in a row. The advantage of this is that the
teacher will know the children really well and the settling in period at the start of the autumn term will
be much easier.
Who will be teaching each class?
There will be a few staff changes from next September. We’ll be saying goodbye to Miss Henry and
Miss Stanley and welcoming back Mrs Wingrove and Mrs Sykes. Mrs Dillon, who had taught 2/3 for a
day week will also teach Class 3/4. The class teachers for the next academic year will be as follows:
 Reception – Mrs Wingrove
 1/2 – Mrs Ball
 2/3 – Miss Lowry
 3/4 – Mrs Daly and Mrs Dillon
 5/6 – Mrs Sykes and Mrs Bryer
Why is the Reception a single age class?
Next year’s Reception class will contain around 23 pupils. This number is ideally suited to be a single
age class and the current Reception class will all be able to cope with working in a Year 1/2 class.
Will children repeat work?
As a state school we follow the National Curriculum and children will be taught the age appropriate
work for their age group in Literacy, Numeracy and Science. In subjects such as the Humanities,
pupils will work on a whole class topic so some children may cover different topics to others in their
year group over the course of a year. We have carefully planned the topics so children will not repeat
the same subject in history, geography etc. In Literacy and Numeracy, children build on previous
work and constantly revisit areas at a more advanced level and this will continue in mixed age
classes. We will continue to undertake some whole school projects that all the pupils will be working
on simultaneously. Next autumn we have planned a major project on Space for Keystages 1 and 2
and have a number of exciting events planned.
I’m still unsure how it will all work?
Please come and talk to me.
If you have any questions or concerns regarding next year’s classes please come and talk to me.
Yours sincerely,
Richard Hawkins