Within Class Grouping

Children are grouped within class according to subject's attainment levels to match activities and support. The evidence strength for this area is limited with several factors creating variability. Curriculum content is important to consider attainment grouping have a positive impact for maths but little difference found for literacy, on average.

One advantage of this approach is flexibility if appropriate monitoring systems are used to ensure pupils are allocated within the right group. Within class grouping can be used for specific tasks. Reframing questions and lesson content can be used to scaffold, stretch or challenge pupils learning. The evidence suggests the highest impact for this approach is in maths. The cost of this is low however the security of the evidence is low. 

It is important to consider the impact of within-class attainment groupings on wider outcomes such as confidence. The evidence base suggests that grouping pupils based on attainment may have longer term negative effects on the attitudes and engagement of low attaining pupils. An example of this is by discouraging the belief that their attainment can be improved through effort. 

Evidence suggests that disadvantaged pupils can suffer from lower teacher expectations and therefore an increased chance of being grouped with lower prior attainers.