A new study from University College London's Institute of Education has found that teaching pupils in classes grouped by ability improves the results of high-flyers without affecting the progress of less able children, overturning decades of debate over mixed-ability education.
Key Findings on Ability Grouping
The research, supported by the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF), examined mathematics attainment and self-confidence for Year 7 and 8 pupils aged 11 to 13 in English state schools. It compared outcomes from 28 schools with mixed-ability classes and 69 similar schools that used setting by attainment.
Among high-achieving students, those in mixed-ability classes made two months' less progress on average than peers in schools using setting. Overall, schools with mixed classes made one month's less progress. Crucially, the study showed that setting by ability did not significantly harm the attainment of low-prior-attaining or socioeconomically disadvantaged pupils.
Impact on Self-Confidence
The analysis revealed negative effects on self-confidence in maths for pupils in mixed-attainment schools compared with those in setting schools, challenging previous reports that setting harms the confidence of students outside top sets.
John Jerrim, professor of education and social statistics at UCL, who was not involved in the research, called the outcome "big and important." He argued that the EEF should now support achievement grouping in maths, stating it "has no negative impact on lower-achievers, some positive benefits for high-achievers, and helps teachers manage workload."
Expert Reactions
Becky Francis, the EEF's chief executive, said the study was the first to detail relative progress across ability levels in mixed versus setted classes. "What we found is that there was very little difference for low-attaining young people between mixed-attainment and setting classes. Meanwhile, for the high-attainers who make strong progress in high sets, they make lower progress in mixed-attainment classes overall," she explained.
The researchers noted that while mixed-ability schools had a smaller gap between best- and worst-performing pupils, this appeared to be driven by lower progress among high-attaining students rather than greater progress by low-attaining ones.
Implications for Schools
The study warned that for ability setting to work properly, schools must avoid allocating their best teachers exclusively to top sets. Pepe Di'Iasio, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, emphasized that school leaders are best placed to make setting decisions based on their context and pupil needs. He stressed the importance of sufficient specialist maths teachers to support all attainment levels, noting a longstanding recruitment problem in the subject.
