Lecturer warns of impact ability streaming in the classroom can have on young children

According to OCED research (PDF), "early student selection has a negative impact on students in lower streams and increases inequities, without raising average performance."

Dr Roberts-Holmes states that "the children in the high ability group do not make much more progress and it can become very hard for children in the low ability group to move out of that group."

"Children are aware of which groups [they are in] and it damages self-esteem and sets expectations that the more able can only do the more challenging work [and] the rest of the class can feel they have nothing to offer."

The mixture of hyper-competition and ranking awareness for data purposes is not conducive for a child's development. As teachers also become focused on standardised testing and rankings, all of these measures "generates insecurity, precarity and anxiousness."

Between April-June 2017, four focus groups were created across Early Years and Key Stage 1 in primary schools across England. It was found that within-class groups, many were organised where children sat.

In one of the focus groups run by Dr Robert-Holmes, a student noted that she formerly aspired to be a doctor however believed that once being "moved to the middle set" she was unable to emulate those skill-sets, believing that she wasn't "good enough".

Dr Robert-Holmes is concerned about the effects this grouping may have on children's mental health. One school leader still recalls their memory of being put on a "struggling table" and how it affected their self-esteem.

Dr Robert-Holmes believes that moving "towards the Scandinavian model, where professionals are trusted more than metrics" would benefit children overall.

Media contact   

Rowan Walker, UCL Media Relations
Tel: +44 (0)20 3108 8515
Email: rowan.walker@ucl.ac.uk

Links

• View Dr Guy Roberts-Holmes' research profile
• Department of Learning and Leadership
• Pre-School Learning Alliance