School lessons – sets or mixed?

Published: September 9th, 2025

My granddaughter, having just started Year 9, has informed me that some of her lessons are ‘mixed ability’. Having previously been educated in top sets, she is now in classes with children of differing abilities – including those with special educational needs. On first hearing this, her mother was, understandably, alarmed, fearing that the achievements of her own daughter and others at the top of the achievement scale may end up losing out. But, an interesting question – could mixed ability classrooms actually benefit all children to achieve their best?

Firstly, it is accepted that many children with SEND perform better in the company of more able children. Learners will often copy what they see and hear around them; encouraging better use of spoken language, as well as improved social interaction and behaviour. Surely a valued asset of peer mixing. What about the more able learners? No parent wants their child to be neglected in favour of those who need more attention? How could mixed ability classrooms cater for the needs of every child? 

Let’s consider the idea. We might imagine three basic ability groups – SEND, average and above, as well as high flyers. Lessons might be delivered with the main content as average: followed by SEND pupils being mainly supported by well-trained TAs, and average pupils being able to work mainly unattended, alone or in pairs or groups. More able children, highly likely to complete the average lesson content faster, can be given additional tasks to deepen and extend their understanding of any topic. The key lies with flexibility – mixing learner independence with the support of grouped arrangements. 

Of course, such a model needs much consideration, with detailed planning. For example, every pupil with SEND will have different needs, as will pupils at the top of the intelligence scale. Even those in the middle group, my so-called ‘average’, are all individual. 

Teaching is a very professional, and difficult, task. I know, having done it for many years in a secondary school. Having also taught in a special school, I understand that we cannot place all learners with SEND in the same, single ‘box’. So, some food for thought. Do we isolate lower ability children – or allow them to mix with their more able peers? Would mixed abilities perhaps encourage more understanding amongst all learners? Might well-being also improve? Might learner achievement across the board improve? 

Yes, my proposed model needs much fleshing out, but there is merit in mixed ability teaching and learning. If planned and delivered properly, with all staff, including TAs, well trained, I believe that children at both ends of the ability scale will benefit greatly.

More details on this model are explained in my recent book, ‘Becoming A Reader’ (Amazon). Every child needs to achieve their best – wherever ‘best’ lies on the ability spectrum. 

I hope my granddaughter ends up ultimately benefitting from her mixed ability lessons, as well as socialising more widely and learning more about the ability range of her peers. My main message is – let’s not separate children unnecessarily. 

My latest book, ‘Becoming A Reader’ (Sylvia Edwards, Amazon), came about and developed as I was researching the third edition of ‘The SENCO Survival Guide’ (Routledge), while working in a primary and a secondary school, to support their reading endeavours. As a literacy specialist over many years, that important work inspired my passion to get children back to reading; as fully accomplished readers who also comprehend deeply and are therefore able to reflect on the words and sentences they have read, absorbed – and hopefully enjoyed.

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