Flourishing Together in Mixed-Age Classes at Sharow School
At Sharow School, our vision is simple yet powerful: to flourish together. This vision underpins everything we do—including the way we structure our classes. One of the ways we help every child flourish is through our mixed-age class model.
Why Mixed-Age Classes?
Mixed-age classes bring together children from two year groups in one classroom. This approach offers a range of educational and social benefits:
- Collaborative Growth: Older pupils naturally take on leadership and mentoring roles, while younger pupils are inspired by their peers. This creates a culture of mutual support where everyone contributes to each other’s success.
- Tailored Learning: Our teachers are skilled in planning lessons that meet a wide range of needs. Children are taught ensuring that every child is challenged and supported appropriately.
- Stronger Relationships: With fewer transitions between teachers and classmates, children build deeper, more trusting relationships. This sense of stability helps them feel safe, valued, and ready to learn.
- Confidence and Responsibility: Pupils develop independence and confidence as they take ownership of their learning and support others in theirs.
How We Teach in Mixed-Age Settings
At Sharow School, the majority of our teaching takes place with the whole class learning together. This approach fosters a strong sense of community and shared purpose, allowing all pupils to benefit from high-quality, inclusive teaching. Where learning objectives are closely aligned, children of different ages and stages can access the same lesson through differentiated support and challenge. On occasions where learning goals are significantly different—such as in specific areas of maths or phonics—children may be taught in smaller groups to ensure that each child receives the most appropriate instruction for their stage of development.
Our teaching is carefully designed to ensure that all children make progress and feel successful:
- Clear Learning Objectives: Each lesson is built around clear goals that are accessible at different levels, allowing all pupils to engage meaningfully with the content.
- Flexible Grouping: Children work in a variety of groupings depending on the task—sometimes by ability, sometimes by interest, and sometimes across age groups—to encourage collaboration and peer learning.
- Responsive Teaching: Teachers use ongoing assessment to adapt their teaching in real time, ensuring that every child is supported and stretched as needed.
- Strong Routines and Expectations: Consistent routines and high expectations help all children understand what is expected of them and how they can succeed.
Flourishing Together
Mixed-age classes are more than just a practical arrangement—they are a reflection of our belief that every child can flourish when they are part of a caring, inclusive, and ambitious community. By learning together across age groups, our pupils develop empathy, resilience, and a lifelong love of learning.
If you’d like to know more about how mixed-age classes work at [School Name], we’d be delighted to talk with you.