Mixed Age Teaching and Learning
As a 1.5 form entry school, Haworth Primary operates mixed aged classes from Year 1 through to Year 6. This means children of different year groups are taught together in the same teaching spaces. We feel it is huge benefit to our children. Some of the reasons are listed below:
- Mixed-age classrooms generate a family of learners who support and care for one another. Older children have the opportunity to serve as mentors and take leadership roles. These children model more sophisticated approaches to problem solving, helping younger children to accomplish tasks they would not be able to do independently whilst completing their own learning.
- This dynamic increases the older child’s level of independence and competence while increasing the younger child’s spirit of belonging in a community of learners. Younger children will have the opportunity to extend their learning and increase their vocabulary whilst working alongside older children.
- Mixed year classrooms are both socially and psychologically healthy because they promote friendship and provide extended contact with adults and peers of varying ages. Children in these classes therefore show a notable increase in self-esteem.
Where possible and where we believe it will benefit the children, we separate the children into individual year groups, such as for Maths lessons and some PSHE lessons.