Curriculum

Class Organisation

On entry all students will be placed in a mixed ability tutor group for registration and tutorial work.

The School’s philosophy is that students’ experiences in school are differentiated according to their level of ability. Accordingly, Hurworth School places students into teaching classes by grouping children of similar ability together on entry into the school.

The school decides upon the composition of classes by using a combination of the results of tests and teachers’ continual assessment. Classes are reviewed continually and we will alter the set of a student at any stage in the academic year if teachers feel that such a move is justified. This means that students in all classes must perform to his/her potential consistently to maintain their places. In all cases, parents will be consulted before any action is taken with regards to student movement between classes.

By organising our classes in such a way the bands of differentiation within the sets are narrow, therefore allowing teachers to be more student-specific in their planning and in their delivery of all aspects of the curriculum. This helps create the best possible climate for learning, together with the warmest possible care.

Having taken great care to get the class structure right, parents should be aware that, increasingly, students are taught as individuals rather than classes. Students are encouraged to understand their own progress and be responsible for their own learning. This awareness is a vital aspect of the school’s policy towards target-setting.

We offer equal opportunities to both boys and girls to experience an appropriate curriculum.