Learners’ attitudes to mixed-attainment grouping: examining the views of students of high, middle and low attainment

Figures & data

Table 1. Description of schools in the sample.

	Project stage	Condition in feasibility trial	Ofsted category	% FSM	% EAL	School type	Location
School A	Pilot	n/a	Good	29.8	11.9	Academy – converter	Suburban
School E	Pilot	n/a	Outstanding	9.8	3.1	Academy – converter	Suburban
School F	Pilot	n/a	Outstanding	58.5	91.6	Local Authority school	Inner city
School K	Main	Control	Outstanding	9.4	4.3	Free school	Suburban
School L	Main	Control	Outstanding	59.6	70.6	Academy sponsor led	Inner city
School M	Main	Intervention	Good	18.3	4.2	Academy – converter	Semi-rural
School N	Main	Intervention	Good	19.2	3.8	Local Authority school	Suburban
School O	Main	Intervention	Good	43.5	3.7	Academy sponsor led	Urban

Table 2. Overview of the student sample by school and level of attainment.

	High	Middle	Low	Unassigned*
School A	6	4	–	1
School E	4	3	–
School F	8	4	1
School K	4	4	4
School L	4	4	4
School M	4	4	4
School N	2	4	4
School O	4	4	4
Total	36	31	21	1

^* No Key Stage 2 data available.

Table 3. Overview of students’ views on mixed attainment.

	N (%)
Positive views	46 (54)
Negative views	24 (28)
Mixed views	15 (18)
Total*	85(100)

^* No clear views were expressed by four students who are excluded from the count.

Table 4. Students’ views on mixed attainment by their attainment level.

	Positive views	Negative views	Mixed views	Total
Higher attainers	18 (51%)	8 (23%)	9 (26%)	35 (100%)
Middle attainers	12 (41%)	13 (45%)	4 (14%)	29 (100%)
Lower attainers	16 (76%)	3 (14%)	2 (10%)	21 (100%)