Teaching mixed-age classes

In small schools across the country, many children are taught in mixed-age classes. It is not uncommon to find four year groups being taught in one class, and sometimes the mixture of ages is even greater. While there is some evidence that this type of grouping benefits children’s pro-social behaviours (Lindström and Lindahl, 2011) this type of class can be challenging to plan for and organise. During the current climate, many schools caring for the children of key workers are supporting mixed-age classes for the first time and although academic progress is not a main focus, classes such as this can provide a new challenge for teachers.   What does the research say? While there is much research around mixed-attainment grouping, there is a lack of evidence around approaches to teaching in mixed-age classes, particularly in the UK. However, Smit and Engelo (2015) have provided a number of practical suggestions and considerations about how to structure the curriculum in pe