Schools back Cameron on streaming

4:30am Wednesday 21st November 2007

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HEADTEACHERS have backed a plan by Tory leader David Cameron to stream pupils by subject - but say it is not a new idea.

A new Conservative Green Paper on education suggests pupils should be graded by their ability in each subject, instead of having of a "top stream" for the brightest children, across the board.

The proposal means a child could be in a top set for science but a much lower one for another subject.

Debbie Stokes, headteacher of Greensward College, Hockley, said it already put pupils into sets to help them achieve as much as possible.

She explained: "Our governors asked years ago for setting, so children could be in set one for English but set four for maths.

"It's set by subject rather than across the board. Otherwise, you could have a child who's good at English but not very numerate and if you put them in the top set for maths they might struggle.

"It's fairer, because children have different strengths in different areas."

The new Conservative policy was announced following political in-fighting about the need for grammar schools, which select pupils at age 11, based on all-round ability.

Andrew Baker, headteacher of Westcliff High School for Boys, said his pupils were also put in different sets for different subjects.

He added: "I think it's the case pupils are going to be able to make the most rapid progress if they are working alongside those who are of comparable ability.

"That, of course, traditionally has been a part of the case for grammar schools.

"I have no doubt the success of grammar schools is attributable in part to the fact they are able to bring together and have in one school pupils at the same level, broadly speaking."

David Amess, Tory MP for Southend West, admitted the idea was not especially groundbreaking.

He said: "I don't think this idea of setting is new. I think it's done by a number of schools and I would've thought it's eminently sensible.

"But let's have a public debate about it."

Mr Cameron also wants to expand the City Academy programme to provide an extra 220,000 places for children in the most deprived areas by 2016.