Banding, Streaming and Setting

Question 1

Banding definition

Answer 1

Either when schools try to ensure their intakes have a spread of pupils drawn from all bands of ability, or it’s another word for streaming

Question 2

Streaming definition

Answer 2

Students divided into groups with similar abilities in which they stay together for subjects

Question 3

Setting

Answer 3

Students are divided into the same classes in subjects based on ability

Question 4

Beachside comprehensive study (1981)

Answer 4

Found top stream students were ‘warmed up’ by encouragement to achieve highly, whilst lower-stream students were ‘cooled-out’ and encouraged to follow vocational and practical courses so achieved lower.

Question 5

Characteristics found in lower streams

Answer 5

• More negative attitudes to school
• Found teachers pace too slow
• Spent less time on homework

Question 6

Unequal access to classroom knowledge

Answer 6

Teachers found to teach those from higher-stream classes differently to lower stream as they were given more and varied type of work which gave them greater opportunity for educational success