Secondary schools structure their organisations in Year Groups.

Pupils start their first year as an isolated year group learning from each other. It’s a traumatic time for many and form tutors have little time to help. Each year they move up in the same isolated groups, with the same form tutors and head of year. They have little contact with pupils outside their year group. Everything, social and learning, is organised horizontally in these year groups.

If the structure of Schools is vertical with groups of mixed ages and sex, just look at the advantages.

1. Older pupils will learn how to communicate, socialise and direct younger pupils introducing them to school life removing this burden from the teachers.
2. Sports day and other inter group activities will really be competitive.
3. Senior pupils will learn managerial skills and responsibilities by taking over the role of the form tutor. It’s a mindless, costly and time consuming task. They can do all the Admin tasks of the form tutor, most probably better, including registration.
4. Senior pupils will be closer to the ground and be seen to be more approachable than teachers. (use the Us and Them to an advantage).

The only rational explanation for the existing structure is the Establishment’s loathing of the Public School’s house system. It is not difficult to see the advantages, social, educational and economical.

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