This is a matter for Ofsted. HM Chief Inspector, Christine Gilbert, has written to the hon. Member and a copy of her reply has been placed in the Library.
Letter from Christine Gilbert, dated 6 August 2007:
Your recent parliamentary question has been passed to me, as Her Majesty's Chief Inspector, for reply.
Although I am unable to answer the particular question you have raised, I have set out in the following tables the data Ofsted has on the proportion of observed lessons in secondary schools from September 1996 to August 2007 which were taught in setted/streamed classes
The data are based on the use of streaming and setting in lessons observed during inspection. Some explanation of these figures may be helpful. Before September 2005, inspectors were usually informed about how classes were organised by means of pre-inspection documentation, discussion with headteachers or teachers' schemes of work or lesson plans. Under the inspection arrangements at that time, all full-time teachers were observed by inspectors. Since September 2005, the recording of class organisation has been based either on discussions with the headteacher or teacher by reference to the lesson plan at the time of observation. A much smaller number of lessons are observed than would have been seen under the previous inspection framework. Lessons seen may therefore not represent pupil grouping in the school as a whole.
From 2003-04 the distinction between streaming and setting was removed and instead data recorded on whether the class was mixed ability or setted/streamed.
Physical education classes have been excluded from the analyses as these are not usually setted for ability in the subject
A copy of this reply has been sent to Jim Knight MP, Minister of State for Schools, and will be placed in the Library of both Houses.
All (excluding PE) Total lessons Percentage banded Percentage setted Year 7 25,307 7 18 Year 8 25,263 8 33 Year 9 25,179 8 40 Year 10 22,758 4 42 Year 7 to 11 35,439 4 38 Total 7 to 11 133,946 6 34
All (excluding PE) Total lessons Percentage banded Percentage setted Year 7 15,080 1 22 Year 8 15,016 10 35 Year 9 15,434 10 43 Year 10 15,690 5 41 Year 11 16,336 5 41 Total 7 to 11 77,556 8 37
All (excluding PE) Total lessons Percentage banded Percentage setted Year 7 20,585 5 21 Year 8 20,057 6 38 Year 9 21,739 7 45 Year 10 22,483 4 41 Year 11 22,663 4 42 Year 7 to 11 107,527 5 38
All (excluding PE) Total lessons Percentage banded Percentage setted Year 7 16,145 5 21 Year 8 15,443 6 37 Year 9 17,457 6 43 Year 10 16,977 3 41 Year 11 17,143 3 42 Total 7 to 11 83,165 5 37
All (excluding PE) Total lessons Percentage banded Percentage setted Year 7 12,929 5 26 Year 8 12,391 6 43 Year 9 14,995 7 48 Year 10 13,622 4 44 Year 11 14,027 3 45 Total 7 to 11 67,964 5 42
All (excluding PE) Total lessons Percentage banded Percentage setted Year 7 11,613 5 27 Year 8 10,643 5 40 Year 9 13,392 6 46 Year 10 12,109 3 41 Year 11 12,796 2 43 Total 7 to 11 60,553 4 40
All (excluding PE) Total lessons Percentage banded Percentage setted Year 7 10,406 5 29 Year 8 9,482 6 41 Year 9 12,259 6 45 Year 10 11,064 3 40 Year 11 12,060 3 42 Total 7 to 11 55,271 4 40
All (excluding PE) Total lessons Percentage setted or streamed by ability where pupils are within the average ability range within the school Percentage setted or streamed by ability where pupils are within the lower ability range within the school Percentage setted or streamed by ability where pupils are within the upper ability range within the school Year 7 12,371 7 11 10 Year 8 11,136 10 15 14 Year 9 14,747 11 15 18 Year 10 12,874 9 13 14 Year 11 14,756 9 13 17 Total 7 to 11 65,884 9 13 15
All (excluding PE) Total lessons Percentage setted or streamed by ability where pupils are within the average ability range within the school Percentage setted or streamed by ability where pupils are within the lower ability range within the school Percentage setted or streamed by ability where pupils are within the upper ability range within the school Year 7 9,351 6 10 9 Year 8 8,320 10 14 15 Year 9 11,572 11 15 18 Year 10 10,125 8 12 14 Year 11 11,897 9 12 15 Year 7 to 11 51,245 9 13 14
All (excluding PE) Total lessons Percentage setted or streamed by ability where pupils are within the average ability range within the school Percentage setted or streamed by ability where pupils are within the lower ability range within the school Percentage setted or streamed by ability where pupils are within the upper ability range within the school Year 7 3,794 8 13 12 Year 8 3,679 11 15 16 Year 9 4,304 13 17 19 Year 10 4,387 11 16 18 Year 11 3,528 13 15 18 Total 7 to 11 19,692 11 15 17
All (excluding PE) Total lessons Percentage setted or streamed by ability where pupils are within the average ability range within the school Percentage setted or streamed by ability where pupils are within the lower ability range within the school Percentage setted or streamed by ability where pupils are within the upper ability range within the school Year 7 4,152 9 14 11 Year 8 4,160 12 16 16 Year 9 4,519 14 17 20 Year 10 4,766 11 15 17 Year 11 4,110 14 15 16 Total 7 to 11 21,707 12 15 16 1 These figures are provisional as some data may be missing due to a time lag between the actual inspection and the data entering our database.