Bay of Plenty schools to stop streaming junior students

Some Bay schools are phasing out streaming classes. Photo / Getty Images

Some Bay of Plenty schools are shifting away from grouping students based on academic ability.

One Rotorua school leader says the practice has "significant and adverse" impacts on students' self-esteem.

But another principal in the region says banding classes was the "best way" to meet specific learning needs in their community.

After 30 years of streamed classes at John Paul College, principal Patrick Walsh "firmly" believed moving away from streaming would not impact the school's "outstanding" academic results.

He said JPC, which was the country's largest Catholic co-educational school, had an almost 100 per cent NCEA pass rate across all year levels.

Streaming is the practice in education where students are grouped in classes based on their perceived academic ability.

The phase-out would only impact those in Years 8 to 10 as classes as all other year levels were "mixed ability". It would come into force next year.

It would roll out so current Year 8 and 9 "enrichment" classes would continue through to Year 10.

There was "full support" from staff and Board of Trustees with the decision confirmed earlier this week.

An email proposing phasing out streaming was sent to the school community in late September, requesting feedback from parents and guardians through an online survey.

Walsh said there was no "strong evidence" that streaming benefitted any students - including top academic performers.

"The research is however unequivocal that streaming can have significant and adverse impacts on learners including low self-esteem, narrow educational pathways, unhealthy competition and lost lifetime opportunities."

And negative impacts of streaming were "amplified" and "long-lasting" for Māori and Pasifika learners.

"This is inconsistent with our Catholic worldview and commitment to being culturally inclusive.

John Paul College principal Patrick Walsh. Photo / NZME

Walsh encouraged other schools to review the research and consult their communities about class streaming.

Board of Trustees deputy chair Jenny Chapman said it was "wonderful" to be part of a change in education that was research-based.

The school senior leaders had been carrying out a "concerted and focused" investigation into steaming for the past two years.

"I am absolutely all for it. We don't need to rely on an old system of separating students out."

Elsewhere, Tauranga Boys' College was also making the switch from banded classes for junior students to mixed ability groups next year.

Roughly 480 Year 9 students were expected to start next year, with the majority to be placed in mixed classes. Classes would remain in place for 2023.

But two accelerated classes would remain in place for students who "benefit from extension".

School principal Robert Mangan said being placed in a low-streamed class could impact a learner's self-esteem and "narrow their educational pathway".

Junior classes were banded at Rotorua Girls' High School with learning programmes "tailored" for each class.

Principal Sarah Davis said this allowed teachers to "be well prepared" in supporting students.

"We differentiate classes to put support around the girls so that learning is best designed to meet their needs."

While the school was reviewing learning models yearly, Davis said banded classes were proving successful for students.

"At the moment for the community we have got, it seems to be the best way for us to work.

Rotorua Girls' High School principal Sarah Davis. Photo / NZME

"Schools are always challenged making sure they stay relevant to who is coming through the school gates."

But she said she "completely respected" JPC's decision to move away from streaming.

Western Heights High School principal James Bracefield said there was a variety of "different" classes for junior students. Options catered to the "wide diversity" within the school community.

This included partial Māori immersion, learning support, extension and special needs.

He said staff were partaking in professional development to "accelerate" learning in the junior school.

"This will enable us to remove the barrier of prerequisites for senior secondary school subjects and allow students to access the pathway that they wish to pursue."

Ministry of Education group manager policy Tipene Crisp said any move towards "more inclusive and equitable learning environments" was supported by the Government.

Crisp said there was "clear and consistent" evidence that streaming contributed to inequitable outcomes, particularly for Maōri, Pacific and learners with disabilities who were placed in lower streams.

"We recognise that collaboration is needed between the education sector and communities to develop solutions to support this shift."

The ministry was supporting this by including "more inclusive local curriculum design and the development of culturally responsive and collaborative teaching practices".

These supports focus on helping schools develop more inclusive and equitable education practices, including moving away from streaming and ability grouping in the classroom, especially for Māori and Pacific students.